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John Nickisson John Nickisson became one of the first three Hutton players to play for the Essex County Club in latter 1870’s when the club was based in Brentwood. Ex-Brentwood schoolboy,he played for the Gentlemen of Essex from as early as 1877 and appeared the earliest recorded Hutton Matches v Billericay in 1878 in the match which Hutton won by losing fewest 2nd innings wickets Nickisson top scored in both Hutton innings making 12 and 13 respectively and also took nine wicket in the two Billericay innings.Nickisson took part in many matches during this time starting with the Gentlemen v Tradesmen match in August 1877,from then he played Hutton matches before finally appearing in a County match against Felstead School in 1881.He appeared regularly up until 1885 by which time membership was on the decline in Brentwood and the move to Leyton was first touted. He did however appear in one interesting match back in 1884,this featured the Essex Eleven against the Twenty-Two of Essex.His best performance for the County Club was in the Felstead match featured below: - Essex County Club v Felsted School 28th May 1881 County Ground, Brentwood. The sixth season of the Essex County Cricket Club was opened on Saturday, when a match was played on the county ground at Brentwood between the club and Felsted Grammar School. Rain fell heavily for about an hour in the morning, but none fell later in the day, and play was not interrupted. The ground was in capital the, and a good wicket was pitched. Having the choice,the county club elected to go in, the innings being opened by Messrs. J.H. Earle and W. H. Rodwell. Both batsmen were in excellent form, and despite numerous changes in the bowling, the score stood at 93 before a separation was affected by Mr Rodwell returning a ball to the bowler. Mr Escott assisted to advance their total 232, and then he was unfortunately run out. Mr Bagot, having made a hit for four, was dismissed by Mr Skilton. Another prolonged stand was made when Mr Merewether joined Mr Earle at the wickets, and the telegraph registered to 255 when the fourth wicket fell, through Mr Merewether been badly run out. A fine catch a deep long led by Mr Stevens disposed of Mr.E.P.Barnes at 272, and ten runs having been added, Mr Everett was bowled. Mr Nickisson the came this Mr Earle`s partner, and another stand was made, the appearance of the third century on the telegraph board evoking cheers from spectators. With a total of 339, however, Mr Earle was at last disposed of, thanks to a fine catch by Mr Stevens at long leg. On returning to the pavilion Mr Earle was warmly cheered. His score over 149 was the result first-rate cricket. At 363 Mr Nickisson was run out and Mr Gregory taken of the wicket;and at 365 the innings was brought took close by Mr Ridley being caught in the slips. Shortly before 6.00 school eleven commenced their innings. Mr Thursby scored freely, but at 28 he was dismissed by Mr.Escott; and at 42 Mr Moore was well taken at long on by a substitute in the person of Mr. E.H. Formby. When time was called the score the score 54 for the loss of two wickets and therefore the match ended in a draw greatly in favour of the county club. A fielding of the score was generally smart,other bowling rather weak. Appended is the score;- Essex County Club 363 all out (J.H.Earle149,C.G.Merewether53,W.H.Rodwell 53,J.L.Nickisson 39) Felsted School 54-2 |
Joseph Lescher Joseph Francis Lescher part in the early days, of Hutton Cricket Club can never be underestimated. He oversaw the matches at the Warren Ground before the Club moved to Burses in the late 19th century.Lescher`s Family had originated from Kertsfield,Alsace, which is, in France near the German boarder.During The early 1880`s he moved into Hutton Hall which he had owned from about 1870.It was during the 1870`s however that Lescher’s love for Cricket grew. At the formation of Essex County Cricket Club in 1876, Lescher was asked to hold the post of secretary. The County Club was so formed at a public meeting at the Shire Hall,Chelmsford on Friday 14th January 1876.The meeting decided their was such a desire to former a County Cricket Club and the County ground would be in Brentwood. On 5th and 6th May 1876 the first match took place between The Players of Essex and the