Your Committee was re-elected unopposed (contact details below). As a reward, for the 205th year the annual subscription remains three guineas!

Although the season has some weeks to run the summer suddenly feels as though it is moving to an end. While Yorkshire appear to be moving untroubled towards their first title since 1968, much of the country has been under water. Since the English football season begins on the day I am writing that may be appropriate!

Meanwhile the season’s main focus, the ‘Ashes’ series is already over. The English papers have reported Australia securing the urn in record time but your Treasurer pointed out to me that in 1921 they also won the first three and these were only scheduled for three days each. A certain local chauvinism urges me to report that England then stopped the rot not least by selecting Phil Mead who scored 47 and 182* in the two remaining drawn Tests.

Of course the whole of Hampshire has been celebrating this year’s victory over Australia which brought reminders to this part of England of the days of eighteenth century supremacy.

Your President has been campaigning for the northern end at Hampshire’s new ground to be called the Hambledon End and is making some progress. Any support or influence will be greatly appreciated.

I hope that our speaker Alistair McLennan will have taken some satisfaction from the Test series if not from Hampshire’s success. Alistair, a member of the Hambledon Club has been the Chief Guide at the Bradman Museum in Bowral for many years.

Alistair described the recent services and other events to celebrate the life of the greatest cricketer. He then told us something of his life and career, including his boyhood in Bowral.

Alistair has a clear grasp of the history of cricket and took us on a journey from the first Aboriginal tourists (1868) through the development of key laws and the ‘Golden Age’. He also made mention of a little problem known as ‘Bodyline’!

Alistair told us of the Museum and the Adelaide house which has been preserved in the style of the 1930s. While the Museum will survive the Don’s death there are certain questions over how it might develop and how it can be maintained and protected. It will be required to maintain the three aims identified when Don first agreed to its foundation:

Career & life of Don Bradman
History & development of cricket
Foundation for young players

Alistair made some predictions for the coming season. He may have been right in suggesting that Warne has lost some of his "zing" but a few days ago he took six wickets to secure the Ashes – oh for an English spinner with that much zing!

He expressed genuine concern about the future of our game suggesting that it is at a crossroads. He criticised incessant appealing, foul language, the infringement of rules and the generally poor role models that professional cricketers offer young players.

He also brought various greetings from Australia: John Bradman expressed his wish to visit in the future; Ian Craig (a debutant at Manchester in 1956) is suffering ill-health so we return our best wishes to him; Mark Taylor; Alan Davidson (who visited Broadhalfpenny Down last year) – "drink a pint for me"; Roaden Cutler a Patron of the museum and Richard Mulvaney its curator who sent a letter read by the President.

We were told that Bradman was never a comedian because life was too serious for him but Alistair had one enchanting tale. At some point in the recent past Sir Donald was asked how he might have fared against the great West Indian bowlers Holding, Roberts, Marshall, Garner et al. He suggested that he might have scored 45 or 50 and was asked why he would have managed only half his Test average – were those bowlers that good? Sir Donald replied "well I am 85 you know".

Alistair’s contribution was quite marvellous and we send our greetings to him and all our members overseas hoping they will all be able to join us fairly soon.

He concluded his talk by presenting a range of Bradman memorabilia to the Hambledon Club to be added to the wonderful displays in the Bat & Ball curated by your Steward.

(Click on link to read Article The Bradman Museum - John Grimsley)

The lunch was again a marvellous affair with a menu that included Clam Chowder, and Venison. We managed to fill the room for the first time and our collection of £215 topped all previous efforts. You will remember that the majority of this goes to Hambledon’s young cricketers and the amount was enhanced when the winner – your President – generously donated his prize.

Ashley reported to the meeting that we have been asked about a club tie. The gentlemen will be pleased to know that we have approved and ordered an appropriate design which will be available on 29 September (but not before). As a consequence you may wish to arrive in a state of sartorial disarray! The cost of the ties will be £16 each on the day or £18 by post. Orders by post should come to the Steward at the Bat and Ball.

Your President presented a conundrum to the last meeting which is yet to be resolved. A nomination had been received for Denis Compton to receive posthumous membership but while the spirit of his play seems entirely to accord with that of Hambledon we can find no tangible link between Denis Compton and the Bat and Ball or Broadhalfpenny Down. We continue to invite evidence to the contrary.

Apologies were received from Lord Alexander, the Pardoe family, Jocelyn Galsworthy (erroneously included in the last Newsletter) Peter Baxter, Clive Barnett and Nigel Scott-Miller who sent an enchanting letter about Bradman and the ghosts of Broadhalfpenny Down.

PUBLICATIONS

It is good to report that members of the Club contribute regularly to books on cricket history. Recent publications have included, "The Winning Edge" by Jack Potter and Ashley Mote and, "Think Cricket" by Christopher Bazalgette. The latest by Alan Edwards is "Lionel Tennyson: Regency Buck" (Robson Books £16.95)

FORTHCOMING MATCHES

As a result of your President’s efforts, three intriguing matches have been arranged for Hambledon.

The Australian Aboriginals are playing Hambledon on Sunday 2 September at Ridge Meadow; the Los Angeles Krickets are playing Hambledon on Thursday 6 September on Broadhalfpenny Down, and the two visiting teams are playing each other at Ridge Meadow on the Tuesday between (4 September).

All matches start at 2pm and all are welcome.