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Telegraph: Sport

Sussex's 2003 vintage ready to celebrate

By Tim Rice  (Filed: 09/09/2003)

It looks as if Sussex might do it at last. There will be few outside the confines of Kennington Oval who will not relish the idea of Sussex as county champions for the first time, and even a few within a Flintoff smite of Surrey's HQ who will not begrudge the chaps from Hove (and Horsham, Arundel etc) the championship after more than a century of trying.

Johnny Barclay's 1981 side came pretty close, but since that memorable season there has not been much to write home about on the south coast. Unless you consider the four wooden spoons since 1981 worth a stamp.

As recently as 2000, Sussex were at rock bottom - ninth in Division Two. Now, after a creditable sixth place last year, they need 10 points from their last two matches to take the title they have never had, although claims surfaced in 1958 that the county were joint champs (with Nottinghamshire) in 1875. This campaign was possibly around 83 years late for it to have a fighting chance of success and in any event the official list of champions is now accepted as having begun in 1890, a list that contains all but five of the 18 first-class counties. Maybe in 2003 Sussex will make it all but four, leaving Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset and newish boys Durham out in the cold.

Only history now speaks against Sussex making it in 2003. Exactly 50 and 100 summers ago they were runners-up and hearts from Arundel to Hastings, from Horsham to Hove, are hoping that this run of half-century near-misses does not continue. In 1903, their captain was Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, later HH Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji, Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, their president Lord Leconfield. This blue-blooded combo guided Sussex to their second consecutive season as runners-up to Middlesex, who played 16 matches to Sussex's 23.

The principal reason for their success was the batting of C B Fry, who even overshadowed the great Ranji in 1903. Fry scored 2,413 runs in the championship at an average of more than 80. He was far and away the country's leading batsman, scoring 2,683 in all games. Ranji was a distant second in the averages and only Tom Hayward, of Surrey, also topped 2,000. The principal reason for their failure to overtake Middlesex was a lack of bowling firepower. Fred Tate had had a marvellous summer in 1902, taking 180 wickets with his right-arm slow-to-medium pace; in 1903 he took less than half that and the support from Albert Relf's off-breaks and George Cox snr's slow-left-arm wiles was never quite strong enough to compensate.

That Sussex won nothing with two giants of the Golden Age in their side for so many years is bewildering. In 1953, the first season that your correspondent can recall first hand, Sussex gave the mighty Surrey, generally rated the best county side of all time, a good run for their money. Sussex beat Surrey at Guildford and could only draw the return match at Hove toward the summer's end, which effectively cost the title.

Under the enthusiastic eye of their president, the Duke of Norfolk, and the enterprising captaincy of David Sheppard, Sussex rocketed from 13th to second. Sheppard, in his only complete season as Sussex captain, scored seven centuries and more than 2,000 runs, with Ken Suttle, Jim Parks jnr, George Cox jnr, and the veteran John Langridge each chipping in with more than 1,000.

Swing bowlers Ian Thomson (destined to play in every Test of the 1964-65 series against South Africa and in no other) and Ted James led the attack with Alan Oakman's off-breaks and the ebullient Robin Marlar's off-spin doing a good deal of slower damage. But even this talented collection had to stand aside for May, two Bedsers, Laker, Lock and Loader.

Sheppard gave up the captaincy in favour of God and Hubert Doggart after his one highly regarded year at the helm but, fortunately for Sussex and England, was still able to find time for a good deal of cricket as his life in Holy Orders proceeded. By the time he became president of Sussex in 2002, he was the Rt Rev Lord Sheppard, former Bishop of Liverpool, having been en route the only ordained minister to have played Test cricket.

He handed over the presidency of the county this year to one of the stalwarts of his 1953 side, Parks. So it should be in Parks's presidential year that Sussex shake off this 50-year jinx. There could be few worthier servants of the game, county and country than this gifted batsman and brilliant cover point whom Sussex converted into their regular wicketkeeper halfway through his career in 1958. England cottoned on to Parks's double talent 18 months later. He played 46 Tests but it is a fair bet that none of his triumphs in an England cap will mean more to him than will the news that Sussex are county champions at last.

So, Chris Adams and the lads - no pressure as you ease into the final games. Just think about Fry and Ranji, Sheppard and Parks, not to mention Barclay and Imran, and you will surely be inspired to take that final step into history. After all the stick the championship has taken recently, a new name on the roll of honour will not do the grand old competition any harm at all.

The 2003 county champions will be remembered for a while longer than whoever won the Twenty20 and the Cheltenham and Gloucester.

(posted 7506 days ago)

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