Gentlemen of Essex. In the inaugural match at Brentwood the Gentlemen of Essex won by an innings and five runs. Nearly one month later the newly formed club participated in what many believe was their first county match beating Suffolk by eight wickets on June 13th & 14th. Brentwood was to serve as the clubs headquarters until 1884 when the headquarters was moved to Leyton. The ground still hosted county matches for another 85 years though until the final festival match took place in 1969. Lescher and his brother Edmund took part in many County Matches in these early days. During 1870, Joseph Lescher turned out in number of matches at Thorndon Hall, two of which were against Colonial Office on the 28th May and 4th August, a further match against the M.C.C. Club and Ground was played at Thorndon Hall on July 5th. This match was dominated by the M.C.C. who won by innings and 17 runs.Alfred Shaw took 18 wickets of the 22 wickets, which fell in the Thorndon Hall Innings and scored 33 runs as the M.C.C. and Ground totalled 144. Lescher made 6 * and 11 out of totals of 78 and 49. This match also featured Ingatestone and Herongate players A and T Nicholas and W.,G. and E. Boardman. This match was deemed to be of some importance as it appeared in the following years Wisden Cricketer’s Almanack. He appeared for the Gentlemen of Essex as late as 1885 when he played in the same team as John Nickkison in a match against Shoeburyness Garrison. |
Edmund Lescher
Edmund Lescher appeared in little cricket at Hutton, when he did it was at
the instigation of his brother Joseph. He did appear however for the County Club in matches against the Assyrians in 1879 and Tooting Wanderers in 1880.
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Keith Pont When Keith Pont became a County Cricketer, making his debut against a Jamaican XI at Leyton in 1970,he became the Fourth Hutton player to represent the County Club. The first three, overlooked until recently took the field way back in 1876/1879.Keith was born in Wanstead, on January 16th 1953 and soon after this his family set up home in Boundary Drive, Hutton just on the outskirts of the Polo Ground. Keith went to school at St.Martins and together with his Elder brother Kelvin were excellently coached by father Doug during the mid sixties. With Hutton in the late 60’s becoming the strongest club in the district, it was decided Hutton would become Keith’s club and eventually after playing for Herongate and Brentwood, Kelvin and Doug followed suit. It was in the Hutton first XI that the young rising talents of Richard Pryke, Doug Hurrell not to mention Keith were being honed. In 1971 Keith was Hutton top batsman, making 1200 runs with a top score of 145*. On his debut in that rain affected game for Essex v Jamaica, in a team which also featured Vic Brooks and Bobby Richards he made five and failed to take a wicket,but the promise was their and in 1972, Keith was given a contract.One of Keith first matches was a 2nd XI match v Northants. Coming in at no 11 joining Stuart Turner against an attack, that included Sarfraz Nawaz, Essex managed to save a match they looked destined to lose.Keith was promoted to the first XI for a spell in 1973 and scored his maiden first Class century at Edgbaston,where he took 113 of a strong Warwickshire attack. Back in the 2nd team his reputation grew, in 1974 he scored 120 v Surrey II at Chingford,the following year 136 v Warwickshire II at Chelmsford and then he took 5 - 45 v Middlesex II at Nth Middlesex C.C. It was in 1975 that Keith had his best Season in the first team to date, scoring 672 runs (av.30.54) this included his second First Class Hundred - 110 v Glamorgan at Leyton.He was capped in 1976 and this he celebrated with century no.3 - 105* v Somerset again at Leyton. The following season produced another century 101 v Surrey and also Keith best all-round performance in a limited over match when at Scarborough in a Fenner Trophy Match he made 65 with the bat and then took 5-36 from his 10 overs taking two catches to boot. During the 1978 season he Scored century no 5, his second against Glamorgan, in a year in which he passed 1000 career runs in the John Player League. A right hand, hard-hitting batsman and right arm medium pace bowler Keith was especially useful in one-day matches. This was the case in the B & H