Dartford CC - Alan Igglesden day - 25th August - calling all cricket fans

Lordflashheart

Alan Igglesden sadly passed away from a brain tumour in 2021, after years of suffering - taken far too early, leaving behind his wife and young daughter - a fine bowler, I enjoyed watching him bowl

He raised money for the Brain Tumour Charity, and there is also a charity set up in his memory called Iggys Fund https://www.iggysfund.com/

On the 25th August Dartford Cricket Club are holding a day of cricket to help raise funds for Iggys Fund and the AMMF charity https://ammf.org.uk/

The morning session is a junior girls softball tournament, playing for the Samantha Walker Cup - Samantha was facilities manager at Dartford CC, but sadly passed away in May this year at far too young an age from bile duct cancer - AMMF is a charity dedicated to this terrible condition

At midday there is a 2 course lunch, with some speakers and an auction (decent prizes I am told) - master of ceremonies will be David Fulton

After that, Dartford CC will play a Kent Legends side captained by David Fulton in a T20 - previous Iggy Fund matches have also included Darren Stevens and Matthew Fleming (I will update as I find out more)

Cost per head for the meal etc is £50 - if you are interested in attending that then contact Dartford CC via this email steward@dartfordcc.co.uk

Alternatively, just rock up on the day, have some beer, watch some cricket - there will of course be collection buckets etc, so you can contribute what you are able to

I’m already booked in (Hesketh Park is only 5 mins walk / stumble from my house 😃) and it’s on the Bank Holiday Sunday, so no concerns about Monday at work with a horrendous hangover

Timings for the softball starting I will find out

Hopeful of seeing plenty of my fellow cricket loving Lifers there to help raise funds for 2 well deserving charities, and to have some fun watching Kent stars of yesteryear at Hesketh Park, which did of course use to host Kent County Championship matches back in the day 

👍

Fanny Fanackapan

I was born & bred in Lowfield Street, Dartford and one of my early memories was a summer's late afternoon, walking up to Hesketh Park to watch the closing overs of a Kent match.

My love of cricket, primarily Kent CCC was courtesy  of my old Dad and those introductions to the "beautiful summer game" in my home town. 

DamoNorthStand

A fine bowler - he was part of the Kent team that I followed when I really started to get in to my cricket….. Ward, Benson, Hooper, Taylor, Llong, Fleming, Marsh, Ealham, McCague, Igglesdon, Patel.

killerandflash

Sounds like a great day and a worthy cause. My first ever Kent game was at Hesketh Park, not been back there since!

Starinnaddick

I started watching Kent with my Dad at Dartford, Blackheath Rectory Field and the Bat and Ball ground in Gravesend. They lost a lot of paying supporters when moving most of it to Canterbury. Beckenham is fairly near but a bit of a "road".
Alan Igglesdon was a Kent stalwart and I hope his day is well supported. 

Lordflashheart

Starinnaddick said:

I started watching Kent with my Dad at Dartford, Blackheath Rectory Field and the Bat and Ball ground in Gravesend. They lost a lot of paying supporters when moving most of it to Canterbury. Beckenham is fairly near but a bit of a "road".
Alan Igglesdon was a Kent stalwart and I hope his day is well supported. 

This is one of my big annoyances about Kent - almost all matches are at Canterbury, which - and Kent is a big county - for us in the north of the county - is a pig of a journey 

I understand why Hesketh Park isn’t used anymore, it’s too small, it would just be a 6 fest these days 

I know money is a factor - but personally I think Kent should have their HQ in Medway or Maidstone 

Won’t ever happen I know 

 But I enjoyed my days at Hesketh watching Kent matches 

I sometimes go Canterbury, but not much 

Lordflashheart

Update on former Kent players who are playing in this event, and I understand they expect additions to this 

David Fulton
David Masters
Ben Trott
Amjad Khan

thetomahawkkid

A very worthy cause, and in my diary.

