I had paid a visit to the Sussex indoor school primarily to see parents of the players involved in the new Emerging Players' progamme under the guidance of Head Coach- Andrew Cornford. ( Sussex young cricketer himself in the 1980s)
Looking down from the balcony at the net area there were 4 players being coached by 4 adults.
Dominic Clapp - once a Sussex Young cricketer in the 1990s - was coaching an opening bowler to bat-
John Stock - a member of staff in the Development Office- and
Carl Hopkinson- once a Sussex Young cricketer.
In the background waited Chris Waller Sussex CCC and Surrey CCC - left arm spin - Imran Khan , Garth Le Roux and John Barclay- once a Sussex Young cricketer- era.
Tidying up was Ron Gray - " Hello Derek I have been to Australia since I saw you last with the Sussex Young Cricketers. Some of the organisation out there was poor. I ended up in one game umpiring both ends." (Nice to hear our far distant friends do get it wrong occasionally) The tour did however go well."
Jack Parsons - off spin - was wheeling away whilst his father - once a Sussex Young cricketer - looked on with interest.
" In my day - 1971- we had a trial at Three Bridges CC and then went straight into the team.
Some old chap ran the team "
"That would be Ken Kerr- used to teach at Hove Knoll - ended up at Brighton College"
"That's right. When we went on tour he drove the minibus and after some time said that he had left all the money behind".
"That was Ken - totally eccentric. But in your days he would buy a player a bat if they scored 100."
"We had some good players in our team -Paul Parker- played for Sussex and England - was the best- and one of the Hoadley boys - either Stephen or Simon- I think it was Simon".
"Yes they were good players in adult cricket"
" They went to Haywards Heath CC for a while."
"I have all the school records at home - sadly the Annual reports did not start until 1979 but I will look up the minutes for 1971"
"Yes, we played against Hampshire out here on the County Ground and went on tour to Lincoln".
( On returning home the minutes revealed exactly what Mr Parsons- once a Sussex Young Cricketer had said. He can read the Minutes himself next time I meet him).
Wandering down to the net area I am welcomed by Carl. "Hello Mr Linford are you still doing Regional cricket?
"Yes- started youth cricket involvement in 1960. Still going . I was looking up the records last week as the ECB asked how many players who have played Regional cricket have gone on to play either County cricket or have played for England."
"There are not many from my year group. ( When Regional staff talk to one another one always uses the year when the cricketer was under 15 as a marker. Thus Hussein was 1983 - Thorpe 1984- Ramprakash - 1985 and Carl was 1997).
2 photos of Carl in his younger days can be seen at http://sxyc.myjalbum.net/SYCET/
" Damian Brandy- Andrew Mc Garry both from Essex - Mc Garry was always asking one questions - his brain was full of quirky information".
"Yes and there was Matt ( sic Prior ) - David Holt- yes- he signed for the MCC Ground staff - Ian Bell played for the Midlands- - Thos Hunt.
Slowly the names came back.
"How about Michael Carberry"
"No he is a year older than me".
"How's Mum and Dad . Is Dad still into leather handbags?"
" Yes they are both involved now. Dad is .... years of age. ( I was pleased to hear that he was still 13 years younger than I was)
"Are you married yet?"
"No I have a girl friend . I live locally in Hove. "Does she like cricket ?"
" Yes - not bad."
"Right Eswar - what have you been doing lately ?".Carl set about coaching the aspiring Sussex young cricketer.

Returning to the balcony I learnt to spell the name of the young bowler who had earlier been in the net.That's important - just as one can remember Carl's father was into leather handbags so it is essential to remember small items of information about Sussex Young cricketers so that in years to come one can say
" Billy- I remember the evening your mother told me how to spell your name. She knocked L out of it! "
As to talking to parents about making a donation of £10 and becoming a Friend of Sussex Young Cricketers.
100 % success.
It rounded off a pleasant evening in the company of Sussex Young Cricketers.

PS Carl - we forgot two- James Tredwell from Kent- just been called up to go to India - he was in your age group at under 13 and Richard Clinton- Surrey CCC- was in your under 14 squad.