On Saturday 29 June, Old Members, Fellows and staff across the generations, gathered together to celebrate the life of Dr Martin Edwards in a fitting sports tribute at the Queen’s Sports Ground. We were graced with beautiful weather, a wonderful cricket match, delicious food, fond memories and great company. Thanks to everyone who came, and very special thanks to Old Member Jervis Smith (Jurisprudence, 1978) and Honorary Fellow Claire Taylor (Maths, 1994) who arranged the cricket, and to all the players too! Below, Jervis provides us with an excellent match report of the game and day.
Emeritus Fellow and Old Member Dr Martin Edwards (Maths, 1960), for many Queen’s Old Members, “the Dean”, was not only a huge fan of cricket but also a talented cricketer himself. In a fitting tribute to his memory, over 30 cricketers, spanning nearly sixty years of matriculants, offered themselves for selection. To preserve some of the traditional competitiveness, the teams were selected based around two groups: the Lemmings (Old Members’ XI from the 1990’s) and the Martin Edwards Invitation XI (the Crocodiles of 1964-1984 reinforced by recent generations) gathered for a match that was destined to be filled with excitement and nostalgia at the College Ground. Danny English and his crew had prepared a picture-perfect pitch and raised a marquee so all those not participating in the match could attend and pay their respects (from the comfort of the shade).
Although the game was scheduled to begin at the unearthly hour of 11am, everyone (apart from the usual drop-outs on the day) was present and correctly attired for the toss. Led by inspirational Captain and Honorary Fellow Claire Taylor MBE (Maths, 1994), Wisden’s first female Cricketer of the Year, the Lemmings won the toss and elected to bat. The stage was set for a memorable day of cricket as John Greany (Theology, 1994) and Gary Hukins (Maths, 1993), the opening batsmen for the Lemmings, stepped up to the crease, ready to showcase their skills in honour of the esteemed Dean. Spurning the usual grit and determination renowned of generations of Queen’s students, they reached their half-centuries in fast time, setting a solid foundation for the Lemmings’ innings at 8-9 runs per over.
Charlie Anderson (Modern History, 1978), with his deceptive left-arm spin, collected his usual wicket against the Lemmings, supported by Nick Beecroft (Physics, 1978) and the young talent Ed Greany (whose father, John (Theology, 1994), and grandfather, Andrew (Classics and Theology, 1963), are Old Members) impressed with their bowling performances. The Invitation XI captain, Louis Pincott (PPE, 2017), undaunted by his opposite number’s heritage, and despite Simon Sutcliffe’s (Chemistry, 1989) unfortunate hamstring injury after just one legitimate delivery, ensured the bowling unit remained strong and determined to defend their total in honour of the late Dean. The fielding, despite a dropped catch early on, was keen and energetic (especially from players such as Jim Houlden (Modern History, 1970) and Rick Haythornthwaite (Geology, 1975)) and Jack Straker’s (2010, Modern Languages) enthusiastic repartee from behind the stumps ensured the field were kept on their toes.
Nonetheless, the Lemmings put in a dominant display with the bat, amassing a total of 199 runs in just 25 overs. Claire Taylor led a wag from the middle order when the momentum dipped, guiding her team to a formidable total that would test the skills of the Invitation XI.
The College treated us to an extra-long lunch interval with a lavish BBQ and a moving memorial to Martin. Guest stars included: Martin’s daughter, Jennie Phillips, and extended family, Martin and Shirley Cross, themselves custodians of the ground for decades, and Paul Newton (Chemistry, 1975), former President of the Old Members’ Association. Marvellous speeches from the Provost, her predecessor and Honorary Fellow Paul Madden, and Claire Taylor, were delivered to accompany the unveiling of a beautifully worded plaque in honour of Martin, which will be installed at the Pavilion. Paul’s words commemorated Martin’s heartfelt commitment to the traditional Queen’s ethos that the time spent at Oxford should encompass all-round development, in which sport could play a huge part.
As the Invitation XI padded up to chase down the target, the effect of a heavy lunch and substantial liquid refreshment took its effect. They were met with a disciplined bowling attack led by the three brothers Baker (James (Maths, 1992), Matthew (Maths, 1998), and Peter (Maths, 2000), who, in addition to confusing the scorer with their bowling changes, kept the runs in check and applied pressure on the opposition batsmen, stifling any chance of building momentum.
Depleted by the enforced absence of key batters Honorary Fellow and Old Member Adrian Beecroft (Physics, 1965) and Hamish Tester (Literae Humaniores, 2012), the Invitation XI innings was bolstered by the stalwart performance of Clive Rolt (PPE, 1981), whose gritty half-century added valuable runs to the team’s total. Meanwhile, Jon Pritchard (PPE, 1990), Mike Knight (Literae Humaniores, 1985) and Louis Pincott provided a quick burst of runs with their cameo performances, before Pincott was well caught on the boundary by the tallest man on the pitch, one of the three Bakers, who showcased his fielding prowess to add to his steady tight bowling line.
The weather was idyllic, the pitch played perfectly, John Pheasant (Modern Languages, 1972) and Jervis Smith (Jurisprudence, 1978) umpired throughout, and the atmosphere in the marquee was filled with a mix of nostalgia and excitement as the large crowd cheered on their favourite players. With every wicket that fell and every run scored, the presence of Martin Edwards was felt throughout the match, reminding everyone of his passion for the game and the joy and encouragement he brought to all who knew him.
In the end, the Lemmings emerged victorious, their all-round performance with the bat and ball paying a fitting tribute to Martin’s memory. As the players and spectators mingled in celebration, sharing stories and memories of the Dean, it was clear that his spirit would always live on in the hearts of those who loved the game of cricket and our wonderful College.
