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Warwick CC Clock

The clock which is fixed high in front of the pavilion at the Hampton Road ground of Warwick has already seen quite a full share of cricket during its life span. For 65 years, the clock had pride of place at The County Ground, Edgbaston and was a gift to the Warwick Cricket Club when it was formed in 1960.

It is an electric clock and received attention several times during its stay at The County Ground when it was hit and the glass broken by big hits. It is actually quite a fair way from the wicket to the pavilion at Hampton Road as any outgoing batsman will testify and the building is square to the wicket also so it is doubtful whether it will ever be hit again. All the same, I wouldn't like to lay odds!

The clock is an excellent timepiece and residents of the neighbouring houses have been very quick in requesting it should be corrected in the unlikely event of a power failure. Indeed, many people make their way into and out of work, casting a cursory glance at the old stager as they pass by the Hampton Road, such is its size it is easily identifiable from the roadside some 300 yards away.

The clock, which is four feet in diameter, bares a scar which was inflicted by the committee of the County Club in the year of 1939 and at the outbreak of the Second World War it was decided that the clock would be stopped and not restarted until the war was over. The current was swicthed off when the time on the clock showed 11.30, the usual starting time for a County Championship match. A close inspection of the timepiece would give the impression that there were four hands.

The club made a special request at the handing over ceremony in May 1960 that the face of the clock should not be cleaned in any way which would erase the scar of those war years so next time you are near to it, take a good look to see if you can see the 'other hand'.

If the clock could speak it would indeed, have a very facinating tale to tell, of the many great and exciting games and also, inevitably, the more lackluster ones!

This piece was put together by the late Bill Naylor, a prolific writer in local newspapers and a wonderful servant to Warwick Cricket Club in his many years there. Bill, a long suffering Coventry fan and regular season ticket holder, had many stories to tell over the years I knew him and like many of us, loved the wonderful game.

Also, having spent many years in the role of Captain and player, I was often informed by the delegated umpires from the League that they always played the match by the pavilion timepiece rather than that of the wristwatch they had on; even though the clock was very often fast or slow!

RB

To read View from the Edge 2009 & 2010, please see this document.

A big thank you from all at Warwick CC.