Radley Colleg
Right: Philip Hollis Photography Front cover: Andrew Strauss - Getty Imiages
Could there be a more opportune time to write about Radley cricket? For a short spell, from July to that ticker-tape August Sunday at the Oval, Radleians seemed to bestride the cricketing world: three current members of the 1st XI – Alex Hearne (Dragon, J Social), Nick Gubbins (Elstree, H Social) and Wilf Marriott (Farleigh, G Social) - were selected for the England Under 15 side, Jamie Dalrymple (Ashfold, H Social) captained the England Lions against Australia and Andrew Strauss (Caldicott, B Social) led England to the Ashes. Strauss scored important runs, of course, but when the analysts ran their rule over England’s victory they chose to focus on the question of leadership. Michael Henderson reminded his Telegraph readers of the quiet authority of the England captain in rescuing his side from the hiatus of Kevin Pietersen’s resignation and in weathering some piercing criticism after the Headingley rout. “One could say”, he wrote, “that the Ashes were won on the playing fields of Radley.”
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The only sadness in all this euphoria was that just ten days before Australia succumbed, so too did one of the pillars of Radley cricket for nearly 60 years. Bert Robinson, once of Northamptonshire and cricket professional at Radley 1949-2008, a dear man and a coach who influenced so many from Dexter onwards, died peacefully at the age of 92 before he could see his most recent star in his finest hour.