Tony Dodemaide gets in touch!

On the back of the 1986 photo posted yesterday, then professional Tony Dodemaide commented on Twitter. He wrote the attached.


Stan has had his say on the matter:

Tony was a wonderful player and a really pleasant lad. His bowling action was a delight to watch. One of my abiding memories was come the last match of the 1986 season at Ramsbottom , Tony needed 8 wickets for his 100 . In Tony’s first two overs we dropped 3 slip catches — as Brian Holmes later advised ” bowl at the sticks , you won’t need slips ” Although we won the game Tony only took 2 wickets and fell 6 short of his 100, largely due to the dropped slip catches no doubt.

The late Phil Astin scored 98 in the same game.

The following season Tony signed for East Lancs and we lined up against them first game of the season. I can only think that Tony’s rising talent as a cricketer had priced us out. There were certainly no hard feelings. Wrenners thought the world of Tony, and rightly so.Tony was run out by yours truly going for a two. I had spent the whole of the 1986 season preparing for this moment . Week after week I conned Tony into thinking that I was a sluggish fielder with a weak throw. Ha – fell right into the trap. Tony hit it into the extra cover region and I sprinted after it, turned and threw in one sleek moment right over the stumps  Higgy took the bails off and Tony was run out by 4 yards. Higgy tried to cheer Tony up with a “you don’t know how unlucky you have been ” but I knew it was a plan come together.

Tony was a true gent. 15 years later when Tony was the managing director or similar high ranking officer at the MCC I wrote to him asking for a grant towards machinery repairs. We were penniless at the time with not a single adequate working item of machinery. A couple of weeks later we received a cheque for £1700 pounds signed by Roger Knight, ex England, and chairman or similar of the MCC. That was an enormous help. The roller, wicket mower and outfield cutter were repaired and a reserve wicket mower purchased . We were up and running in terms of improving the pitch.

Obviously I thanked Tony at the time but looking back makes me realise how important this help was – and after all we had done to him. Thanks again Tony 

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