Oldest surviving Cup Match player seeking a century

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27: At age 91, Woodgate Simmons is Cup Match’s oldest surviving player.

The former wicketkeeper/batsman debut in the classic in 1943 as a member of the late Amon Hunt’s squad that retained the cup at Wellington Oval.

A decade later he was appointed as Somerset’s captain and in his first match at the helm the game ended in a tame draw at Somerset Cricket Club.

However, a year later the Southampton resident would not be denied glory as his team ended St George’s three-year reign as champions with a six-wicket triumph on home turf.

Simmons then successfully defended the cup in 1955 at Wellington Oval in his last match as captain.

Fortunate

He bowed out of Cup Match in 1956 with 32 dismissals behind the stumps (26 catches and six stumpings) and 487 runs under his belt.

To this day Simmons cherishes winning the coveted cup back from Leroy ‘Tubby’ Richardson’s St George’s team in only his second year as captain.

He said: “St George’s had beaten us a few times before then and so they sent word to Somerset that they we’re going to take care of me too. So I said ‘okay, well we will have to see about that’.

“We bowled them out in the first innings for 36 runs. Austin ‘Cheesey’ Hughes and Winton ‘Timmy’ Edwards bowled them out.”

Simmons and Richardson, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, eventually became friends and still regularly keep in touch with each other.

“We are very good friends but he still can’t understand how I was able to beat him. He hasn’t got over that yet and never lets me forget it either.”

In his heyday Simmons played with local legends such as the late Alma ‘Champ’ Hunt.

He said Cup Match is an awesome experience for players but stressed that the magnitude of the occasion can at times be nerve-wrecking in the middle.

“In my day we played on concrete (batting strips) and you had chalk behind the wicket that was used to mark your guard with. As the wicketkeeper I saw many batsmen come out there with their hands shaking so much that they couldn’t even pick up the chalk.

“If you are a person that is light hearted or doesn’t have a strong mind then you are going to be in big trouble because the atmosphere and fans around the field can give you the shakes.”

Simmons said during his era Cup Match was something not to be taken lightly – especially in Somerset.

“Cup Match was always something that Somerset people took serious and so you had to be serious in your approach and everything else or you were gone.

“We did not take anyone that was skylarking. We had people like Amon and Champ Hunt who were outstanding cricketers and captains and you either played and did as you were told or you were gone.”