By Greg Stevens

I met Mike through my friendship with Ken Angelo when in the 1965/6 season Ken persuaded Mike to turn out for our Sunday soccer team, Cedar Rangers. As soccer was not his preferred winter sport I have no doubt Mike had been the victim of Ken’s unashamedly persuasive plea technique, (“Broken your foot? You can still hop, though, can’t you? Tell you what we’ll play you where you’ve only got to head it”).

Mike had been a pupil at Aske’s Grammar School with whom he maintained an association throughout his life, at various times serving on the committees of both the Old Boys’ Rugby and Cricket sections. The fact that Mike, with his body battered and bruised from Saturday’s Rugby encounter, would turn up on Sunday morning to help out a pal was typical of his spirit and his commitment to his friends. By his own admission he was not good at football; only 5 foot 4 inches he was nevertheless a resolute, rugged right- back and I saw enough to think that I wouldn’t like to be against him on a rugby field.

With the formation of Westhorne Athletic, Mike’s (reluctant) soccer career appeared to end although he often attended matches with his good friend, Dave Golding to watch from the touchline and enjoy a drink afterwards.  Then, when Westhorne started a 3^rd eleven in 1969 Mike was one of the first to respond to an appeal for players. “What was I thinking of?” he often said in later years.

However, the bond that underpinned my relationship with Mike was not soccer but cricket. In the successive summers of 1966, 1967 and 1968 I played mid-week cricket for Greenwich Tax Office for whom I opened the batting with Mike. I like to think it was a successful partnership and I recall an instance when we put on a century stand against Belair C C, both getting a fifty.

At this time Mike was playing his club cricket for Dulwich Rosebery. His father, Frank, had been a wicket-keeper/ batsman for the Rosebery before him and Mike (like all sons of players) had been pressganged into a debut at age thirteen and played regularly from the age of sixteen.

Without question his prime cricket years were spent at Dulwich Rosebery C C but there was still plenty more to come when he joined Grenfell in 1975 on the sad demise of Dulwich Rosebery. If the weight of his runs were history it was at Grenfell that he achieved his highest ever score and his best bowling performance.

Predominantly a batsman, compact in defence and classic in style he could be attractive to watch when at his best. He was only an occasional bowler but more than useful as a slow left arm spinner.

When Mike joined Grenfell he was Assistant Secretary at Leyton Orient F C; the demands of this position heavily impacted on his availability and things did not significantly improve when he changed occupation in 1976 to serve on Great Britain’s Olympic Committee. Sporadic appearances meant he struggled for form although 1979 gave a glimpse of Mike’s true ability.

Oddly, the Olympic Year 1980 (presumably by when his work was done) saw a regular availability and his best season to date with 247 runs (av. 20.58) and 9 wickets (50.2 Overs, av. 24.00).

His good form continued through 1981, 1982 and 1983 despite a second term appointment on the GB Olympic Games Team Management restricting his appearances. 1983 saw his highest place in the batting averages when he finished fourth with 137 runs (av. 19.44). He also was making progress as a spin bowler, his 15 wickets (av. 17.73) included his first five wicket analysis (and career best thus far) with 6 -63 v Bromley NALGO on 7 July.

He managed only three games in 1984 before his Olympic Games involvement curtailed his season but even although he could not play the Club felt his influence as Hector Mullens explained in his (1985) article Our Fiftieth Anniversary (embracing the years 1975-1984) in paying  tribute to Mike Blake.“Since taking over as Fixture Secretary in 1982 to allow Greg to take the captaincy he has worked tirelessly. The loss of our “home” facilities at Delta Metal’s sports ground and the advent of league cricket decimated our established fixture list and it has not been easy to reconstruct, especially as wanderers. No doubt his experience as a professional administrator stands him in good stead but he is equally committed to the amateur game simultaneously serving his old school, Old Askeians and recently joining our Ron Stevens and Len Johnson on the A.K.C.C.  Committee. Despite this workload he has been instrumental in finding us new ground facilities at National Dock Labour Board in Sidcup after two years wandering. He is ambitious for us. One of his first initiatives was to replace winter nets by entering us in the Indoor Cricket League and he currently presses us to join the Metropolitan League. He believes that induction into League cricket is irresistible for the future despite our own reservations that we are an aging and declining side that needs refreshing before we can contemplate such a move. In Mike’s view recruitment will be impossible unless we have league recognition.”

