1976 Duckett's Season

Or the summer of Duckett

Now it’s obviously true that any cricketing organisation should have noble, well intentioned ambitions. Attempt to assimilate within the community, coach and encourage local youngsters, try to play the game in a spirit that reflects a well organised cricket club. But ultimately it’s always the players that define how a club is perceived within its own peer group. I can think of half a dozen that have played for us over the years that will have knocked the good intentions of many of our cricket committees into the proverbial cocked hat.   Fights, arguments, some recalcitrant even urinating into an opposing umpires shoes, not many know about that one and all will be revealed – eventually. Mind you, the umpire in question was the biggest, wall eyed cheat in Christendom and deserved everything that came his way, but on reflection probably not that. We’ve had fighters, swearers, sulkers, a positive host of bad sportsmen, convicts – even had an arrest during an afternoon’s play. Fortunately the arresting officer played cricket for us and allowed the felon to finish his allocation of overs. He was a class left arm spinner and a con man of impeccable credentials. He got three years and was on the verge of packing it in anyway. Although he broke all sorts of records at Strangeways the next summer and Lancashire ’s a hard school at the best of times, they really rated him up there. 

To cap all of these, we had Ken Duckett (left) who for three seasons and this can be said without anyone daring to call into question what I am about to say - he won more games of cricket during his spell at Challow than the rest of us put together. An all rounder who achieved the double of one hundred wickets and one thousand runs for us. A formidable man in a redoubtable team, we won every league game in 1976. Lost only one the previous year and Duckett was our totem. What did that say about the club? Our best player, when he was only a callow seventeen year old, he dug the square up at his local club because they wouldn’t pick him for the first team.  A troublemaker, a fighter, profane to the point whereby women covered the ears of small children whenever he approached – but what a fantastic cricketer.

I have a theory for what it’s worth, outstanding achievers have a dark side, a mean streak that sets them apart. There are obvious sporting exceptions, in 1976 our nice guy was Ian Pert, outstanding cricketer and a good sportsman. Tight as a duck’s arse in the bar but he genuinely played the game in a proper, good natured manner. The rest of the bunch – well what do you want to know? One of the bowlers (right) went out with a pocket full of Vaseline, for the cricket ball that is, not his haemorrhoids. How low can you go? Probably the story of the umpire’s shoes, my anonymous friend was sawn off against Kidlington, he proceeded to – well I feel that he should own up himself. No naming and shaming here, no kangaroo court, an amnesty will be observed. But as you all well know, I am open to offers, especially when stood at the bar.                                                                                                                                          

What summers, both 75 and 76 turned out to be, absolute scorchers and a team to match the brilliant sunshine - lost one league game in those two years. Brilliant batting, better bowling and in a team of all rounders, one man stood out - a colossus. Duckett was a giant cube of a man - built like a circus strongman – he would be considered unfit by today's standards - photo's are rare although his face adorned several police stations in the Reading vicinity. Unpopular with some in the club, but more unpopular with opponents - overweight undoubtedly, but his feet moved like Fred Astaire's. A competitive streak so mean, he caused an international incident at Denchworth when he told their scorer where she should store her broomstick. The village drums began to beat and we only escaped by the skin of our teeth. It was my misfortune to work with him, in the politicised workplaces of the 70’s he was an employer’s nightmare. He had a foreman that he didn't get on with, no surprise there! This man used to sleep in a galvanised shed at lunchtimes. Duckett drove his fork lift at a towering velocity, rammed into this shed causing his boss to wake in the middle of what he thought was an earthquake, the only recorded one in West Berks, albeit a very localised one. Post traumatic stress disorder was not in any medical dictionary at this time – but I must admit he did look unwell when he eventually came out.  I couldn’t stop fantasising about somebody with Duckett’s attitude, if he played cricket half as well as he argued, well this man was for me and I’ll take the credit for getting him over to play for us.

1976 averages
Batting										Bowling
name	mtchs	inns	no	runs	h.s	100	50's	avge		Name	mtchs	overs	mdns	wkts	runs	best	avge
N.Cassidy	10	9	1	371	125*	1		46.38		I. Pert	37	70	11	22	201	3-1	9.14
K. Duckett	33	32	6	900	97		3	34.62		G.Wixey	34	50	14	14	152	4-6	10.86
J.Pilcher	10	10	1	308	75		4	34.22		K.Duckett	33	384	99	84	984	7-44	11.71
G.Wixey	34	31	2	860	80		7	29.66		D.Walker	9	76	9	20	256	4-37	12.80
A.Haines	17	16	0	405	65		3	25.31		K.Withers	10	64	19	12	160	4-44	13.33
I.Pert	37	35	5	744	67		5	24.80		C.Haines	23	204	44	35	506	5-12	14.46
R.Blowfield	22	20	4	291	65*		1	18.19		A.Haines	17	102	6	26	406	6-43	15.62
P.O'Conner	12	10	2	145	23			18.13		G.Launchbury	14	163	40	28	461	6-28	16.46
T.Stock	26	24	3	368	83*		2	17.52		M.Wright	14	65	9	15	256	5-29	17.07
F.Powell	20	18	3	277	63		1	16.29
R.Haines	27	23	8	236	30*			15.73

