Well just after you went to sleep Essex looked like they might finally win something at cricket, but kept losing their nerve in August just as it was about to happen. Then one day in July 1979 they went to Lord's. And after that they won lots. We had about 20 years of a world class opening bat dominating county bowling and lots more trophies followed, including six championships. After 13 years of success a decline set in,the guy who had run the club in its most successful period died and a number of good young players left to go elsewhere.
Form time to time there was a good run in the one day competitions but the old Essex of out grounds and festival weeks started to decline and fade away. They put floodlights in at Chelmsford and started playing very short games at night whilst selling lots of beer. The team drifted into the second division of the four day championship (that all happened whilst you were asleep) and the people who had witnessed the six championships thought they'd never see another one. The ECB ( a sort of modern MCC but without the class) seemed hellbent of playing more and more night games and getting rid of teams like Essex but then out of the blue a team mainly born in the county won the title again. And your boy was one of that team.
The End
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An excellent (& very amusing) post.
