We are seeking members’ thoughts on what the ACS might do to mark the 250th anniversary, in June 2022, of the match regarded as the first-ever ‘great’ or first-class match. The Broadhalfpenny Down Association is already making plans to mark this occasion: should the ACS join in with them, and/or should we mark this anniversary in some other way? Second Victory Test at Bramall Lane: photo from Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/ 3 August 2020 Of the 39,830 he finished with, probably 70 per cent were scored on the leg-side. This is not to say, though, that he was a poor off-side player. When he chose he could cover drive with the best, once he had come through the invariably painful process of playing himself in. Tactically he was inclined to be cautious, as England’s captain anyway, and there is nothing unusual about that. He took over the England side in 1963, on a two-month tour to India, and was relieved of it after England had been heavily beaten by West Indies in the First Test of 1966. For the rest of the 1954 season he played for his native Leicestershire without making any particular impact. In the 1955 season at Oxford he got away to a bad start, but made runs later and strengthened his reputation as a batsman of considerable application by scoring another century in the University match. He again assisted Leicestershire at the end of the University term.

Pete previously served on the committee from 1993 to 2008, and has carried out many other roles for the Association, including typesetting many publications and running ACS Sales from 2006 to 2014. His expertise in matters digital and technological will be a great asset as the committee develops some of the ideas that were discussed at the members’ virtual meeting in November. Philip will be known to many of our members as the statistical power behind many thrones, both inside and outside the ACS. There is no doubt that, without his efforts over all this time, the ACS would not be the flourishing and respected organisation that it is today.The ACS’s 50th AGM was held virtually via Zoom on Saturday 18 March 2023, and attended by 49 members.

Note: The pair had their revenge in the final Test when Davidson dismissed Smith with the final ball of his Test career. Smith was caught at slip by — Simpson. The six motions on which members had been asked for their votes were all carried by an overwhelming majority of the 97 members who had sent in valid voting papers. In those days, long sea journeys and unsatisfactory living conditions in some countries led to players absenting themselves for quite a few trips, but I always loved touring, no matter what the destination.Indeed, after Middlesex had strolled to the semis with easy wins over Durham, Nottinghamshire and Sussex, it was the bowlers who ensured that the defending champions would be at Lord's on September 2, by successfully defending a determined run-chase against Hampshire in Southampton. The role of Middlesex's death bowler had been allocated to Hughes for a number of years, his effort in the 1986 Benson and Hedges cup final seeing Middlesex home against Kent, and although it was Fraser in the Hampshire match who held his nerve in the final over, Hughes details in his excellent A Lot of Hard Yakka book, that he secretly joked to friends before the match that he would probably bowl the last over in the final with just 10 runs needed for victory. But he began very soon to make enough runs to be marked down as no ordinary batsman. By the time he went down from Oxford he had scored 201 not out in the University Match of 1954, followed by 104 in 1955 and 117 in 1956 when he was captain, a record that has never been equalled. He had been President of Vincent's Club too, an exclusive sporting establishment which is very careful about whom to have as its head; and he had played stand-off half for England. Lord's is my favourite ground and I always enjoyed playing there. It has tradition, history and atmosphere.

It is more apparent now that it was at the time that the selectors got rid of him too soon, partly perhaps because he was too independent for their liking. He did things his own way, whatever the establishment may have thought of it, although as harmonious a partnership of captain and manager I have toured with was when Smith and David Clark were paired together in India in 1963/64. We also want your thoughts on some specific statistical issues arising from the introduction of The Hundred competition later this year – follow the link for details.Ryder added: “Alan Smith has special qualities. He has a good sense of humour, which is all important in a dressing room, but at the same time is a dedicated, thoughtful and talented captain, who knows there are times when one needs to be firm and to express views very clearly. I think that he combines the necessary qualities, and there is no doubt that he is aided and abetted in all that he does by Mike Smith. I think between them they, therefore, cover all aspects, and for the rest they are a very nice bunch of fellows to deal with, quite apart from their talent in the game.”