I haven't lived in Dartford for 30 years, but my first professional cricket match was watching Kent V Worcestershire at Hesketh Park in the early seventies. Kent had a great team back then. I never saw that much of Kent in the Igglesden era, but he was a great servant to the club and died way too young.

thetomahawkkid

Lordflashheart said:

Starinnaddick said:

I started watching Kent with my Dad at Dartford, Blackheath Rectory Field and the Bat and Ball ground in Gravesend. They lost a lot of paying supporters when moving most of it to Canterbury. Beckenham is fairly near but a bit of a "road".
Alan Igglesdon was a Kent stalwart and I hope his day is well supported. 

This is one of my big annoyances about Kent - almost all matches are at Canterbury, which - and Kent is a big county - for us in the north of the county - is a pig of a journey 

I understand why Hesketh Park isn’t used anymore, it’s too small, it would just be a 6 fest these days 

I know money is a factor - but personally I think Kent should have their HQ in Medway or Maidstone 

Won’t ever happen I know 

 But I enjoyed my days at Hesketh watching Kent matches 

I sometimes go Canterbury, but not much 

The Canterbury ground is in an awful location. It's a long walk from the city centre - even further from Canterbury West station, and public transport links are not great. There should be a frequent free shuttle bus from the station on match days at very least. I would go and watch much more Kent cricket if it wasn't so tricky to get to. Kent Cricket would be much better if they were based elsewhere in the county. I can see the case for Medway or Maidstone, but in my possibly biased view (I live there), I think Tonbridge would be an even better location - fantastic road and rail links to London and East Kent (about an hour on the train from Canterbury). The huge advantage would be a short and frequent train service to London. I am sure crowds would be massively improved if located here. I seriously think they should consider selling the St Lawrence ground for housing and relocating.

Addick Addict

thetomahawkkid said:

A very worthy cause, and in my diary.

I haven't lived in Dartford for 30 years, but my first professional cricket match was watching Kent V Worcestershire at Hesketh Park in the early seventies. Kent had a great team back then. I never saw that much of Kent in the Igglesden era, but he was a great servant to the club and died way too young.

I was at that match (assuming it was the same one) and the reason I specifically remember it was because Imran Khan was playing for Worcestershire. My wife lived next door but one to Hesketh Park (69 Park Road) until she left to get married with her twin brother and parents who remained there until they, very sadly, passed away in the last three years. Have been there as a player and to watch my son play there many times and they are very much a family orientated club.

thetomahawkkid

Addick Addict said:

thetomahawkkid said:

A very worthy cause, and in my diary.

I haven't lived in Dartford for 30 years, but my first professional cricket match was watching Kent V Worcestershire at Hesketh Park in the early seventies. Kent had a great team back then. I never saw that much of Kent in the Igglesden era, but he was a great servant to the club and died way too young.

I was at that match (assuming it was the same one) and the reason I specifically remember it was because Imran Khan was playing for Worcestershire. My wife lived next door but one to Hesketh Park (69 Park Road) until she left to get married with her twin brother and parents who remained there until they, very sadly, passed away in the last three years. Have been there as a player and to watch my son play there many times and they are very much a family orientated club.

Imran Khan, Basil D'Olivera and Glen Turner all playing for Worcestershire. It was August 1973, so in the school holidays. I think my memory was slightly playing tricks though, because my first game was actually the previous year when Kent played Warwickshire at the end of July 1972. I remember walking to the ground as a Rohan Kanhai 6 narrowly missed a bus! I was at both games. Me and a few friends usually tried to get along to the game at Dartford, which I assume was in Dartford Cricket Week. Happy memories!

