Lives in Cricket No 10 - John Shepherd

Dixon with 569 runs and 89 wickets was something of a rival. In a light-hearted single-wicket tournament at Canterbury in early June it was Dixon who beat Shepherd in the semi-final before going on to win the competition. Shepherd’s fielding was of a consistently good standard throughout the season and his tally of 33 Championship catches (mostly in the slips or leg slip) was second only to Cowdrey’s. By the end of the 1967 season John Shepherd had been in England for two and a half years and, with full qualification for Kent behind him, and a successful first season under his belt marked by the award of his county cap, it was time for a visit home to family, friends and to cricket in Barbados. He found a job as a clerk in Bridgetown civil court where he met a young woman, Terry Ford, four years his junior, who was working in the adjoining criminal court – also as a clerk. Terry was from St John, the parish next to St Andrew: they had a whirlwind romance and in March 1968, shortly before his return to England for the new county season and after nerve-racking interviews with Terry’s distinguished father and intimidating mother, they became engaged. The cricket season 1967/68 in the West Indies was dominated by the visit of the English team, then still playing under the MCC banner and under Colin Cowdrey’s captaincy. Expectations in the Caribbean were high as the West Indies could justifiably claim the title of unofficial world champions, having recently beaten England and India away and Australia at home. With the retirement of Conrad Hunte there was an opening up the order in the Kentish Apprentice 35 John Shepherd and Terry Ford on their engagement in March 1968.