While Hector was extolling Mike’s administrative contribution Mike was playing some of the best cricket of his career. His Olympic involvement concluded, Mike was able to commit to a full season; consequently 1985 saw him accumulate his most runs in a season, 346 (av.13.84) and most wickets in a season, 43 (av.18.18). This remarkable season also saw him achieve his best ever score 101 not out v Nat West Bank C C in the opening match of the season. He was the oldest Grenfell player at 43 years 8 months to achieve every batsman’s aspiration. He was also the first to reach the landmark for Grenfell without having scored a fifty. His obvious delight was shared by all his team mates that evening and made for a perfect start  to the the season socially. With Joe Sitch retiring during the season, Mike became the go to spinner in many games bowling 188 overs in total and taking 7 – 41 v Coney Hall on 10 August , his best ever performance as a bowler. He also finished the season with 5-32 v Basildon on 29 September. He was also among the leading fielders with 9 catches.

Under Mike’s counsel we entered the Metropolitan League for 1986 with mixed reactions. Mike himself among those who considered themselves too old for, and not expecting selection for, League matches. Surprise then that Mike was chosen and, by and large, bowled a full allocation of 10 overs in the League games  –  although wickets were at a premium. Less in demand for his batting, his technique did not lend itself to lower order batting and he was not at his best in the late order. Nevertheless he had another decent season. 246 runs (av. 10.25), 21 wickets (av. 36.90 ) and 8 catches.

By 1988 Mike absolved himself from League matches and he took the opportunity to step up his involvement with Old Aske’s for whom he had been secretary for some years. He was however persuaded for another season when, in 1989, Grenfell recalled all its veterans in an attempt to create a League second eleven. Most enjoyed successes that they thought were past, Mike no exception as he just missed out on a fifty when he scored 44 against Sidcup. After just one game in 1990 the second eleven experiment failed and Mike finally hung up his boots.

Among Mike’s attributes was a very dry sense of humour. Not given to sledging he was, however, renowned for his put downs and some have survived. Before they become apocryphal, let me repeat a couple of examples.

At Erith, Mike having got part bat on a wide off- side delivery sliced it past gully field for a boundary four, the displeased bowler ran through to Mike at the crease,

“Is that your best shot?” he demanded.

Mike, as calm as ever, “No,” shaking his head, “That was all it needed. It wasn’t worth my best shot.”

On another occasion against Crayford, Mike was having a bit of a torrid time against an onslaught of short pitched bowling. Mike was leaving it alone much to the bowler’s frustration, who, in exasperation, finally accused Mike with,

“You haven’t got many shots, have you, mate?”  To which Mike responded with

“That’s just because you haven’t got many deliveries.”

My own favourite though involved Mike helping me out as an umpire. Our fiftieth anniversary tour was blighted by bad weather. In an endeavour to provide us with some cricket our opponents in one of the fixtures agreed to play a shortened game of 20 overs a side commencing after an early tea.  We batted second and seemed to be heading for a comfortable victory when we were slowed by the home team bowlers adopting a negative leg-side line. Mike was batting and the tactic clearly infuriated him as both batsman found difficulty in scoring, Mike especially so as his strength was always his off-side. It came to the last over and after some runs squeezed off the first two deliveries we were left with one to win off four balls. Two hit Mike on his pads going down leg side. The next Mike moved across his stumps and waved at a ball that passed a foot or so outside leg stump. Wide enough for me to call a wide. It wasn’t particularly controversial but not as satisfactory as hitting the winning run. As I pulled stumps the bowler was trying to tell me that it wasn’t as wide as some that I hadn’t called. Mike who had to pass by me (my back was to pavilion) stopped to intervene on my behalf.

“Which stump do you think it was it hitting?” Mike asked.

“Well, it wasn’t hitting any”

“It was missing the wicket, then?”

“Yes, “agreed the bowler

“So,” Mike began deliberately and the expression on the bowler’s face became priceless as he suddenly anticipated where Mike’s sentence was going, as with slow enunciation he finished, “it….was….    wide”!

As Hector alluded in his article, Mike gave generously of his time to those organisations with which he was concerned. That he never seemed to have spread himself too thinly is a compliment to how seriously he took and assiduously undertook all his assignments.   Well educated, well informed and erudite Mike led an interesting life. At one time Assistant Secretary at Leyton Orient, he then served eight years on the Great Britain Olympic Team Management. The Olympic years encompassed the Moscow (1980) and Los Angeles (1984) Games where both were shrouded in controversy; the Americans leading a boycott of the Moscow games and then the Russians boycotting Los Angeles.  The political shenanigans were outside Mike’s role but nevertheless made for a difficult and demanding time. After the Olympics he returned to sports journalism and broadcasting and embarked on long harboured project to write the biography of Charlton Athletic’s  legendary goalkeeper, Sam Bartram working closely with Sam’s daughter. Published in 2006 it was successful enough to go to reprint in a revised edition and is now available on Kindle. He followed this up with another publication, Great British Olympians which has been equally well received by reviewers.

