“It’s a labour of love watching Sussex” declares Harold, the fictional sergeant looking after the wounded Hedley Verity.
It’s a line that gets a knowing laugh from the audience, many of whom have been watching Sussex struggling against their northern opponents.
But this drama illustrates how nothing is new.
The play is set in an Italian army hospital where great spinner Verity is dying of his wounds, recalling the last match before the declaration of war.
The highlight of the game was Verity’s seven wickets for nine runs; inspiring bowling but routine for a bowler who still holds the record for best performance in an innings.
The story of that game is poignantly told by Al Barclay’s Verity and Dan Abelson’s Harold, touching not just on cricket and the war, but also the social upheaval that would follow the conflict.
These reminisces are interspersed with action cricket shots – courtesy of some enthusiastic Bradford cricketers.
The only cavil is that it’s too short: Verity was not just a great player but was involved in the famous bodyline tour of Australia as well as being a member of the Yorkshire team that dominated county cricket.
It’s an interesting piece but would be even better if it had been longer.
Three stars
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