Thank god it's Friday ... ON THE ROAD AGAIN with David 'Bumble' Lloyd

ON THE ROAD AGAIN with David 'Bumble' Lloyd. BackPageLead, October, 2013

So, here we are people - it’s that time of the week again - ‘Thank god it’s Friday’.

A car-trip to Swansea; Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac; some Lancashire cricket; Philip ‘Daffy’ DeFreitas, Australian coach Andrew ‘Ronnie’ McDonald; and a legend of the *Lancashire hinterland - David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd. *Credit: Neville Cardus

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August 8, 2022 - somewhere in Geelong.

The local bakery was playing ‘Gypsy’ - my dilemma was wholemeal or multigrain, immediately David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd came to mind, via Stevie Nicks. “Sir, can I help you.” the lady asked. “Sorry” I mumbled, “Do you know the way to Swansea” - She was rightly flummoxed. I repeated “Sorry, I was miles away.” Literally, miles away!

Bumble - in reverse order - has been a peerless T.V. cricket commentator; prior to that he dipped his toes into the murky waters of cricket umpiring. Then there was a lengthy, and distinguished, coaching and playing career, with Lancashire CCC and England. Also, through all of it, he has been an untouchable raconteur, who left no room without a smile. A true all-rounder, Bumble has done it all.

While being in the UK recently, I was thinking of Bumble.  This after reading, and listening to commentary on the post-Brexit landscape.  The demographic evidence on for, or against was amazing, and the debate continues in the hostelries of northern England.  There is no doubt, in my mind, Bumble would have been pro-Brexit.  He is a true republican at heart.  Anyway, enough of that …

It’s hard not to laugh.

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN …

October 24, 2013 for BackPageLead

The decision to start and finish a domestic one day competition in a month is a difficult determination to follow. Further, to divert all roads to Sydney is another call that requires some rumination.

Cricket Australia decided that suburban Sydney cricket grounds would be home to the 2013 Ryobi Cup. Interstate players have flown into Mascot from all points; North, South and West. Reassuringly, the hometown “Blue Cappers” have been afforded the luxury of familiar wickets, home cooking, and zero air travel.

Travel is a significant aspect of life for a professional cricketer, with hours spent in cars, coaches, planes and airport lounges.

When I was playing, in the 1980s and 90s, transportation to county cricket games was less than appealing. The predominant mode of transport, motorcars, were yet to bequeath the luxuries of modern technology; satellite navigation systems, iPod docks, wireless music and mobile phone capability were all commercial ideas still in the ether.

My first experience of life on the road was unforgettable.

Lancashire’s 2nd XI were due to play Glamorgan at Swansea. I was summoned from school in Manchester to play due to an injury to a teammate. This was cause for celebration on two fronts: firstly, four days away from the books was a godsend, secondly, the chance to play with the big boys on an away trip was cricket nirvana for a 15-year-old.

After congregating in the car park at Old Trafford, it was decided that I would travel with the captain/coach – David “Bumble” Lloyd. More nervous than a choirboy at his first recital, I greeted Bumble with a firm handshake, before taking my place in the co-pilot’s seat.

Manchester to Swansea is no easy route to navigate, especially when the extent of my travel at that point was a trip to the fish and chip shop for Friday night supper!

Bumble’s assured confidence in my map reading capability was overstated, resulting in a calamitous journey that took all afternoon and most of the evening. I did, however, become acutely familiar with Fleetwood Mac, and the voice of Stevie Nicks!

In-flight entertainment was delivered via a tape machine back then. Bumble, as has been his wont forever, travelled light – and his music collection was no exception – it was Stevie Nicks or silence!

At Lancashire, without doubt the king of the jukebox was Philip DeFreitas. Partnering Daffy on an away trip was gold. For one he always had the best car, secondly his tape library was second to none, and thirdly you always got to the hotel first – his penchant for speed and aversion to following road rules was legendary.

I was swapping stories of British motorway travel recently with Andrew McDonald, previously a Victorian Bushranger, now a South Australian Redback. “Ronnie” has experienced cricket travel in many environments; domestically, internationally as an Australian player, in India as an IPL practitioner, and also traversing the congested motorway network in the UK – while playing for Leicestershire. He regards his experiences in the UK as the most rewarding.

He found the few hours in a car with a select few teammates the perfect window to talk cricket and formulate plans for the next game. Ronnie had his preferred co-pilots (normally a senior player who didn’t mind driving) and was happy to listen to the opinionated and educated McDonald cricket mind.

Also, when required, he would have invited one of the junior pros in, to take the opportunity to run a “kangaroo court” of sorts, if required. Alternatively, if congratulation was in order, then maybe a can of something cold and amber would be shared.

With the Ryobi Cup nearing conclusion, all states and players will be looking forward to normal travel schedules, and low and behold, the NSW Blues will have to dust off their suitcases and work out how to get to Mascot.

And of course with it being an Ashes summer, Australia will be looking forward to welcoming Bumble and his new iPod, no doubt chocker block full of Fleetwood Mac!

Start the car!

Have a great weekend, and as always, thank you for being here.

PS. Please let me know your favourite Bumble story in the comments below, I will get back to you with a few not readily known. BTW - Bumble now lives in North Yorkshire, Neville Cardus would be missing a beat, still, he is without internet there, so we can say what we want!