Daily Mail, Tuesday, August 27, 2019 Page 7
IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN
Pictured with his school cricket team, our Ashes star Stokes
Reports: Pages 2-3 and 6-LAND OF HEAT
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By Arthur Martin
Exc NI. 18+. Multiple newspaper purchase required. Terms apply. PAGE 33
Royal Treasure Hunt
,000!
O Britain basks in the hottest August Bank Holiday EVER
O Cricket heroes pull off greatest Ashes comeback EVER
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Headingley yesterday
Picture : IAN HODGSON
teammates in Year 11 at Cock-
ermouth School, Cumbria in 2007.
Front and centre is their coach
Chris Hayes, now 56, who said of
the side: ‘They will always be the
team that was my best ever.
‘We were able to compete at the
top table against all the private
schools on an even footing.’
Ben had arrived as a 12-year-
old from New Zealand after his
father Gerard took up a coaching
role at Workington Town Rugby
League Club. His sporting prow-
ess soon stood out to parents of
his fellow pupils.
John Barnes, whose son Greg
can also be seen in the team pic-
ture, said Stokes was ‘head and
shoulders above the rest’. His wife
Christine joked: ‘You had to be
careful where you parked your car
if you went to a match when Ben
was batting – he used to hit a lot of
fours and sixes even then.’
Murray Spiers, father of Stokes’
school teammate Stuart, added:
‘Ben was a nice lad – although I do
remember him eating us out of
house and home in biscuits.’
Mr Hayes, who has now retired
from the school after 27 years,
said Stokes’ ability to ‘concen-
trate with that bat in hand is
unbelievable’, adding: ‘He showed
that on many occasions with us...
he was a naturally able sports-
man, physically very able and
highly co-ordinated.’
The married father of two said
he has ‘really happy memories’ of
Stokes’ side and a ‘golden period’
for the school.
‘To begin with we had two very
good cricketers in Greg Platten
and captain Hugh Gimber.
‘There was usually one county-
level cricketer each year so to have
two was special; then Ben joined
in Year 8, so we had three, which
was exceptional.’
He said the team’s biggest
achievement came after winning
the Lord’s Taverners under-14s
competition in Cumbria, then
entering at national under-15s
level. ‘We reached the semi-final
where we played Shrewsbury
School, who are a top private
school and had won the competi-
tion the year before.
‘We lost, but if we had played
to take the ball on.’ Thankfully for
cricket fans, he chose the smaller,
rounder ball, honing his skills at
Cockermouth Cricket Club.
Former coach John Gibson
recalled being astounded by his
talent. ‘He could hit the ball
harder than anyone we had before
- the most talented cricketer I
ever coached,’ he said.
Mr Gibson put Ben’s future suc-
cess down to his dedication, add-
ing: ‘If he had had a tent he would
have slept under the covers.’
Club president Raymond Den-
holm, 83, also recalled his determi-
nation. ‘Ben was a rascal but dedi-
cated. He was first one here and I
had to chase him away at nine
o’clock at night,’ he said.
Geoff Minshaw, club secretary
and scorer, recalled the year
Stokes helped the first team win
the North Lancashire League as a
15-year-old.
‘He played two particularly bril-
liant games that year,’ he said.
‘Against our rivals Workington he
got a maiden 50 not out by hit-
ting their top spinner over the
head for a six. In another game he
got five wickets.’ The teenager
was then ‘whisked off ’ by Durham
County Cricket club after playing
for Cumbria Juniors against their
academy side. ‘That was the last
season we saw Stokes play for us,’
said Mr Minshaw.
‘We thought he was going to be
a county cricketer, at least, but
didn’t expect him to turn into the
superstar he is. For us to have
played a small part in his develop-
ment is absolutely tremendous for
the club and region.’
Last month, Stokes returned to
Cockermouth Cricket Club to
receive honorary life membership.
Accepting the award, Stokes –
who presented his old club with
a shirt signed by England’s World
Cup winners – said: ‘Wherever I
go I don’t forget this is where I
grew up and learned the game.’ENGLAND cricket supporters
are getting used to Ben Stokes’
batting heroics.
The flame-haired superstar hit a
sensational 135 to beat Australia on
Sunday, levelling the Ashes with two
tests remaining.
It came little more than a month after his
pivotal role in beating New Zealand in the
World Cup Final.
The 28-year-old’s performances have
stunned the world of sport – but those
who saw him play as a teenager are rather
less surprised.
The picture above shows Stokes withBack row, from left:
MARK GRISEDALE: Right-handed batsman
and medium pace bowler. Killed in car crash,
aged 18.
MARC STEPHENS: Opening bowler and
batsman, now living in Australia.
DOMINIC BRADLEY: Position unknown,
now a HR business partner at Sellafield.
MARK HOLMES: Batsman, now analyst at
Sellafield nuclear plant.
HUGH GIMBER (CAPTAIN): Wicket
keeper, now global market strategist at JP
Morgan.
GREG PLATTEN: Batsman and medium
pace/leg spin bowler, now finance worker.
CONOR TINNION: Batsman and quickbowler, now captain of semi-professional
football side Workington.
BEN STOKES (CIRCLED): Opening bats-
man, now international all-rounder.
Front row, from left:
GREG BARNES: Middle-order batsman and
off-spin bowler, now physiotherapist at Col-
chester FC.
HUMAYOON ZAHEEN: Middle-order bats-
man and bowler, now works in medicine.
CHRIS HAYES: Teacher who retired from
Cockermouth School after 7 years.
MATTHEW JONES: Fast bowler. Job
unknown.
STUART SPIERS: Right-handed batsman,
now an accountant.MIRACLE OF THE ASHES
PAGES
REDEMPTION OF A HERO 8-Yesterday’s Daily MailBy Richard Marsden, Alex Ward,
Izzy Ferris and George Odling‘Ate us out of house
and home in biscuits’The Year 11 XI: Where are they now?
them ten times, we would have won
five. We were a very good team.’
Stokes is also remembered for
his prowess at rugby union, with
Norman Pitts, the 80-year-old
chairman of Cockermouth Rugby
Club, believing he could have had
a future in the game. He said: ‘He
scored some good tries. He liked