There is something about cricket which connects diverse characters and personalities; it is something to do with appreciation of the history, customs and intricacy of the game I feel. I got to know Ben and become good friends with him through cricket, without which I doubt that we would have become acquainted to any degree even given the chance, as we are quite different if not opposite in personality. Certainly my life has been enriched by Ben's company and friendship over the years.

I first heard of “Benedict” in the early days of my fourth year when reports of two tearaways in the new first year began emerging: have you heard about Benedict and McQueeney? I lacked any direct experience of their doings for the most part, until the upper sixth and a 1st XI football match at St Joseph's Beulah Hill. The 1sts and the Under 15's were always together, home or away. I suppose that our U15's with Ben in the team had a less than successful game as the tea urn was overturned somehow in their hall, Ben being the culprit. No doubt he was up before Brother Peter on the Monday morning but I would think Cecil Pocock was there on the day as he usually looked after the 1sts and the U15's. He would have used his considerable charm and diplomacy to ensure we kept fixtures with St Joe's. I have the memory that Cecil had us all helping to mop up the mess on the floor.

I don't believe Ben lasted at Clapham much after this incident and so became an Old Boy – officially – before me despite being three years younger. I think though that he had already played cricket for the Old Boys; Brian Sanders usually looked after the 1st XI cricket and I recall being dragooned while in the Lower Sixth for the afternoon Old Boys game on occasions when they were short, and I am pretty sure that on a couple of occasions a tallish stringy youth with long, lank black hair tied with a purple ribbon opened our bowling; Ben would have been a third year. He would have been an Old Boy officially the following season I feel given his early departure and so possibly the youngest Old Boy proper to play for Clapham Old Xaverians Cricket Club.

Ben was a talented cricketer; at school he was put forward to play for representative teams and from what he told me much later on, things dropped through the cracks somewhat and he missed some opportunities. However, having left school he played for the Old Boys and a number of other teams through contacts at work being in demand as a good fast opening bowler. Of course we played on that wicket at Norbury back then; I am glad to have never faced Ben on that track: it must have been petrifying. It was scary enough fielding in the slips to him. He regularly went home with 5 wicket hauls, or more. I would not be surprised if he and Ted Slade had an arrangement.

Stan Miller was captain then, late 60's and early 70's. Stan, being a traditionalist, believed that opening bowlers batted 10 and 11, 9 at a pinch, but Ben usually came in around 8, and from that position he scored the first ever ton for the Old Boys. We were away to Thames Ditton batting first and were 6 down for not too many, certainly well below 100. Ben came in and decided to give it some tap in the parlance, and began to dispatch the ball all around. Their ground was on a green bordered by roads and their fielders had to dodge cars to retrieve Ben's boundaries. In no time Ben was past 50 and three figures was starting to look on. Apart from ensuring we posted a reasonable score Stan became increasingly energised by the prospect of a COXCC century. Luckily we were still playing tea between innings and so time and overs were not the issue, but running out of partners was. As I recall Stan wanted to go out there and umpire to talk Ben through the edgy eighties and nervous nineties but was persuaded to remain aloof, mainly on the basis that Ben was doing OK without anyone else's help. He got there I am very glad to say and so became the first Old Boy centurion. Tea was about 20 mins past the usual time I think, and so not for the first or last time were we waiting on Ben... I think this was 1974. I should add here that if anyone has knowledge of a prior COXCC ton from the mists of time then I am happy to be corrected.

In the Seventies we started to tour regularly and Ben simply loved going “On Tour”. There are so many stories to recall and I did write up some of these tours, with Ben of course featuring greatly in despatches.

Something Ben did not like was the modern game's constant and mindless “sledging”, and I hope you are not surprised by this. He did however regard it as a fast bowler's right, after passing the edge for a third time in an over, to issue anything in the spectrum of mild aside to caustic sarcasm, au Fred Truman you might say, but there had to be an element of wit. Sometimes it was just a look to the batsman which said: Why am I wasting my time bowling at you? One particular incident comes to mind.

