There are moments in your life when you realise you are have witnessed something unique that is highly unlikely to be repeated in your life time. One of those moments happened to me on Friday 11th June 2004 at 2-36 pm. I was watching Gloucestershire versus Middlesex at Archdeacon Meadow, King’s School, Gloucester and this was the moment when Craig broke WG Grace’s highest first class individual batting score for Gloucestershire. WG, the ikon of Gloucestershire cricket, whose record had remained unbroken for more than 128 years scored 318 not out versus Yorkshire at Cheltenham College in 1876.
To put the innings into context a clip through the leg side for two off Ben Hutton saw Craig eclipse WG Grace and Wally Hammond who are the only other two players two score triple hundreds for Gloucestershire. Hammond twice scored 302, both against Glamorgan, the last one in 1939 at Newport just before the outbreak of the second world war was the last triple century scored by a Gloucestershire player. At the time the 341 scored by Craig was the highest first class score in England since Brian Lara’s 501 not out in 1994. It was the joint eighth-highest in all the history of County Cricket and the third-highest score by a New Zealand born cricketer behind the great Bert Sutcliffe’s two knocks of 385 and 355.
The first time I saw Craig bat for Gloucestershire was the second day of the opening game of the 2002 season at Worcester. In reply to Worcestershire’s 333 all out Craig opened the batting and proceeded to make a faultless 111. As Andy Bichel recorded career best figures of 9-93 Craig continued to punish anything on his legs with powerful leg side shots square of the wicket. I had never seen a player so strong square on the leg side before and I thought we, that is Gloucestershire, have something special here. From those early days Craig has developed his game being equally strong on the offside these days and continuing to notch up 100’s at regular intervals, 1 every 4.5 matches, at an average of more than 43. For an opening batsman this is a pretty good record.
Returning to Gloucester and that incredible 341 innings. The game had started on Wednesday 9th June with Middlesex batting first making 383 with no one making a 100. Stark contrast then when Gloucestershire started batting on the second morning. The first wicket added 227 with Craig’s fellow opener Phil Weston making 85. Windows fell cheaply then a stand of 283 began between Craig and Chris Taylor. Day two ended with Gloucestershire 353 for 2 with Craig 208 not out and Chris Taylor 28 not out. Craig had scored 59% of Gloucestershire’s runs whilst at the crease. The third day began with Craig moving towards his triple hundred. I arrived at the ground around 12-15pm with Craig approaching his 300.This was achieved just before lunch going into the break 310 not out. Chris Taylor was out on the stroke of lunch for 100 out of a stand of 283 the score having progressed to 537-3.
After lunch Craig scored seven successive singles before scoring two to go past the previous highest score by a Gloucestershire player playing for Gloucestershire of 318 and carried on past the highest score made by a Gloucestershire player playing for another team the 336 not out made by Wally Hammond for England against New Zealand in Auckland in 1933. With Alex Gidman and Shoaib Malik both falling after lunch Craig’s innings finally ended at 341 when the extremely tired batsman edged to wicket keeper Nash off the bowling of Hutton. Craig was 6th out at 646 for 6. His innings from 390 balls included 40 fours and 6 six’s. Gloucestershire continued onto 695-9 their highest score eclipsing the 653 made in 1928.
Middlesex batted well in the second innings scoring 358 and making Gloucestershire bat again, once more no one made a 100. It was fitting that Craig was at the crease as Gloucestershire completed a 10 wicket win when they reached 47 for 0 just after lunch on the final day. Craig scoring a further 29 not out as Phil Weston accrued 3 the other 15 came in extras.
My job enables me to have single days off which is ideal for cricket watching and means I can get to at least a day of most of Gloucestershire’s games. It has been my pleasure of the last 6 seasons watching Craig Spearman bat in all competitions. With personal memories beyond the 341 including in year order; 180 versus Glamorgan at Bristol in 2002, the 2003 Twenty20 competition when Craig and Ian Harvey opened the batting so successful (This included 88 by Craig against Glamorgan at Bristol in Gloucestershire’s highest score of 221-7 ),the 153 versus Warwickshire in the 45 over National League again at Gloucester in 2003 this eclipsing the previous highest score by a Gloucester player that made by Shaun Young (146 not out), 143 not out in the 2004 C&G Trophy Semi-final at Bristol versus Yorkshire, the 237 versus Warwickshire at Bristol in 2004 this being the first double hundred scored by a Gloucestershire batsman at Bristol since Wally Hammond in 1946, 216 versus Oxford University in 2005 at the Parks including 34 in an over bowled by spinner Moreton bowling his first over in first class cricket (the 5th ball bounced once only for 4), 192 versus Worcester at Bristol in 2006 and the 86 in the 2007 Twenty20 Semi-final at Edgbaston versus Lancashire including 10 off Murali’s first over.
I know Craig is a player motivated by breaking records so what Gloucestershire records remain for him to eclipse. Perhaps Tony Wright’s 173 in the Friends Provident (Nat West as it was then now played over 60 overs not as now 50) and Ian Harvey and Hamish Marshall’s both top scoring with exactly 100 in the Twenty20 Cup are two achievable one’s for this phenomenal batsman.
It has been my great pleasure to have witnessed many of Craig’s great innings for Gloucestershire including that 341. I would like to add my congratulations to Craig on the award of a benefit with Gloucestershire this year. I hope like me you will all support Craig in this very important year for him. Let’s hope 2008 is a successful season both on and off the field.
Cheers Craig.
Thanks for the memories, especially that day at Gloucester in 2004, and lets hope there are many more to come.
Graham Hill
Life Long Gloucestershire CCC Supporter.
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