Longparish honour clubman Ken (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Longparish honour clubman Ken

11:31pm Tuesday 2nd March 2010 in

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At the recent Longparish Cricket Club AGM, club groundsman Ken Ball was appointed a vice president of the club.

Ken played his first game for Longparish in 1945, aged 14 at Hurstbourne Priors, unfortunately opening his lengthy account with a duck. An occasional leg spinner and fine fielder at cover point, Ken hit his highest knock for the club with a century against Hamble. He featured many times for Longparish against John Woodcock’s star studded sides, and was once bowled at the village ground by a Frank Tyson delivery that he heard, but did not see. Ken was involved in both the Village Cup campaigns that culminated in finals at Lords for Longparish and remembers the thousand or more people who turned up at the ground for the semi-finals. He was 12th man in their first final and made several appearances on the field. During this period of success for the club, Ken received an award from John Arlott on behalf of the Hampshire Cricket League for the excellent condition of the ground.

He still lives in the house that guards the gate to the ground and last turned out in the field for Longparish three seasons ago. He will be preparing the square, and enthusiastically drafting the first team match reports for the press this coming season, 65 years after he first represented the club.