Another venture commenced around 1986 when he went into partnership with Bruce Birchall our erstwhile compatriot from Old Brockleians forming Sports Tours UK.com arranging tours to the UK for both adult and juvenile sports clubs. Which side of the ether this alliance was forged is uncertain but has continued to this day.

Two stories of Mike have recently emerged.

Jim Waddell recalls, “A lovely chap. We once shared a train journey down to Devon for one of our tours. I think Mike bought every Sunday paper for the journey.!  Fond memories!”

Andy Littlechild has this story about Mike. “We once found ourselves on the same quiz team at a Grenfell event. We were doing OK but not setting the world alight. The next round was on trophies where the quizmaster named the trophy , we had to name the sport. One trophy was called the Gordon Bennett Cup. Like a shot , Mike answered without hesitation “that’s easy ….ballooning” . He was right. For those of you that knew him, the fact he knew this wouldn’t surprise you at all, that was the nature of the man”

If his livelihood depended on professional sport he also cared passionately about the recreational game.

GRENFELL CAREER RECORD

Year	Mts	Ins	NO	Runs	HS	Av’ge			CT	Ovrs	Mdn	Runs	Wkt	Av’ge
1975	7	7	0	39	19	5.57			3	4	0	21	0
1976	14	13	2	117	22*	10.63			5	11	1	47	2
1977	13	10	1	98	38	10.88			3	10	1	81	2
1978	11	10	0	88	32	8.80			4	7	2	17	4
1979	8	8	1	138	36	19.71			1	23.3	2	76	8	9.50
1980	14	14	2	247	40*	20.58			3	50.2	5	216	9	24.00
1981	12	12	2	164	47*	16.40			1	33	5	141	8	17.63
1982	14	12	2	118	23	11.80			7	26.2	2	147	9	17.70
1983	15	11	4	137	37*	19.57			2	62	5	266	15	17.73	1
1984	3	2	0	51	36					3	0	11	0
1985	30	29	4	346	101*	13.84	1		9	188	15	782	43	18.18	2
1986	30	27	3	246	41	10.25			8	168	13	775	21	36.90
1987	22	20	4	98	15	6.12			7	101.1	5	423	15	28.20
1988	3	1	1	15	15*
1989	9	8	0	112	44	14.00			2	35	1	149	6	24.83
1990	1	1	0	12	12					6	1	20	0
	206	185	26	2026	101*	12.74	1		55	828.2	57	3172	142	22.47	3

STANDS OVER FIFTY

3       117*      J.Duffell  90*      &  M.Blake  37*                 Raglan                                   12-Jun-1983

3       114*      M.Blake  101*    &  J.Connell  60*               Nat West Bank                  4-May-1985

2       86           M.Blake  35         &  J.Connell  49                  Southfleet                          15-Jun-1985

1       85           J.Duffell    31       &  M.Blake  101*              Nat West Bank                  4-May-1985

2       77           J.Heinson  100*&  M.Blake  21                   Old Colfeians                     17-Jun-1979

3       77           M.Blake  36         &  A.Haylock  64*             Kemnal Manor                  23-Jul-1979

4       69           J.Duffell   69*     &  M.Blake  38                   Suburbagas                        29-May-1977

3       60           G.Stevens  36    &  M.Blake  47*                 Cobham                               26-Jul-1981

4       59           M.Blake  47         &  M.Mullens  26              Phoenix                               2-Sep-1981

1       59           J.Duffell   24        &  M.Blake  36                   A.E.I.                                     10-Jun-1984

6       58           M.Blake  30         &  I.Walker  33*                Old Colfeians                     1-Jun-1986

3       56           M.Blake  36         &  P.Blake  26                     Bromley NALGO               10-Aug-1980

3       52           J.Connell  57       &  M.Blake  14*                 Coney Hall                           10-Aug-1985

2       51*         J.Heinson  35*   &  M.Blake   22*                Wellcome                            0/0/82

3       51           M.Blake  19         &  P.Blake  28                     I.N.O.                                   10-Aug-1975

4       51           M.Blake  20         &  A.Thomas  34                West Kent Wndrs            1-Aug-1976

3       51           J.Heinson  48      &  M.Blake  21*                 Locksbottom                      23-Sep-1979

3       50           M.Blake  40         &  P.Blake  12                     Leybourne                          1-Jun-1980

4       50           G.Stevens   27   &  M.Blake  14                   Met.Police                          16-Aug-1981