The First Cricketer Cup Matches 4 June 1967

When the first round of the 2021 Cricketer Cup is played on 13 June, it will be 54 years since the competition began with just 16 schools. That first round was notable for the large array of current and former first class cricketers appearing in virtually every side, although some of them were longer in the tooth than most appearing in the competition today. Old Tonbridgians included Jack Davies, who had bowled Bradman for a duck at Fenners in 1934, and John Thompson, who played for Cambridge and Warwickshire before the war. Hubert Doggart, capped for England in 1950, captained Old Wykehamists, and Donald Carr, who played twice for England in 1951-2, captained Repton Pilgrims and made 89 not out. Others to appear in that first round were Ted Dexter, a current England player, captaining Radley Rangers, and Henry Blofeld who made 95 for Eton Ramblers. Uppingham Rovers also had a couple of veterans in Garth Wheatley and Brian Boobbyer, who had both won Oxford Blues just after the war. Other current or past first class cricketers in that first round of matches included David Mordaunt (Sussex) who scored 82 and then took 6-56 against Bradfield Waifs, Michael Mence (Bradfield Waifs and Warwickshire), and Richard Hutton (Repton Pilgrims, Yorkshire and England). At least fifty players in those sixteen teams had played county cricket or won blues at Oxbridge.

Pride of place in that first round of games must however go to Peter May, who had retired from Test cricket after captaining England in the 1961 Ashes series. Regarded as perhaps the finest post-war English batsman, May made a majestic unbeaten 113 out of the Charterhouse Friars winning total of 158-3 against Harrow Wanderers. The elegance of May is captured in the photograph below, taken on that day and now in the Charterhouse archives.