Cup Semi-Final of 1979 against Yorkshire, when Essex still looking for their first Trophy were halted by the loss of quick wickets. Chasing Yorkshire’s total of 173,Essexhad slipped to 112-5 and were in danger of defeat,but Keith’s patient defiant knock of 36 made sure of victory and a first Lords Final for Essex, it also saw Keith get the Gold Award. In the 1979 Benson & Hedges Cup Final, in a match that was dominated by the bat Keith scored 19* as Essex totalled 290-6,he then took the vital wickets of the two top scorers, Geoff Howarth for 74 and Roger Knight who had scored 52. Together with the other bowlers they restricted the Surrey scoring to enable Essex to run out winners by 35 runs.Later that same season he was at the crease with Brian Hardie when the County Championship was added to the trophy cabinet,success was Essex's by the final margin of 77 points leaving Worcestershire way behind in second place.1979 also saw Keith hit the most sixes for Essex in the J.P.League, this competition also saw him record, career best’s batting & bowling when he took 4 - 24 and scored 52 against his favourite side Glamorgan. He also finished second (to Graham Gooch) in the B & H cup averages with a fine average of 56.00. 1981 saw Keith top the B&H averages with an average of 70 he also batted well in the J.P.League finishing with an average of 37.75 and in a match v Warwickshire at Edgbaston he scored 55* and took 4 - 22 as Essex romped home by 103 runs. To cap this excellent year Keith made 692 runs beating his previous championship best aggregate total. Keith had an average of 40 in the championship in 1982.It also saw him top the bowling for Essex in both championship and J.P.League and also saw his best first class bowling figures of 13 – 3 – 17 - 5 against yes you've guessed Glamorgan.His final two first class centuries were scored in 1983 as Keith made a Career best 125* v Glamorgan at Southend and 105 v Kent at Chelmsford and as he finish third behind McEwan and Gooch in the averages with 34.86 whist scoring 802 runs. Honours flowed during the early Eighties, as Keith and Essex won the championship in 1983,1984 and 1986, the Nat-West in 1985 and the John Player League in 1981,1984,and 1985. This all under Keith Fletcher’s shrewd captaincy, a time in which you can see Keith had varying degrees of success. Throughout his career at Essex, he was unlucky with selection or non-selection often being the one left out when a second spinner was required and was twice dropped after scoring centuries.Keith never quite reached his full potential, whether this was down to just ability or the limited opportunity we will never really know. What can be said however is that his runs won many matches for Essex, often from critical situations and he often took crucial wickets just when they were needed. Added to this his sharp-witted humour, gave the Essex dressing room that extra buzz in those very special trophy winning years. All sides need players like Keith especially winning sides, Keith together with Stuart Turner and Wicket-Keeper Neil Smith were the glue sticking a side with all its amazing individual talent together and this is something that should never be overlooked. In 1986 Keith was granted a Benefit season. This included a match at Hutton, where over 6,000 people saw the Essex XI beat the Matchroom XI, captained by Steve Davis in the final over. His benefit raised £90,000 and it was after this season Keith retired from First Class Cricket leaving a mark with a J.P.League average of 33.66. After various career moves, Keith now hold the post of Director of Development on behalf of England and Wales Cricket Board. A cricket lover it seems Keith Pont will always be. |
Ian Pont(Pictured Above)
Ian was the youngest of a trio of brothers that played for Hutton, during the mid Sixties, Seventies and early Eighties. Ian a right hand bat/ right arm fast bowler was born in Brentwood in August 1961.Playing for the Hutton Colts side in the early seventies, under the watchful eye of his father, Ian became a fine all rounder,fulfilling his ambition and following his brothers into Professional cricket. Ian was a member of Hutton’s successful late 1970’s,early 1980`s, First Eleven side - which also featured Paul Prichard for a time. This side must rate as one of Hutton’s best and is worth mentioning.