We were playing in the Bertie Joel midweek knockout cup – and I'm not sure we ever progressed beyond the first round as the strong clubs in Surrey would field 1st XI's – in I would say 1983 and Ben was captain. He was somewhat stressed on the day as Marie was about to deliver Tom to the world and I suppose was wondering if he should be playing at all – well, likely he wondered for 5 seconds. We were first in the field but could not shift their openers and they got to somewhere near 150; one of them was particularly stubborn, taking a stance out of the crease and then advancing further, crab-like, down the cricket irrespective of the delivery. Ben, Smudger Smith, Stan, Mick Grice all had a go with no success; even I had a bowl. Ben decided to try again and put in a short one to the upper rib cage; our man took the blow, advanced a bit more down the wicket before falling backwards and then motionless some way up the wicket. We all rushed to the scene of course, including Ben, although his interest was in the ball with which he broke the wicket with a triumphant howzat. Not Out declared their umpire – definitively and angrily - to which was the reply: Yes he is – look - by a Short Head. Despite the situation we had to appreciate the humour. I'm glad to say though that Ben withdrew the appeal, albeit after considerable and forcible persuasion from the rest of us. Our man batted on and as I recall was out for a 90. I don't know, but I hope Ben got him in the end.

Well there was another good one around this time. We used to play Harrods twice a year in an all-day game, on a great batting track at their sports ground in Barnes where scores were usually well in excess of 200. (Once we chased over 250 and won by 9 wickets, but I digress..). Ben was captain and we batted first but for some reason we collapsed to below 60 all out: let's say 59. There was no good reason for this as the track was good as usual, although they had a quite fierce opening bowler known simply as Harry so maybe he carved through us. We had something to prove and we did have a good attack: Ben, Smudger, Stan and The Gricer. We bowled them out for 54. We had had some titanic struggles with Harrods and it was always a friendly but keenly contested game. Ben, on shaking hands with their captain at the game's end: “Well I thought 59 might be enough...”. It was crushing...

Then there was choice of ends for the opening bowlers. At a new ground particularly Ben would be out at the wicket straightaway looking for any advantage and getting his bid in first. “I fancy the top end Stan: that all right?” “Yes, I suppose so...” When captain he merely had to state his preference of course. Harrods had an appreciable slope and Chris Smith had to self-relegate to first change as he did not fancy bowling uphill: Stan or Mick Grice off their short runs or even Brian Sanders when we had out up a good total batting first, would take the bottom end.

I used to like umpiring when Ben was batting. One thing you never had to worry about was an LBW appeal; Ben took a leg stump guard and did not move across his stumps during delivery; his intent with most balls was to hit loftily through the off if pitched up, and to crash over midwicket if a bit short. I hardly remember him being hit on the pads as he was usually good enough to get a bit of bat on the ball perhaps meaning that an intended drive over extra cover went over the slips to third man.

Stan told me once that Ben said cricket for him as a teenager was a kind of salvation. Without the regular games on the weekend for COXA and other teams he was involved in, and the discipline and reliability required to show up, he was not sure what he may have gotten involved in. He liked his cricket so much that playing was the priority on the weekend – at least in the daylight hours I suppose. This said anyone delegated the task of picking up Ben for a lift to the game got to know the various drinking dens he frequented in Wandsworth and Clapham: OK – 1:15pm outside the Gardners' Arms. Well often you had to go inside to get him. “I’ve just got one in – do you fancy a half?” “No, Ben: I'm on a yellow line and I want to go to cricket...” I guess he felt two or more pints of Youngs Bitter was good preparation for an opening bowler. Well he always, but always wanted to bat first of course and I doubt if, as captain, he ever put a side in. I followed Ben as captain and decided that with a strong batting line-up which we had by then we should consider inserting the opposition and chase down their runs, thus avoiding boring draws which is what many Sunday games became as we did not play limited overs. So, walking back from the middle and signalling we were in the field with some arm rotations Ben would ask pointedly: did you win the toss? Yes I would have to say on occasion. Oh you **** … I need a kip.

