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PCA Past Players Day - Bainbridge, Brown & Graf share their Cheltenham memories

15 July 2016

More than 90 former cricketers including Dickie Bird, Graeme “Foxy” Fowler and Simon Jones attended the second day of the Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Cricket Festival for the PCA’s (Professional Cricketers Association) Past Players Day.

Ex-Gloucestershire stars Andy Stovold, Phil Bainbridge and Steve Adshead were also among those who watched their old club’s Specsavers County Championship match against Essex and caught up with old team mates and opponents.

The day was hosted by former Kent skipper David Fulton who was a guest speaker at lunch along with PCA founder Fred Rumsey, former joint football and cricket professional Jim Cumbes and ex-England batsman Fowler who discussed his battle with depression.

Cheltenham born and bred, the day was particularly special for former Gloucestershire player David Brown.

He said: “There is no more picturesque setting to watch cricket on a sunny day than the Cheltenham Festival.

“It’s wonderful. It’s one of the oldest cricket festivals in the country. WG (Grace) Wally Hammond, all the Gloucestershire greats have played here.”

David said his highlight as a player at the Festival came against a touring Pakistan side in 1967.

He said: “The Test sides used to play at the College all the time. I remember scoring 60 against Pakistan . Being a local boy I knew a lot of people here and it was lovely to walk off to a local crowd and getting a lot of applause and cheers. That was one of my very nice memories of playing here.”

To listen to the full interview with David click below:

No one travelled further to attend the day than former Australia international and current Cricket Victoria general manager Shaun Graf.

His trip over from Australia marked a repeat of the journey he made when coming over to play club cricket for Knowle CC in Bristol 1979.

Looking back on his early days training with Gloucestershire Shaun recalls the unusual approach of club coach at the time Graham Wiltshire.

He said: “Graham had some interesting methods of coaching. One day in the indoor wickets there – which were on boards, which was very strange to start with – I was facing Syd Lawrence and Graham tied my back leg to the stumps because he wanted me to get right back in and behind.  I couldn’t move and had Syddy trying to knock my head off so my first memories of Gloucestershire were pretty frightening!”

Shaun played at the Cheltenham Festival for Hampshire against Gloucestershire and remembers an infamous incident with opposing batsman Chris Board.

He added: “I had a bit of a run in with Chris Broad here. Unfortunately I accidently ran through the crease on the third bumper of the over and was warned off and didn’t bowl again for the innings. We’ve patched up since but that’s certainly my most famous memory of the Cheltenham Festival to be honest.”

For more from Shaun including his view on the importance of the PCA click below:

Another former player enjoying the day was ex-Gloucestershire and Durham allrounder Phil Bainbridge.

One of his most memorable Cheltenham Festival moments was his debut for the county against Worcestershire in 1977.

He said: “We won by an innings because they didn’t have a 12^th man. Basil D’Oliveira pulled up in the warm up and Worcestershire only had 11 players so we lent them Jim Foat. He dropped Proctor on 38 and he went to make 156 and it all kicked off.”

To hear the full interview with Phil including him talking about the era he played in compared to the challenges facing modern players click below.

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