Geoff Bird took over the first team captaincy from Hubbard in 1978 while many gifted players were moving away – or retiring, as in Carr’s case. The exodus caused a sharp decline to eighth place, though it became a summer of glory for Nick Draper when he took 10-18 against that year’s champions Bishop’s Stortford, the club’s first bowler to take all 10. He made his Hertfordshire debut the following season with five wickets in the first innings against Bedfordshire at Bedford School.
The batting became very fragile, with a 62 all out against local rivals St Albans at Cobden Hill. The Herts swing bowler Alan Garofall took 7-32 in 27 overs, and even Yeabsley could not dig Radlett out of that one. Few could have imagined then that Radlett would hand St Albans some terrible beatings in the 2000s. A total of 58 at Cheshunt represented another bad day, though Radlett did win the local 20-overs competition, the Herts Advertiser Trophy, and retained it in 1979. Yeabsley took 5-26 in 31.2 overs to dismiss Cheshunt for 112, but the batting failed yet again. The 58 all out remained Radlett’s lowest league total for at least 30 years.
In September, 1978, the incredible happened. In a second-team game against Broxbourne at Cobden Hill opening bowler Copley took 10-19. Before this season no one had take all 10, and now it had happened twice. Unlike Draper, Copley needed two separate spells.
Draper’s Bishop’s Stortford 10
Cobden Hill, July 29th, 1978.
Radlett 1st XI innings
| Batsman | |||
| D Hickman | c Brown | b Wheatley |
12
|
| A Murley | c Skingle | b Wheatley |
31
|
| R Toptiam | c Ayre | b Plumb |
7
|
| C Randall | b Wheatley |
1
|
|
| P Mackie | lbw | b Plumb |
11
|
| A Hubbard | lbw | b Plumb |
12
|
| G Bird | b Smith |
0
|
|
| M Ablett | c Wheatley | b Wheatley |
0
|
| G Rawlings | c Miller | b Plumb |
3
|
| N Draper | c Parker | b Plumb |
3
|
| P Smith | not out |
0
|
|
| Extras |
13
|
||
| Total | for 10 wickets |
93
|
Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-54, 3-61, 4-66, 5-86, 6-87,7-87, 8-87, 9-93
Bishop’s Stortford 1st XI innings
| Tevis | b Draper |
4
|
|
| Plumb | c Hickman | b Draper |
16
|
| Brown | b Draper |
0
|
|
| Skingle | c Ablett | b Draper |
13
|
| Smith | hit wicket | b Draper |
0
|
| Millar | b Draper |
1
|
|
| Parker | not out |
4
|
|
| Wheatley | c Ablett | b Draper |
0
|
| Banks | b Draper |
0
|
|
| Ayre | lbw | b Draper |
0
|
| Judd | b Draper |
0
|
|
| Extras |
6
|
||
| Total | for 10 wickets |
44
|
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-14, 3-29, 4-30, 5-33, 6-40, 7-40, 8-40, 9-44
Bowling: Draper 11-7-18-10; Smith 11-4-20-0
Radlett won by 49 runs
Copley’s Broxbourne 10
Cobden Hill, September 16, 1978.
Radlett 2nd XI innings
| Batsman | |||
| P Marks | c Jones | Lewis |
4
|
| A Radcliffe | run out |
13
|
|
| P Nelson | not out |
104
|
|
| A Thornhill | not out |
86
|
|
| Extras |
7
|
||
| Total | for 2 wkts declared |
214
|
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-34
Did not bat: J Court, D Mundy, M Bird, D Dexter, G Copley, P Hinstridge, C Hawkins
Broxbourne 2nd XI innings
| Batsman | |||
| Coates | b Copley |
14
|
|
| Jones | b Copley |
10
|
|
| Lamb | c Mundy | b Copley |
0
|
| Seyderhelm | b Copley |
9
|
|
| Brown | b Copley |
10
|
|
| Booth | b Copley |
0
|
|
| Huth | not out |
2
|
|
| Aldist | c Bird | b Copley |
0
|
| Hardy | b Copley |
0
|
|
| Donald | c Radcliffe | b Copley |
0
|
| Lewis | b Copley |
2
|
|
| Extras | 0b 0nb 2w 2lb |
14
|
|
| Total | for 10 |
61
|
Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-26, 3-40, 4-43, 5-47, 6-56, 7-56, 8-56, 9-56
Bowling: Hinstridge 7-0-16-0, Copley 17.5-10-19-10, Hawkins 8-4-6-0, Dexter 2-2-0-0, Radcliffe 3-0-4-0, Mundy 4-2-2-0
Radlett won by 153 runs
Pete Hinstridge’s swing bowling in the thirds earned him analyses of 5-3 against Stevenage and 5-7 against Old Albanians. Chris Harris, against Ickenham, went in at 43 for six, was told to “shut up shop” and blasted 88 not out, ending with a six in the last over to win the game.
A first full home season was assured for the thirds with the official opening of the second ground.
That year Pete Hinstridge’s swing bowling in the thirds earned him analyses of 5 – 3 v. Stevenage and 5-7 v. Old Albanians.
Chris Harris, against Ickenham, went in at 43 for six, was told to “shut up shop” and blasted 88 not out, ending with a six in the last over to win the game.
Things used to happen at Ickenham. Once the thirds were practising and a ball accidentally hit a dog. It later died, allegedly from the blow, and the Club got a bill for compensation.
The Club also won the Herts Advertiser 20-overs knock-out competition.