Lordflashheart

Bump

PrincessFiona

I watched a game against Yorkshire there when the god that was Graham Dilley was vying with Graham Stephenson for one England spot. I must have been about 15 and thought I actually knew a lot about cricket. So sitting near the front, close to a Yorkshire player on the boundary, I 'discussed' with my pal in no uncertain terms just how good Dilley was and how Stevenson wasn't. The Yorkshire player took a catch and I diligently filled in my scorecard to discover exactly which player had taken the catch - needless to say on me voicing my 'discovery', he turned round and gave us a decided  look. I hadn't even twigged (at that age) that fast bowlers often field at third man!
I still think Dilley was better!

LenGlover

PrincessFiona said:

I watched a game against Yorkshire there when the god that was Graham Dilley was vying with Graham Stephenson for one England spot. I must have been about 15 and thought I actually knew a lot about cricket. So sitting near the front, close to a Yorkshire player on the boundary, I 'discussed' with my pal in no uncertain terms just how good Dilley was and how Stevenson wasn't. The Yorkshire player took a catch and I diligently filled in my scorecard to discover exactly which player had taken the catch - needless to say on me voicing my 'discovery', he turned round and gave us a decided  look. I hadn't even twigged (at that age) that fast bowlers often field at third man!
I still think Dilley was better!

Lovely tale!

Sadly, neither Graham is with us now.

PrincessFiona

LenGlover said:

PrincessFiona said:

I watched a game against Yorkshire there when the god that was Graham Dilley was vying with Graham Stephenson for one England spot. I must have been about 15 and thought I actually knew a lot about cricket. So sitting near the front, close to a Yorkshire player on the boundary, I 'discussed' with my pal in no uncertain terms just how good Dilley was and how Stevenson wasn't. The Yorkshire player took a catch and I diligently filled in my scorecard to discover exactly which player had taken the catch - needless to say on me voicing my 'discovery', he turned round and gave us a decided  look. I hadn't even twigged (at that age) that fast bowlers often field at third man!
I still think Dilley was better!

Lovely tale!

Sadly, neither Graham is with us now.

I didn't know Stevenson had died as well - just looked it up. I had also forgotten that our Graham died only a week after being diagnosed (with oesophageal cancer).

LenGlover

PrincessFiona said:

LenGlover said:

PrincessFiona said:

I watched a game against Yorkshire there when the god that was Graham Dilley was vying with Graham Stephenson for one England spot. I must have been about 15 and thought I actually knew a lot about cricket. So sitting near the front, close to a Yorkshire player on the boundary, I 'discussed' with my pal in no uncertain terms just how good Dilley was and how Stevenson wasn't. The Yorkshire player took a catch and I diligently filled in my scorecard to discover exactly which player had taken the catch - needless to say on me voicing my 'discovery', he turned round and gave us a decided  look. I hadn't even twigged (at that age) that fast bowlers often field at third man!
I still think Dilley was better!

Lovely tale!

Sadly, neither Graham is with us now.

I didn't know Stevenson had died as well - just looked it up. I had also forgotten that our Graham died only a week after being diagnosed (with oesophageal cancer).

Very sad. Two excellent cricketers and characters.

Lordflashheart

PrincessFiona said:

I watched a game against Yorkshire there when the god that was Graham Dilley was vying with Graham Stephenson for one England spot. I must have been about 15 and thought I actually knew a lot about cricket. So sitting near the front, close to a Yorkshire player on the boundary, I 'discussed' with my pal in no uncertain terms just how good Dilley was and how Stevenson wasn't. The Yorkshire player took a catch and I diligently filled in my scorecard to discover exactly which player had taken the catch - needless to say on me voicing my 'discovery', he turned round and gave us a decided  look. I hadn't even twigged (at that age) that fast bowlers often field at third man!
I still think Dilley was better!

Great story 

And yes, you are right, Picca was way better 

Lordflashheart

Update on attendees - Rob Key will be there, not playing, but doing a Q & A during lunch break 

Lordflashheart

Running order for today - looks like weather has been kind 👌

https://www.dartfordcc.co.uk/2024/08/10/sam-walker-memorial-match-update/