I am reminded of one post-match visit to a Curry House, I think after a game at Norbury on the way back to Streatham. We ordered pickles and poppadums to start while deciding on main courses but Ben, sharp as ever, suspected that we were being served leftovers from other tables. How he noticed this I have no idea; it was as much what he suspected might be happening as what he observed. He was a keen observer and judge of character. We ordered plenty of chapattis with our main meals and Ben put the contents of an ashtray in-between two otherwise untouched chapattis which were eventually cleared away. About five minutes later we heard an anguished cry from another table: “Bloody hell: there are fag-ends in my chapattis!” Even funnier was that the Manager came up to Ben and admonished him for such a trick. His response was along the lines of: Well I thought they were mine once I'd ordered them.

Around the mid 1970's Ben started playing for Epsom and was a regular in their Saturday 1st XI, regularly getting 5 wickets and fifties as I recall from discussions the next day... Well, seriously I think it would be good to enquire of Epsom if they have their records intact as I do feel Ben's playing performances there were of note. It is a pity that the COXA team scorebooks seem to have disappeared, we think in the estates of Stan and/or Mick Grice who kept them. I know Ben had some of the Saturday team scorebooks from when he managed to get us into the Saturday Slazenger League around the mid-to-late 1980's. Certainly he regularly topped the overall bowlers averages in the Slazenger League.

When Ben started with Epsom in the late seventies he was introduced to the MCC by one of the Epsom players and then played for MCC invitational sides on many occasions. This of course allowed him to claim his prized MCC membership which he maintained from those days through thick and thin. He was short of funds one year and tapped me up for the annual fee... I got the loan back in the end I am sure. In the last few years I had a number of very pleasant days of cricket watching from the Lords Pavilion as Ben's official carer.

Ben had further claims to cricketing fame. He completed his MCC coaching qualification, in fact on the same course as renowned Surrey players Alistair Brown and Mark Butcher. Then he never tired of telling how he dismissed – twice - Alec Stewart. The first time was in a game against Old Tiffinians when Alec was 16; it was the day after we returned from the 1983 Sudbury tour. Someone spotted Micky Stewart and was told: yes, his son Alec is playing. Ben took note of this and when Alec came in gave him the full treatment – fair but fast - and had him caught behind. I believe that the other occasion was a year or two later in a Surrey Championship game. Years on and Ben is at The Oval and in the same room as a retired Alec Stewart, so he introduced himself and told him he'd got him out – twice. Apparently Alec remembered his bowling, and Ben; I know that because I was with Ben at The Oval and there was Alec approaching us and he passed us with “Hello Ben how are you?”

I did not see much of Ben for a while once I stopped playing in the mid-90's; Ben continued playing for quite a while. I did start to see him post his surgery, escorting him up to Guy's mainly after which we inevitably ended up in the Wheatsheaf opposite Borough Market as they served a nice pint of Youngs, and then taking him back to Balham but getting him on the bus only after a visit to the BBC. On occasion, when I really was not “up” for a session I invented some prior appointments I have to admit... Ben of course was very smart on such things and accepted this unsaid protocol. The Ben of the last few years has become my image of him unfortunately and so I am trying to remember him in his bowling days when he always looked fit and in shape. I did find a great photo of Ben batting which is reproduced here.

Stan apparently told Ben once that he loved standing at second slip and watching him bowl with his classic side-on action. Ben related this to me and then said that he felt that Waqar Younis reminded him of of his own action – yes, that way around – upon which I said I could see that but there was a good comparison of Ben with Harold Larwood and his short accelerating run to the crease and turn into a classic side-on rapid delivery. “Who's Harold Larwood...?” I was amazed that Ben did not know the name and style of Douglas Jardine's main attack weapon in the Bodyline Tour of 1932-33: a quite surprising omission in Ben's otherwise quite exhaustive knowledge of cricket history. We called up some footage of Larwood bowling and he saw my point.