The side was Richard Pryke (Captain), Roy Soilleux, Brian Wiggett (wkt.Keeper), Graham Spooner, Doug Hurrell Jnr, Ian Pont,Ian Marshall, Robin Putney, Kelvin Pont, Gary Marshall, and Mark Earthy. This side featured just about the fullest bowling attack you could want, both left arm and right and it holds the best finish by the First Xl, second place in 1980.Ian at one time held the Hutton League Bowling record of 9-51 which was achieved against Hadleigh in 1983, he held this record for a further nine years before it was beaten by Graham Spooner in 1992.Ian started his First-Class career at Nottinghamshire in 1982 after a two year spell at Essex. When he was Released By Notts in 1983 he returned to the Essex staff, for a further four years until 1988. During this time his 1st XI appearances were limited however by the presence of England Seamer`s John Lever, Neil Foster & Derek Pringle. He did however star in 28 First -Class matches, the highlight being a five-wicket haul at Taunton against Somerset .One of Ian’s five victim’s being the "Great" West Indian Vivian Richards. He also took a career best 5-73 against Lancashire and a further five wicket haul versus Surrey at the Oval. Ian finest moment though came on September 7th 1985, when he replaced the injured Neil Foster in the Nat-West Final side of 1985, he starred in the turning point of the match. The running out of Chris Broad after a excellent opening partnership with Tim Robinson together with the wicket of Richard Hadlee, clean bowled, saw Essex scrape home by one run, this was poignant,as it was against Ian’s former county Nottinghamshire. Ian ventured into Sunday League Coloured Clothing with Hogger Sports after his career with Essex had finished and also considered
at one time a career in American Baseball, but was unable to find a club in the U.S. He also had a spell with Natal (South Africa) 1985-1986 as well as spells with Minor Counties - Buckinghamshire and Northumberland.He also has coached at Stowe School.Ian was by far the fastest bowler, Hutton have ever produced and on his day could be devastating;unfortunately his Essex appearances were limited and only occurred, when others were injured. Having said this Ian Pont will be remember with just the same fondness around the Polo Ground as Keith and Paul, every time the Golden Years of Essex and Hutton Cricket are
remembered.
Paul Prichard(Pictured Below)
The Final Match of 2001 Season signalled the end of the Essex Career of opening Batsman Paul Prichard. Paul, who had comethrough the Hutton Colts System, had many glorious trophy-winning seasons after his Essex debut in 1984.
Paul was born in Billericay on the 7th January 1965 and made early appearances at the Polo Ground whenever his father John played in a home game. After the launch of the Hutton Colts system in the early 1970’s Paul soon took an interest in cricket and took part in some of the early colts matches.
He was selected for Essex & England school sides and this undoubtedly aided his cricket education, but it was Doug Pont especially who turned him into an extraordinary talented schoolboy Cricketer. Doug Pont ran the coaching sessions along with other helpers and it was touted very early on that Paul would go all the way and play County Cricket. Paul appeared in the first Hutton Colts side to win a Trophy when they won the National Terriers Cup competition at Sherbourne in Dorset in 1978.This team/squad featured many talented young cricketer’s including Stewart Robson who went on to play football for West Ham United. Paul moved on, into the Hutton first XI and had two seasons before moving to Orsett prior to commencing his professional career.Paul joined the Essex staff at the age of 16 and made his first class debut at the end of May 1984 against Worcestershire at Worcester.Coming in at no.4, with Essex were soon 22 for 4, he made an immediate impact making a fine 84 and remained in the side for the rest of that season. As the 80’s moved on Paul’s game got better and better he scored consistently with the bat and won praise for his catching close to the wicket. A golden future was predicted for Paul, including high praise from none other than Denis Compton, the England batting legend. He unluckily missed out on selection for the England Test Party, which toured Australia in 1986,the final batting spot going to Leicestershire batsman James Whittaker. It was during this season Paul received his County cap.Trauma followed the following year when he had a finger shattered by South African Pace ace "White Lightning" Allan Donald, this blow took its toll both mentally and physically and he did not returned to his best form until 1990. Batting with arguably Essex’s best ever batsman (Graham Gooch), was always going to rub off a little on Paul and this it did to stunning affect during the 1990 season. In a championship match against Leicestershire at Chelmsford, Paul coming in at three set a new Essex 2nd wicket record with Gooch of 403 breaking the existing record which had stood since 1978. Paul made a career best 245 and the final total of 761- 6 declared eclipsed the then Essex record total which had stood for 95 years.
