Welcome to Week 34 of Box CC’s 150th Anniversary Player / Member Profiles.
This week we feature Nigel Bence, a man who played his first game for Box CC at the age of 14 in 1934. Nigel was a key member of the club and picked up several club honours over the years. He played his final game for the club in the clubs 125th Anniversary Over 40’s game in 1995. Nigel continued to support the club, work on the ground and also became the Club’s President beyond 1995 also.
Sadly, Nigel died in 2005 at the age of 85, he is always one of the first names on the list when it comes to discussing the long history of the club. Well Batted Nigel, a great innings.

We spoke to a few people to recount their memories of Nigel. (You’ll notice different accounts of the ‘Shooting Stick’ Story, perhaps it happened more than once!)

From Richard Gray
We were on tour in Sussex, and I was sharing a room with Nigel Bence. At the time Nigel had his leg in plaster so he slept on his back and he snored like a trooper. You don’t get much sleep on tour but with Nigel’s snoring I was not getting any. On the third night I decided to wake him up. So, I leant back in bed and banged loudly on the wardrobe behind me. At which point my bed collapsed with an almighty crash. At breakfast the next morning Nigel said, ‘your bed collapsed last night… and you didn’t even wake up’.

From Ron Low

My favourite story about Nigel I don’t know if anyone has already told this one but it was before my time at the club, Box were playing at Castle Combe (I didn’t know that they had a team) but in Nigel’s words he went to drive a ball that was pitched up to him he missed it and was bowled he came in saying “I don’t know how I missed it” after the game Box came in from fielding and Nigel said he realised after watching Castle Combe batting why he had got out apparently Nigel said “there was a lot off MOSS in the wicket and when he played and missed it was because the ball had gone down in the MOSS under his bat and bowled him !

The other one when I was there, Box were playing at Devizes and Nigel was very good friends with one or two of their players, he even went on tour with them before Box tours started.
Box were fielding and Brian Wright was bowling and had a big shout for LBW given not out by Joe Weeks (their umpire and one of Nigel’s friends) the next ball big shout for catch behind that would have been heard back at Box not out! Nigel who was stood at mid-off, took of his Maroon Father Time hat and started jumping up and down on it very upset. The game finished, Nigel got changed and went straight home (no 1/2 pint before he left).
Roll forward 25 years Box are on Tour in Devon and we were playing Exmouth and we are in the bar Nigel had been umpiring and when I got in the clubhouse, he was sat in the corner on his own I went over and said I am going to buy their skipper and scorer a drink, come and join us I said, he said no! I have not spoken to their bloody scorer (Nigel never swore) for 25 years and I am not going to start now!! His name was Dennis Plowright the batsman from Devizes who had not walked when hit it (HAD been a very good friend of Nigel)

Nigel Bence! Mr Box cricket a legend I think he spent more time with Box CC than his family!!

From John Tooth
Nigel was at Box Cricket Club when I started my association with the club. For the first few years that i played, Nigel was the umpire. A couple of mishaps spring to mind, both at square leg. He was famous for his shooting stick and when a ferocious pull shot came his way, he managed to get his legs out of the way, but the ball hit the stick on the full and knocked it out from under him.
On another occasion, he didn't get his leg out of the way and ended up with a cricket ball sized lump on his shin.
In the days before counters, balls were counted using stones or coins. I'm sure a few people will mention the game where Richard Bryant declared that Nigel had dropped one of his stones, only for us all to look round and see an obelisk that would not look out of place at Stonehenge!
Another thing Nigel was known for was his pipe. Our tours to Worthing always included a trip to his favourite tobacco shop. For days afterwards, different exotic smells would emanate from his car. We also used to visit Nigel's daughter in the Worthing area for an annual lunch.
I played in the second team game when Nigel played at a ripe old age and I've never seen anyone, but Jim Drury leg spin a ball so far. He also faced a couple of balls that both hit the middle, he must have been some player in his prime.
In his later years, after Joan passed away, Jagger and i used to go visit him and we spent some great time with him discussing cricket. He was a lovely man and sadly missed.

