Official Baston Cricket Club

This is a place for any tributes/memories of Pete Phoenix who passed away at the end of 2009

Thanks

Just head the sad news and read Chairman Townsend's tribute. I thought I'd write a few more words in memory of the great man.

When I first joined the club a lot of the 'old guard' had just moved on for whatever reasons. As a result organising people to get a team together as well as doing the pitch and teas for the home matches was a bit of a tall order. But thanks to Pete who more or less took this job on single handedly ( O.k. he had some help from Tim) the club stayed alive and obviously still does to this day.

I remember Pete being extremely loyal and proud of the Cricket club particularly when the team visiting the shrine happened to have a member of the South Lincs league pitch commitee along with them. Only the very brave or stupid had the nerve to knock Pete's lovingly prepared wicket. Not forgetting the numerous Asian teams who sat down in the barn for tea and dared to complain when confronted with a mountain of Pete's haslet sandwiches!

Nothing seemed to bother Pete back then, even when we used to turn up with only 8 or 9 players for an inevitable good hiding from some jumped band of South Lincs posers. He was always happy just to be playing even if the rest of us - myself included had given up before we started.

As Mr Townsend mentioned in his tribute Pete did have a stubborn side. I remember on one occasion at Wansford how he and Ron batting at 10 and 11 refused to concede the game and come in from the middle. Even though that it was chucking it down with rain and we needed 160 odd runs to win from about 6 overs - this only seemed to spur Pete on. The fact that the rest of us were hardly being supportive of our captain by being nice and dry and changed itching to go down the pub may have increased Pete's stubbornness.

In his tribute Andy also touched on how good a bowler Pete was. A lot of Pete's dismisals were players who gave Pete one look as he was ready to bowl and thought they were in for an easy ride. Keeping wicket to Pete's bowling you could see how talented he was dispite being in the twilight of his career. He also had the knack of showing up young wicket keepers who couldn't read his quicker delivery - Cheers Pete!

R.I.P. Pete it was a pleasure knowing you.

Julian Cooper (Baston CC 1989-1996)

All the best to the club for next season.

I joined the club in 1999 by which time Pete had his wicket preparing duties taken from him as we were playing home games at the charcterless Langtoft which was prepared by the council. He was still captain though, left arm slow bowling wizard, second slip (Tim always had to be first) and defiant batsman.

I also kept wicket to Pete on numerous occasions and struggled as numerous batsman did to read the remarkable in drift he got from left arm around the wicket. Heaven help you if one held its line or like Julian said carried some of Pete’s extra pace. Actually this ties in with one of my fondest memories about Pete, how he generated this extra pace, his strength. On many occasions Tim’s sarcasm would land him in the hot water with Pete and if Tim was within reaching distance he would be in for some serious pain. Pete was able to reduce a grown man to near tears by one grab of his leg with those bucket hands, which of course was always greeted with immense laughter from the rest of the team.

Pete took countless wickets and like already mentinoned held his end up with awesome stubborness when at the crease himself. Another fond/comical memory I have of Pete was how careful he was when it come to money, although stupidly generous when it came to buying first jug or sponsoring the team he was also known for being thrifty. Two stories come to mind (no doubt Tim will say I am doing a ‘Graham’ and knicking them from him but I am sure I was there for the first at least!). Pete was a stifler for subs/tea money and would not let you slip away without paying and indeed most weeks collected before the game. It was like the bayliff coming knocking you coughed up or you were in for the inner thigh grab. One particular game, possibly after a theft in the village, Pete decided he was taking no chances. We went out to field and in the second over made an attempt at a stupendous diving catch in the slips, he literally launched himself to his right…followed by the forty-three quid in pound coins and change from his pocket he had earlier collected.

The second story I think I will have to admit I heard in the Spinner at some point from Tim and therefore is more probably an urban myth regarding a Baston legend. I was told in an effort to gain a few extra pennies and pounds here and there, when people came in to Pete’s butchers and bought some meat, it always went on the scales…but not always by itself. You had to watch out for his giant thumb following up behind it!

Pete as he was getting on in years hadn’t played for the last several years but when Tim spoke to him he said he was always still badgering him for a game! More recently Pete had started to come and watch more games again and just last year (call it fate) he once again played for Baston. A friendly at Tolethorpe in which he was of course in the wickets!

R.I.P Pete Phoenix – Baston Legend.

Jon Howard (Baston CC 1999 - Present)