2nd not 1st: Essex 1899-1914 (6th ed)

the side’. After he married, he moved to Westerham in Kent, where he was player and groundsman for the cricket club and also groundsman at nearby Limpsfield CC. For a while he was groundsman to Mr Vivian Smith (later Lord Bicester) at Squerryes Court in Westerham, which may have been another reason for his move, because until 1921 Smith had rented Rolls Park in Chigwell. Winter did such a good job that in 1938, on the personal recommendation of Frank Woolley, he was appointed groundsman at the Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells. Carl Openshaw, president of Tunbridge Wells CC, commented that the practice net wickets in the post-war years were always of a very high standard. He remained in post for 21 years, and when he retired, Colin Cowdrey presented him with a cheque and Hopper Levett described him as ‘a craftsman in the art of a groundsman’. He also advised the Association of Kent Cricket Clubs on the preparation of pitches, and helped improve the hockey pitch at the Nevill Ground so it could be used for a women’s England v Scotland international. The year after his retirement was the notorious occasion when his successor produced a dustbowl and Kent bowled Worcestershire out for 25 and 61 to win in a day. As soon as the match finished, Winter hurried out to the middle and offered his help in preparing a better strip for the next match. Peter Winter died in 1968 aged 79, leaving no will. Batting and fielding record M I NO RUNS AVE 100s 50s CT ST Champ 1 1 17 17.00 1 Bowling Balls M R W 5wI 10wM Champ 240 10 94 3 Highest score: 17. Best bowling: 2-72. Womersley, Aleck Dale (1889-1959) Born 27 July 1889, Brentwood, Essex. Died 11 April 1959, Stepney, London. He was the eldest child of Dale Womersley (1860-1942) and Beatrice Mary Moseley. Dale was a stock jobber who attended Marlborough College and played fairly regularly for the pre-first- class Essex 1st XI from 1882 to 1892. Aleck was captain of cricket at Marlborough, and went on to University College Oxford. In the First World War he rose to the rank of captain in the Essex Regiment and in the Second he returned to the colours as a lieutenant. In 1920 he married Eileen Sharp and they had three children. He also became a stock jobber and a partner in the firm of Womersley, Garrod & Co of Warnford Court, EC2. He lived at various addresses in the Brentwood area but died in the London Hospital. He left £5590. Aleck played two Essex 2nd matches at Leyton in August 1914. Against Kent 2nd XI he opened the innings but was twice bowled by William Hickmott without scoring. Against Surrey he did much netter with 4 for 63 in the first innings and 47 in the second. After the war he played for the Gentlemen of Essex, which to an extent filled the gap left by the absence of the 2nd XI. It was often quite a strong side which occasionally included the likes of Hubert and Claude Ashton, George Louden, Denys Wilcox and Hopper Read.