The Leamington Dustman

At Basingstoke, in June 1968, Eddie Hemmings almost entered the history books in spectacular fashion. On his championship debut for Warwickshire, after the Bears batted first, Hemmings scored 18 out of a total of 145.

No hint of history there but, when Hampshire went in, Hemmings took the first six wickets to fall. At one point there was the distant prospect of him launching his career with an all-ten as he bamboozled the batters with nifty medium-pace away-swingers (he turned to spin later).

It was the brilliant Barry Richards who defied the 'Leamington Dustman' and defeated his charge for all ten. Richards struck 133 and eventually fell to Lance Gibbs and Jack Bannister and Bill Blenkiron also nipped in with wickets so Hemmings had to settle for a final analysis of 28-4-90-6.

His impressive start evidently didn't leave captain AC Smith "bowled over" though. In Hampshire's second innings, in which they reached a victory target of 60 in 90 minutes in rather untidy fashion after slipping to 28 for 4, Hemmings didn't get a bowl.

R.S. Lay was one of the umpires.