From Alan Joy (recalling the Shooting stick incident slightly differently)
I gave him a shooting stick to sit on at square leg when umpiring. It was a windy day and the wind got under his long umpiring coat. We saw him moving his arms like a windmill trying to keep upright. He failed and collapsed in a heap much to everyone’s amusement

From Tony Trotman
We were playing a midweek touring game around 1990, the weather was glorious, Nigel often used to umpire without a t-shirt !
After an hour or so the weather changed, and we had small down pour but not enough to leave the field. However, the ball was getting wet so someone said "can someone find a cloth"...Alan Joy was closest to the pavilion and grabbed a 'white cloth'...we played on for a while drying the ball with the 'white cloth'
The weather improved and the 'white cloth' was returned to the pavilion...when we went in for tea Nigel said, "has anyone seen my t-shirt?" Someone held up the 'white cloth' and it turned out to be Nigel's t-shirt! It was now wet and covered in the dye from the ball! It looked like someone had tie-dyed it !
Nigel took it in good heart !
The baffling bit was if anyone didn't wear a shirt anywhere near the pavilion Mrs Bence would kick up a right fuss as Gerald, Bertie and few others would verify so not quite sure how Nigel ever got away with it !

One of Nigel's memorable stories was when he played at Grittleton (I think) he claimed the ball was bowled, went under the moss and bowled him !!

My favourite line that Nigel uttered was when we were on tour in Blackpool and Dave Kelly and myself were given a small double bed to share in the hotel as we were last to arrive! Nigel passed our room as we discussed the small bed, I said to him. "would you sleep in that bed with another bloke?" To which he replied. "I wouldn't sleep in that with my wife!"

Nigel was a massive part of Box cc for decades. He was a top man and always gave people a chance.

From our Chairman Gerald Hayward
Nigel and his wife Joan were long serving members of Box CC. Nigel held most if not all positions in the club over his 60 plus years association with the club.
He was Box CC through and through and Joan was long serving tea lady.
Nigel was the very definition of a clubman.
I only saw Nigel bat when he was well into retirement age, but he was a magnificent wristy batsman and scored many runs for the club in his prime.
I saw Nigel bowl wicked leg breaks and he had a unique underarm whip of a throw when in the field.
He was groundsman for some time tending to the Box wicket for many hours and I would quite often hear the sound of the roller in the early morning where Nigel was out on the square rolling in the morning dew.
As mentioned, I was too young to play with or see Nigel play in his prime, but I was fortunate to be playing when he was umpire for the team. I missed Nigel greatly when he had to retire from officiating as my tally of LBWs gained when bowling reduced significantly!!
When I was very young Nigel gave me a very old Gray Nicholls bat which looked archaic and like it should be in a museum but what a middle! I used it in youth games and a couple of times heard the opposition sniggering at me coming into bat with it!!....they soon shut up when they saw the ball dispatched to all parts!!....(a bit of poetic licence there, I’m sure I hit one boundary with it!!)
Nigel used to organise cricket tours for the club in Sussex and many enjoyable tours were had. There is a story of when we were playing at Henfield I think, when Nigel was umpiring at square leg perched upon his shooting stick as he did, when the batsman pulled a powerful shot to square leg which hit Nigel clean off his shooting stick! We rushed over to see if he was ok, to which he just answered “I should have caught it” as he continued to puff on his pipe!
Joan was a lovely lady and a great character and served the teas for many years. She had high standards and expected such and I remember one scorching day where we had been in the field and I was a bit hot, and I entered the tearoom shirtless. I was promptly told off by Joan and to get out of the tearoom as “it’s disgusting to come in without a shirt on”, I was allowed back in once I was properly attired, she then served me my tea with a wry smile.
Nigel was a keen horse racing follower and when he lived in Vine Court next to where I lived and in the days before online betting, he had a hotline to his bookie. This came in very handy for me as I would take advantage of this and stroll over to see Nigel and he would put bets on my fancied horses for me! He had a bit more success than me it must be said!!
Nigel and Joan have both been gone a while now but us longer serving members of the club who knew them, appreciate just how lucky Box CC was to have had them as stalwart members.

Next time, we finish off our year long Player/Member profiles feature with a final word from our Chairman Gerald Hayward. Gerald was the first to feature way back in Week 1 with his profile. We’re hoping he might beef it up a bit for us to ‘re-publish’