Sunday 27 June 2010
Three teams of cricketers, representing every branch of the Abingdon School community, turned out bright and early to pit their skills against one another in the 2010 Gerald Smithson Memorial Twenty20 Cricket Tournament.
The tournament got off to a flying start at 10.00 am with a match between the parents team, captained by Doug Terry (father of Luke and Will), and the OA team, captained by David Emerson (2006).
After a break for lunch at 12 noon, the OA team returned to pitch to face the 'Abingdonians' (a mixed team of current pupils and members of staff).
Tea was taken in the Sports Centre Hospitality Suite at 3.00 pm, giving the cricketers a much-needed break from the sweltering heat and, for most, a welcome chance to see the first half of the England-Germany World Cup match.
Play recommenced at 4.00 pm with the final match of the day – the parents versus the 'Abingdonians'. This year's teamsheets contained a very healthy number of father-son pairings which made for an excellent atmosphere during this final match!
We were honoured to welcome Anne Smithson, Gerald Smithson's widow, and her four daughters – Jacqueline, Gillian, Joanne and Justine – to the tournament and we are very grateful to Anne for presenting the trophy to the winning team – which was the 'Abingdonians'!
The OA Office would like to say a huge 'thank you' to everyone who played in the tournament. Special votes of thanks go to Julian Shellard (1971) for his truly touching speech in memory of Gerald Smithson, Rodney Pitt (1961) and John Walker (1969) – our umpires, and finally to Andrew Hall, Director of Sport, without whose support the tournament would not have been possible.