It was in 1993 in a championship match v Sussex at Hove, where Paul once again made a double hundred – unbeaten, his 225 not out paved the way for Essex to declare on 493 – 4, 100 hundred behind Sussex’s first innings total and Essex still won chasing over 400 in the last innings. This match rewrote the record books too as it became the highest run match aggregate in England with 1,808 runs scored. This aggregate now stands 8th in the all-time list of first class matches through out the world. Three years later Prichard and Gooch were at it again this time with a record-breaking 1st wicket stand. Their stand of 316 on this occasion against Kent, removing forever from the record books the stand of 270 by Avery and Dodds, which had stood for nearly 50 years.
The nearest Paul ever came to representing England was in 1992,when he appeared as a substitute fielder in the World Cup in Australia. This was the year he scored 1485 runs, being named Britannic Assurance Player of the Season He also went to Australia on an England A tour that very same year.With Gooch nearing the end of his glorious career, Paul had become Essex Captain at the start of the 1995 season, he was awarded a benefit by the club in 1996 and up until then, Essex had gone trophy-less for over 4 years. This wait was to end in 1997 as Prichard’s team lifted the Nat-West Trophy at Lords defeating Warwickshire by 9 wickets. The following year Essex won the Benson & Hedges Cup once more with Pritchard at the helm. His 92 in the final won the Gold Award and helped Essex to victory as they thumped Leicestershire winning by 192 runs, as the bowlers dismissed Leicestershire for just 76. Injury had taken its toll on the Essex Captain however as he said in 1998,“Painkillers got me through, but now I’m properly rested,I hope to play for the rest of the season. It's been difficult".The resignation of Paul Prichard as Essex's captain was announced at Chelmsford on September 22nd 1998 and had more to do with his batting career than Essex’s bottom place in the championship.
Paul, who was 33 at the time, told the club that his form had suffered from four years of captaincy and that he wanted to concentrate on his own cricket. As ex-captains sometimes find playing in the same side after being captain is not always harmonious,for whatever reasons. Further injuries in 1999 and 2000 saw Paul’s opportunities limited somewhat. With Essex’s glory days well and truly over for now at least, the dressing room atmosphere was not as it may ‘be should have been this finally lead to Paul deciding halfway through the 2001 season to leave the county at the end of it.All those who saw his career flourish right from those earliest days at Hutton are proud to have been associated with such a fine respectable cricketer and hope he achieves off the field, what he achieved so well on it.
Andrew Clarke
(last updated september 2001)
Andy Clarke made his debut for Essex County Cricket Club,last Sunday and in doing so follow`s three former Hutton Stars in to the ranks of Professional cricket.He made his debut against Middlesex at the Walker cricket Ground, Southgate and in a low scoring game he came in at number 8 managing four runs in a match that ended up tied. In a match reduced by rain Middlesex required 121 from 43 overs to win,but only matched Essex score of 120 from their full quota of overs.He also starred too,in the C&G Trophy match at Edgbaston,where
he removed former Brentwood ,Essex and England opener Nick Knight in a economical spell of bowling of 7-1-19-1. Andy had earlier made 9 runs sharing in a stand of 21 with Tim Mason which saw the Essex total rise to 160.This was never enough for Essex however, who ended up losing by 5 wickets.Andy who is 25 years old was also on the M.C.C. Groundstaff for 3 years With Paul Shaw, who also played in our Colts Teams at the Polo Ground in the mid 1990`s. Clarkey joins J.L.Nickisson, J.F.Lescher, E.B.Lescher, Paul Prichard, Ian Pont & Keith Pont as players who have started their cricketing career`s at Hutton before going on to play for the County club.This all came during the week that former Essex captain and Hutton vice President Paul Prichard announced he was to leave Essex C.C.C. at the end of this current season amid rumours of disharmony amongst players at the county ground in New Writtle Street.
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