Cricket : Somerset XI v. Rothmans Cavaliers 1966

Match played at Taunton.
Somerset : R.Virgin, B. Roe, C.Greetham, G.Atkinson, W.E.Alley, M.Kitchen, C.R.M.Atkinson, G.Clayton, P.Robinson, B.A.Langford, F.E.Rumsey.
Cavaliers: R.B.Simpson, R.Marshall, G.S.Sobers, M.C.Cowdrey, R.Benaud, J.M.Parks, P.Eele, R.Palmer, D.C.S.Compton, A.C.D.Ingleby-Mackenzie, D.W.White.
Commentator : John Arlott
Presenter : Frank Bough
Local Bigwig : Sir Edward Dillon Lott du Cann (Taunton M.P.)

[@rogerwijesuriya7511]

Glorious days.

[@FelixRigg]

Thank you so much for posting. How great to see rarely-glimpsed players like Roy Marshall and Fred Rumsey. And, of course, John Arlott’s commentary.

[@robnorth480]

John Arlott was my 'famous relative' as he was my paternal grandmother's cousin. Oh for a commentator remotely near his class these days.

[@philb9846]

Brilliant this thanks. Think we may have had to buy a new tv to get BBC2 just to watch this at one time, though memory might be suspect :)Commentary superb and just hearing Arlott saying Sobers sent the old tingle down the spine.

[@zahidshakeel8900]

John Arlott ALL time favourite Commentator

[@mitvoce6016]

I was there. Glorious day out.

[@tdsymes]

A gentleman's game, played by true gentlemen.

[@jedidiahcyrus2481]

InstaBlaster...

[@davidwhitlock9443]

In my young days this was great. Helped give me a life long love of the bat and ball game. Still recognise the players on this film, even if there had not been any commentary. A more relaxed era, seemingly. Not a helmet or advert in sight....Saw the Cavaliers play around then at Stratford Cricket Club in Warwickshire. Happy Days......

[@rohanwijeyaratna824]

What beautiful commentary from the finest ever. .... a fine complement to go with some of world's greatest players at play.... all from another era!

[@philb9846]

Saw the Cavaliers too. Graeme Pollock got a brilliant hundred off about 60 balls and Ted Dexter did ok too.

[@stephenholmes1036]

A lovely game played in a great sprit, Great to see Roy Virgin playing

[@mattvirgin2632]

Wish I could find more videos of him batting. I'm his grandson and would love to see them!

[@stephenholmes1036]

How is he? He was a very good batsman, I modelled myself on him

[@stephenholmes1036]

Contact the BBC the cup run with Northamptonshire and JPL

[@rogerwijesuriya7511]

John Arlott the great.

[@11BHarry]

This is rather wonderful

[@bilalchohan9820]

Nostalgic

[@maxmerry8470]

Lovely to see the underrated (well, these days at least) Roy Marshall batting!

[@lapaunche1971]

Amen to that

[@JohnJones-cp4wh]

Never forget him cutting a six over the slips, United Service Ground, Pompey.

[@robicenco1]

January 30th 2018 - I read about the Rothmans Cavaliers on the Guardian website today, and until today I had literally never heard of them, which I find very surprising - this was pioneering cricket and cricket broadcasting, and a very important if brief episode in the game's history. Delightful to see that significant amounts of video have survived.

[@lapaunche1971]

Thank you!! Great memories of Cavaliers Sunday cricket.

[@briane5706]

Legends, some in their prime, some not so!

[@videosrus8631]

Oh wow! What memories. I was very curious to know why Bobby Simpson was wearing a Sussex sweater though. If there is room for a ridiculous competition (The Hundred), surely there must be a place for another International Cavaliers XI (or two) to travel round the counties? Watching Messrs. Botham and Lamb running with zimmer frames would be a hoot. And Lillee trundling in? Bet Lara still has it in him.

