Monday 23rd March
On hearing the sad news of the sudden passing away of Fred
Ham, my thoughts, as many others, were for his family at such a tragic time.
My thoughts then tuned to his exploits on the cricketing
field, and someone who inspired me to get heavily involved in the game I now
love. As a youngster I would cycle up to Over Stowey to watch cricket, do the
scoreboard and get some cake at the tea interval.
Fred, naturally, would be playing. Opening the bowling in
tandem with Roger Shepherd, the most formidable pair of opening bowlers in the
West Somerset League and then batting at his favourite / usual spot at number
11. One Saturday the side was short, I being an enthusiastic young 14 year old,
played that day, and almost immediately upset Fred. Fred was moved up the order
to bat at number 10 to accommodate myself at 11; I can still hear the surprise
and disbelief in his voice today as he questioned the decision with the then Stowey
captain.
Fred’s bowling style was always one for debate, not the
action when he bowled, no one really questioned that, but it was his run-up.
Standing up straight at the top of his run-up, the a small crouch as he began,
a few hops and skips as he would start to run in a bit sideways, as he
approached his delivery stride his run up would then sought of stutter to
almost stopping, then in to his delivery stride sending the ball down at some
pace to the awaiting batsman. Colleagues and opposing players would pass
comment, saying he doesn’t need that run-up, but hey it worked, Fred was used
to it, so why change it.
As for appealing for a wicket, especially for LBW's, Fred’s
appeal could be heard all around Stowey, both Over and Nether Stowey. Fred was
from a breed of fast bowlers that if it struck the pad it was out, as he would
always bowl straight at the wickets. I think his appeal got him a lot more
wickets as the umpire would nervously raise a finger to give the batsman out
from the strength of the appeal.
Fred would always remind me the day he took all ten wickets
in an innings. He would say five became six, then seven, then the eight, Roger hadn't taken any and
before he knew it he had taken nine wickets. He took that ninth wicket on the
last delivery of the over, and with his formidable opening partner, Roger,
bowling the next over, Fred had six agonising balls to wait before he could
begin his next over, and hopefully claim his 10th scalp, a wait that
felt like an eternity.
Roger’s over was unsuccessful, thankfully for Fred. So there
he was, at the top of his mark, six balls to claim a wonderful achievement. He
found the edge during that over, and it was Roger who snapped up the catch, and
Fred, as he often told me, thought Roger was more excited than he was. A
fantastic achievement, and not done at Over Stowey since.
After Fred hung up his boots, I often bumped into him in The
George Hotel, where sometimes he would reminisce about his playing days amongst
other things, like telling the odd joke or two.
Tonight, at skittles, I will raise a glass to you Fred – R.I.P.
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