‘This could be the start……an article by Museum Trustee Colin Trim,
…of something big’’ was a hit song of the 50’s, and t it was in that decade on Saturday 22nd August 1953 that my father, Harry Trim, took me for my baptism into watching first-class cricket at the County Ground. The Australians were coming to Taunton after losing the Fifth Test (and the Ashes) to England by 1 wicket.
It was a glorious late August day as this excited 7-year-old settled down on the grass in front of what is now the Ondaatje Pavilion to be treated to what one Australian newspaper described as “an orgy of runs as the Australians slaughtered a poor Somerset attack”.
486 runs were scored in 315 minutes with captain Lindsay Hassett stroking 148 with some sumptuous cover driving, and Alan Davidson hitting an unbeaten 104 not out in just over two hours. I was then privileged to see Ray Lindwall, one of the greatest Australian fast bowlers, capture two Somerset wickets before stumps. A rest day on the Sunday and my father’s work commitments on the final two days conspired to prevent me from watching Roy Smith, a teaching colleague at Huish’s Grammar School 18 years later, defy Lindwall, Davidson, Benaud et al for an unbeaten 77 after Peter Wight had fallen for a duck on his debut for the County.
The slight Trinidadian, who would go on to score nearly 17,000 runs for Somerset, responded however with a maiden century as Somerset followed on to draw the match on Day 3.
Only one day out of three! How I would love to have witnessed the events of the Monday and Tuesday, but that August Saturday in 1953 indeed marked the start of something big in my life – 72 summers following and watching Somerset CCC on both good and bad days in the quest for that elusive County Championship!
Colin Trim
May 2025