[@peterthomas1087]

I believe I was there - and hopefully back at the ground again soon

[@JP1234815]

Hard to believe the incredible over rate when compared to todays cricket! Sir Gary Sobers could bowl a maiden over of either 'Chinamen' or slow left arm orthodox in under a minute in test cricket!

[@robicenco1]

Bowlers were forced to cut their run-ups right down in these matches, apparently.

[@JP1234815]

@@robicenco1 Sobers bowled off that run up in test cricket too. Try watching the highlights of the England v West Indies test match from Georgetown in 1968. Sobers bowled his left arm spinners so quickly. He bowled one delivery which was pushed back up the pitch by Alan Knott - Sobers fielded off his own bowling, turned around and bowled again. It took 7 seconds from bowling one ball to bowling the next.

[@robicenco1701]

@@JP1234815 wish some of today's bowlers would do the same!

[@JP1234815]

@@robicenco1701 I certainly do!! Even Ravindra Jadeja doesn't bowl his overs so quickly (he's often highlighted by commentators as someone who 'races' through his overs)

[@jameshope398]

When cricket was fun

[@richardmmason]

The great F E Rumsey

[@jahno7154]

He was about 6ft 9

[@Ingens_Scherz]

That has got to be the biggest bloody sight screen I have ever seen. An overreaction to criticism perhaps.

[@tdsymes]

It wasn't a sightscreen. The sheet metal monster was put up to stop people glimpsing the cricket from the road bridge t'other side

[@goonerdave1968]

Glad im watching this great game in the modern era as the way it was played in these days even in freindly games was to freindly and not competitive enough for me in almost every game,if players are out no celebrations or even if a hundered is scored.watching cricket today is much more how i like it where it be with wickets taken or runs scored.

[@JP1234815]

Sir Garry Sobers was bowling his left arm spin 'Assortment' - a delivery every 8 seconds!!! compare that with Ravindra Jadeja - a delivery every 14 seconds!! No wonder teams were able to bowl 90 overs by tea!

[@grahamturner97]

Somewhere or other in the loft is a copy of the Daily Mirror from 1952, featuring a report on the first day's play of a test between England and India. India bowled 144 overs in the day.

[@JP1234815]

@@grahamturner97 That doesn't surprise me at all. During the famous 1956 test match at Old Trafford (Laker's match) Australia were bowled out for 205 in 150 overs during the 2nd innings in what amounted to 6 and a half hours worth of cricket (between rain delays - or 23 overs per hour!!!) It was helped that both Laker and Lock bowled for long periods, the scoring rate was slow and both spinners had very short run ups.

[@prasantabarmanroy7219]

Enjoy the same 🎉

[@richardtaylor8165]

W.E.Alley, M.KitchenBoth future test match umpires if I'm not mistaken?

[@stuartfraser1856]

Richard Taylor I think Roy Palmer and Peter Eele also became county umpires. Roy was brother of Ken who did umpire tests.

[@johnperkins4611]

When England was English. Not the players just the Englishness,commentary,crowd etc.

[@jakubwidlarz]

So the times of play were 3.15-4.30 & 4.40-5.55?

[@samuelcardwell577]

"The real antigeometric stuff"

[@HHM706]

Right old giggle being a bowler in these games!🤦

[@stephendines1936]

25 overs in an hour and a quarter. A bit different these days.

[@HHM706]

They don’t even bowl that in club cricket anymore!

[@stephendines1936]

25 overs in an hour and a quarter.

[@MrBazzabee]

Bobby Simpson....in a Sussex sweater....??

[@stephentrudgeon2646]

Wake me up when its finished, on a par with world of sport wresting, easily pleased back then😏

[@gerrydolan3532]

Typical Somerset performance in the 60s.

[@jeremymoore1426]

There was quite a lot of uncompetitive exhibition cricket in those days. It’s obvious in places that the bowling is deliberately being served up to be hit for the entertainment of the crowd. It’s perhaps interesting to speculate how that kind of culture in the sport could easily have morphed into the ‘fixing’ of subsequent years.