History of Bucks CCC

consistent success for Bucks led to the offer of a weekend job as a professional in the Lancashire League. For nine seasons he played for Heywood, usually opening the batting and the bowling in the manner expected of league professionals in those days. He recalls an early problem: his bowling was not up to the club’s requirements. “I was a declaration bowler for Bucks,” he modestly asserts, “bowling little off spinners. So they sent me on a two-week crash course before the season started and I learnt to bowl properly.” Thereafter, until 1978, Lever continued to do his best to play a few games for Bucks. As the years passed he moved down the batting order and the consistency of his run-getting declined, but his medium paced bowling became a more potent force, while he remained an outstanding fielder in the covers. Qualification for the 1965 Gillette Cup brought Bucks a plum tie – they were drawn to play Middlesex at Lord’s on 23 April. For this memorable match the committee entertained old players, members and friends in a box in the now demolished Clock Tower, and the teamwere issued with new blazers for the traditional photograph in the Harris Garden. There had been thoughts of inviting Denis Compton to play for Bucks. Living in the county, he was certainly well qualified, though it was eight years since his last season of county cricket. However, after much discussion, the committee decided that it was unfair to drop one of the players who had helped the county to win a place in the competition. Later committees might have reached a different conclusion! 69 The Stoddart years Peter Stoddart leading the team out at Lord’s Colin Lever with Norman Butler