Earlier this year I told Ben that my Mum was approaching her 100th birthday and he said that he remembered my Mum coming along to cricket a few times years ago and to please send his regards and congratulations, which of course I did. My Mum then said to me: “Ben... O yes, I remember him: he was the tall good-looking one”. I cannot convey how chuffed he was to hear this relayed back; I had to repeat the story, in his presence of course, to Marie.

Ben: you are, and will always be, sadly missed.

Mick Duffy

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Brian Sanders writes:

When Ben first started playing for us, he brought along his good friend John Ryan. As was the fashion at the time, they both wore their hair long and wore headbands to keep their hair out of their eyes. A few tut tuts could be heard from some of our more senior members.
I recall sharing in a last wicket partnership with Ben which put on 50 runs. I scored one! I was fielding at first slip when a really quick delivery from Ben eluded my hands but ran up my arm and came to rest in my left armpit. Perhaps I had forgotten my deodorant that day!
I think what most impressed me about Ben was how much he loved his cricket. On one occasion he came back early from a family holiday so as not to miss a game. *I can't get enough of it" he said to me on that occasion. His enthusiasm was infectious.
Ted Hayter recalls when, with us in the field, suddenly Ben was nowhere to be seen. Apparently he had gone off to place a bet with a local bookie.

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Mick Power writes:

I'm sure that there are no shortages of stories re Ben, many I guess should not see the light of day. For example, over the years a few of his former classmates were terrorized by him at school.

On the upside what a brilliant cricketing tourist he made especially with either bat or ball in hand and against the strongest of oppositions, all performed whilst weathering the previous day's alcoholic intake.

If I had a sporting regret, it would be that I never had the guts to give Ben a run in the Old Boys 2nd XI at football when I was Capt. As I have reflected over the years, a proven goal scorer such as Ben would surely have succeeded at a higher level. Football led to his broken leg in 1976.

There was the episode where he shinned down a drainpipe from an upstairs toilet to give another meaning to doing a runner from a curry house. I suffered a similar episode when in his company many years later we walked out without paying the bill only for me to go back to claim his leather coat which he had left behind.

One image I have of him was in the pub after our first tour match in Norfolk There was a band in to entertain us and during the interval Bennie picked up the drumsticks and entertained us for the rest of the night and early morning drumming away. He claimed afterwards that it was the first time he had ever played. Amazing.

I recall a couple of occasions playing against Old Grammarians with David Smith of Surrey and England opening the batting against Ben. In one game Ben positioned me at very short leg and urged me to move closer. I lacked the everyday gear worn today including a box and this batter renowned for his legside ability failed to score freely against Ben's line and length and his skill in moving the ball either way. On his day against quality batsmen he was more than a match for them. May I add that I was well relieved to be dispatched to square leg at the end of his spell. As I recall words were exchanged when Ben bowled to him, and then when he batted Ben put him over extra cover and midwicket which David Smith was less than impressed by to say the least; typically audacious Ben strokes not to be found in the MCC coaching manual. Then Smith bowled him a beamer which he just about avoided; Ben advanced up the wicket and threatened Smith with his Gray Nicholls Scoop. I do believe that they made it up afterwards in the showers.

I can recall on more than one occasion in the Oval Pavilion having to address his household paperwork which was usually in a haphazard state. There was a small room off the main bar in the Pavilion which we got to know as Ben's Office. As well as household and other paperwork he would attend to his horseracing while viewing the cricket through the large window. Visits to his Oval Office will never be the same for me; he was part of the fixture and fittings of my sporting life.

Rest in Peace Bruvver