We just kept winning, even when rain threatened, the overs were bowled at such a rate we were always ahead of the game. One rain restricted game, Duckett off one pace went through an over in less than two minutes. I know the batsman tapped every one back at him, but we bowled twenty three overs in one hour. We bowled our thirty five overs in ninety eight minutes. What helped Duckett, was two top class wicket keepers. Ian Pert and Nigel Cassidy both stood up to him, no mean achievement, Duckett bowled a heavy ball, usually closely followed by a weightier profanity. Ian was marginally the better keeper, Nigel a world class sledger, not things directed at the batsmen necessarily. Nigel would say thing like, ‘My dick itches.’ Just as the batsman was taking guard, ‘I think I’ve got a dose.’ Every couple of overs, ‘I can’t scratch it with this effin box on.’

Catching Summary
Name	Mch	total		Name	Mch	Ct	St	Total
R.Haines	27	22		I.Pert	24	15	7	22
G.Wixey	34	18		N.Cassidy	6	7	2	9
T.Stock	26	10

There we have it, profanities from the bowler and a sex maniac keeping wicket, it was never anything less than distracting. Not that we needed any of that, we were a country mile better than anything else, but it was something you just did. Not only was the wicket keeping top notch, they both got runs too. Nigel, now well into his second career as a publican came out of semi retirement when we played at Long Crendon. Hadn’t batted for the best part of two seasons, came in at 32 for 4 and hit 125 not out, fourteen fours and three sixes. We all went back to his pub afterwards and Gwen and I ended up stopping the night and proceeded to break the bed. No, no nothing like that, the bed was unsound and Gwen was heavily pregnant. Which was the reason I only played thirty four games that season, after all, I firmly believe you have to support your spouse through these difficult times.

            This game was the only one Duckett missed, he took five wickets in league matches on five occasions, never missed with the bat and every weekend we seemed to celebrate. The weather got hotter and hotter; we went to Risinghurst on the hottest day of the summer with only nine players and I lost the toss. Duckett bowled twenty three overs and took five for twenty!  We bowled them out for 82 and then struggled ourselves until Duckett hit thirty seven not out, six fours and two sixes. Top stuff!Recollections of our valedictory celebrations are somewhat vague – thirty years ago and only two things stick out. Ian lost a bet with Duckett and Ian is a pretty shrewd operator when odds are stuck under his nose. But Duckett persuaded him into a race around the boundary edge, Ian fit as a butcher’s whippet and Duckett overweight, a glass in one hand and a roll up in the other. No contest you might think, despite the big man negotiating yards for years, or more likely pounds for yards. Twenty yards difference at the start, all the smart money was still on the whippet.

            He never got close, Duckett came around the last bend like a rocket propelled upright freezer. He still had time to roll a fag before Ian finished. Duckett buoyed up by a bankroll, proceeded to drink like an aristocrat that had been kept away from the wine cellar for too long. Some of us didn’t need much encouragement and it all ended up with a streak. How juvenile is that? Duckett managed to persuade one other into this little jaunt and around the field we proceeded to go. Duckett did have an umpires coat on, albeit one with no buttons and he wore a ginger wig. I thought he looked rather gorgeous, until he did the head stand that is. He was in persuasive form that night and suggested to me that we go over the British Legion, still in our state of undress. Always easily led, I thought it a good idea, but of course the steward wouldn’t let us in, it was obvious really – he would never let us in, we weren’t wearing ties. 
 

A wonderful summer and Duckett’s endeavours drove us on. His star burned bright for a couple of seasons. I still see him occasionally, he looks no different. Same bulk, same twinkle in the eye. One explanation for his waywardness may have been the fact that he played in goal as a young man. Now everyone knows that you have to be crazy to be a goalkeeper. The degrees of lunacy often reflect goalkeeper’s ability. That being the case, it’s a wonder he never played for England .

Telegraph cup Winners 1976