History of Bucks CCC

eight matches he achieved relatively little. All three newcomers were from London, only Mehar having any form of local connection. His club, Harrow, played in the Thames Valley League, while Mehar himself worked for Bowyer’s in Amersham. “Every match he would bring along a box of Scotch eggs for tea,” David Smith remembers. The emphasis in all this recruitment was on experience. Milton was 35 when he first played, while Dick Humphrey was brought in as a wicket-keeper the following season at the ripe old age of 44. By this time David Smith had taken over the captaincy. He had always felt that Brian Poll had been too reluctant to move up the batting order, and he saw Humphrey, whom he knew through Conference cricket, as a wicket- keeper/batsman whose selection would enable another bowler to be played. A keeper who had played a few games for Surrey in the 1960s, Humphrey was always prepared to stand up to bowlers of pace, and he quickly repaid his captain’s faith in his batting with a fine century in his first match on a difficult pitch at Hertford against a particularly testing attack. The seemingly relentless policy of finding players from outside Bucks inevitably led to schisms within the committee and there was some discontent among the clubs, notably at Chesham, whose committee were soon to make their ground unavailable for county matches, High Wycombe and Amersham. The matter for debate was simple: should the county pursue playing success at all costs – and with it participation in the lucrative Gillette (soon to be NatWest) Cup – or should Bucks be represented by those with roots in the county or at least playing for Bucks’ clubs? Slatter and Perrin were both consumed with achieving success on the field and Perrin was always a willing servant of those who wanted a good player signed up, but those concerned with developing young talent sought to limit his recruiting zeal. Throughout the post-war decades the Young Amateurs had continued to thrive, the smooth running of a programme of some eight matches, preceded by trials, still owing much to Tom Orford’s energy and devotion. If there had been elitism, it had melted away: the local grammar schools, especially the Royal Grammar School at High Wycombe, had produced many fine players. Orford could rely on Jim Etchells to help with the umpiring, and for several years Ken Drucquer had shared the administrative burden. Like Orford, he was a bachelor, who now proudly admits that the young cricketers were his ‘family’ and, with a passion for coaching, he devoted long hours to the development of 85 The North Circular team: Brian Poll and David Smith Tom Orford Sam Mehar Dick Humphrey