Column: Man Who Made The Greatest Impact
[Opinion column written by Terry Lister]
Anyone who knows me knows that I am as much a diehard Somerset fan as there can be. Nothing could ever change that. When you grow up in the Sixties under the lash of a Cal” Bummy” Symonds led team of Cup Match all stars you could never find a reason today to leave your team!!
I can remember going St. George’s in the late sixties hoping that this was the year and by lunch on Thursday knowing that it wasn’t. Still I am a Somerset fan through and through.
This year marks 50 years since Clarence “Tuppence” Parfitt was introduced into the Cup Match. And what an introduction!! Somerset had held the Cup for most of the 1950′s.
Their’s was an aging team while St. George’s shuffled the deck in the late 50s looking for a winning combination. Finally it came in 1960 under the leadership of Clarence Simmons, who having won the Cup promptly retired opening the door for the man regarded by many cricket fans as the greatest cup match captain ever, Cal “bummy” Symonds.
While Somerset had held on to the cup through the 50s the matches were predominantly closely played affairs. But under Bummy, St. George’s slaughtered Somerset in’61 and ’62 with batting sensation Lloyd James making two large centuries -both matches being two to one victories.
After the 1962 loss Somerset quickly rebuilt their team bringing exciting young colts such as Joe Bailey, Lloyd Raynor, Dewey Trott and Randy Horton. This new look side held the mighty St. George’s to a draw in ’63 and lost in the dying minutes of regulation time in 1964.
Entering the 1965 Cup Match, played at Wellington Oval, there was an air of confidence on both sides. Somerset had fine players in Sheridan Raynor, Mackie Simmons and Chalrie Daulphin who had been in winning teams in the 50s. They were supported by players like John Stovell, Neville Roberts and new bowling star, Shariz Ali.
St. George’s in turn had Dennis Wainwright, to many one of the best ever wicketkeepers in Cup match, allrounders Lee and Eldon Raynor, double century makers in Lloyd James and Rupert Scotland and the ever dangerous Kenny Paul! What a team! And into this ball of fire was added one Clarence “Tuppence ” Parfitt, a tall lanky medium pacer.
Batting first Somerset were quickly in trouble. Lee Raynor was the fastest bowler in Bermuda at the time and he always seemed to find extra speed at Cup Match. He made things difficult early on but soon it was Parfitt and all Parfitt.
The Somerset supporters were stunned, St. George’s fans were over the moon. Here was this slim 21 year old left arm bowler taking wicket after wicket. Before you knew what had happened Somerset were all out for a measley 66!!! Parfitt, the colt, had taken 8 wickets.
Somerset now had to face that strong St. George’s batting line up and try to bowl them out cheaply. To their credit, the Somerset bowlers stuck to their task and St. George’s were dismissed for 170 – not a big score. So it was now up to the openers to play out the day and to start afresh the next morning and try to get Somerset back into this match.
It was only a short time to bat. But colt Parfitt struck again and at the close of play on Thursday, it was a battered Somerset team that headed for the boat unsure of how to save the match as they were already 16-3!! Clarence “Tuppence” Parfitt had arrived in fine style at Cup Match.
The next morning was almost a formality. Somerset batsmen improved their score ever so slightly as they were out for 72 at 12:15 giving St. George’s a great victory by an inning and 32 runs.
The performance of Parfitt, who ended with 15 for 43 runs, changed the fortunes of the two Cup Match teams. After the thrashing of 1961 and ’62 Somerset’s better performances the next two years had their fans believing the Cup would be back in the West End soon. But Tuppence changed all of that. He remained virtually unplayable throughout his Cup Match career taking 115 wickets and being a tormenter to Somerset batsmen year in and year out.
Today I wish to congratulate Clarence ” Tuppence” Parfitt, 50 years on for being the player who had the greatest impact on Cup Match in the history of the game and who surely changed the course of the game!
- Terry Lister
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Yes sir’ie Mr. Terry Lister, I’d like to thank you for that, “trip down memory lane”(in-spite of all dem licks we bies’ team had taken
) I must agree, Clarence ” Tuppence” Parfitt, had been, “the big dog in da-yard” back in them times 
As Joe Brown would say, “my, my, my.” Times have now changed once again, and it’s us that have the Cup and we’ll be retaining it, carrying it back up da-country Friday evening…”All da way Somerset!!!”
You and the speaker have disgraced the people in Somerset and Island wide through your selfish decision.
The Hon. Terry Lister??
Good to hear from you – thank you for the ‘trip down memory lane’.
This would be a good year for St. George’s to see the brilliance of the next Clarence ” Tuppence” Parfitt.
Imagine the following;
That I as a loyal St. Georges fan who is now in his late fifties grew up in the 1960′s and through most of the 70′s without ever tasting the bitter fruit of defeat at Cup Match.
While my Somerset cousins suffered mightily, year after year after year; as they on the other hand never once experienced the joy of winning.
And this was largely accomplished thanks to the leadership of the greatest captain in Cup Match history, Calvin Bummy Symonds, the legendary Clarence Parfitt as noted; and a cast of players who virtually represented the best that Bermuda had to offer when it came to cricket during that era.
And the Somerset Cup Match players as outlined by brother Lister during that time, were no slouches either.
Thanks brother Lister for the timely reminder.
Go St. Georges’
I think you made a serious typo error . . . GO SOMERSET! ; )
Sir Lister,
Come out of politics and save us!!!!!!
ooooops,
I meant, “come out of retirement and save us”!!!!!
I totally agree, come back terry please….right this political ship.
Terry got his.
Shalom
Great to read that story Terry, I have always said and I ask someone to argue, Parfitt is the best cricketer coming out of Bermuda!
Terry Lister…….you sound like a loyal St.Georges Cricket Club Fan to me……..Somerset all the Way…….All.the way Somerset……hope you are not a P.L.P. supporter ……like you are a Somerset supporter……..weak as water……….
I’ll say this…I don’t see A St.George’s win unless Somerset hands it over on a silver plate…Somerset was polite enough to slap fours and run twicevfor their sixes last year…look at the step leading down to the changing rooms…need masonry…or will a coat of paint do?