EAST RIDING CRICKET SOCIETY

Cricket lovers are in for a 'spell-binding and exhilarating evening' when journalist Grahame Lloyd visits the society in March. When Garry Sobers hit Malcolm Nash for six sixes off one over at Swansea in 1968, a cricketing Everest was finally conquered. And 38 years later history was made again when the ball supposedly smashed around the St Helen's ground was auctioned by Christie's for a world-record £26,400 ... except the ball was the wrong make, a Duke & Son and not a Stuart Surridge. After a six-year gap the ball re-emerged at another auction, prompting Grahame to launch Operation Howzat!, an 18-month quest for the truth about a key element of one of the game's most iconic moments. Featuring an interview with John Parkin, the batsman at the opposite end during the famous over, historic BBC TV footage of the Six Sixes, poetry and song, Grahame follows the trail from South Wales to India - encountering a host of colourful characters along the way and lifti

Thanks to former England Test star and BBC Sports Personality of the Year David Steele for a hugely entertaining evening at the King Billy after Dickie Bird was forced to cancel. David sent his best wishes to the Test umpire - a personal favourite as Dickie never gave him out LBW! Renowned for his batting, David took on the mighty Australian and West Indian pace attacks of the 1970s with a predominantly front-foot method. Borrowing the night's star raffle prize - a bat signed by 2015 County Champions Yorkshire CCC - he showed (left) how a batsman can move much more quickly from the front foot to the back than vice versa, as well as demonstrating the difference between his technique and that of another front-foot devotee, Geoff Boycott. David is also a great admirer of Yorkshire great Sir Leonard Hutton - a selector in 1975 when David was first picked for England. 'The top hand is life, the bottom hand is death,' Sir Leonard told him - a lesson David has never forgotten.

East Riding Cricket Society is delighted to announce its very special February guest - David Steele , England and Northants batsman, and BBC Sports Personality of the Year 1975, one of only four cricketers to win the award. Plucked by Tony Greig from county cricket in 1975 at the age of thirty-three, David played just eight Test matches in a little over a year, relishing the challenge of Australian quicks Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, and the fearsome West Indian quartet, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Wayne Daniel and Vanburn Holder. Described by The Sun's Clive Taylor as "The bank clerk who went to war," he scored 50 and 45 on debut against the Aussies at Lord's, with his only century coming against West Indies at Trent Bridge the following year. Compared with these cricketing highlights, SPOTY was just the 'icing on the cake'. David's success took everyone by surprise. When he stood up to receive the award, the presenter called him Derek -