Sunday Service with Church and Vickers
The weekly cricket podcast that shines a light on the many roles on offer in the world of cricket. Join Mark Church and Hector Vickers every Sunday at 11 am to hear them interview a new guest each episode, from various cricketing professions. Find out exactly what each job entails, how it is developing, and how best to get into it.
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Sunday Service with Church and Vickers
Episode 28 - Cameron Steel on his retirement
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Welcome back to the Sunday Service with Church and Vickers - we hope you’ve all had a peaceful cricketing week.
This week, Mark is alone in the parish.
His guest this week was born in California, but grew up in Western Australia, before making his professional debut back in 2014. Twelve years later, he has had to call time on his playing career due to an ankle injury - which he had first damaged in 2024.
He finishes his career with over 2,000 first-class runs and 60 first-class wickets, with a further 800+ runs and 57 wickets in white-ball cricket.
He was also a vital member of the Surrey side that won a hat-trick of County Championship titles.
Cameron Steel joins the show to discuss his brilliant career, and the decision to step away from the game at 30-years-old.
Also on the episode, Church continues the new, hard-hitting, segment; "What cricket sound is this?" - and also delivers a sermon about the Parish cake-sale while Mr Vickers is away.
A huge thank you to Cam Steel for such an amazing discussion around what must've been an incredibly difficult decision. We look forward to hearing him in the commentary box, sat alongside our very own Church.
Another big thank you goes to our friends at Newbery Cricket, who are offering up their award-winning SPS bat for this month's competition giveaway. You can read all about it via the following link: https://www.wisden.com/cricket-features/the-bat-test-2026
You can also check out the premium equipment that Newbery has to offer here: https://newbery.co.uk/
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Make sure to get in touch, we want to hear your cricketing thoughts and guest suggestions:
Email us at: sundayservice.pod@yahoo.com
‘X’ - sundayservice22
Hello everyone, and thank you for joining us again on the Sunday service with Church and Vicars. I hope you've all had a good cricketing week, are enjoying the sun if it's still shining, and your cricket watching and playing has been hugely successful. Now it's a slightly different pod this week because young Hector is away working hard in Mauritius, so much like the old Seamer in the side, I'm going to have to bowl some extra rovers this week. So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Sunday service with Church and Vickers. We are back. Well I am, and yet again it has been an extremely busy week. Young Hector did his packing, jumped on his plane, and as we speak, he is no doubt reporting on the 18th hole of what is probably a horrible, horrible, horrible golf course in the rain in Mauritius. I'm at the Keir Oval on the third day of Surrey against Sussex and spent much of this week preparing stats, ruminating and hoping some wickets might fall in the first division. Runs, runs, runs, and more runs. At least it gives the England selectors, not quite sure who they are, some options. So, on today's episode, my cricketing sermon is all about cricketing superstitions. We have another What Cricket Sound is this? And this week is splendid, and dare I say it, award-winning. My guest is Cameron Steele, who sadly announced his retirement at the start of the week from the game due to injury. Cam will be looking back and looking forward with me. And thanks to our friends at Newbury Cricket, we have our competition where you can win one of their magnificent SBS cricket bats. And it is a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful piece of willow. And don't forget you can get in touch with us, just email sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or tweet at Sundayservice22. So lots to get through, so let's get cracking with the Sunday service.
SPEAKER_01This is Cameron Steele, and you are listening to the Sunday service with church and vicars.
SPEAKER_03Good morning, I trust your cricketing week was like the last round of Division I in the County Championship, where you filled your boots with runs and couldn't take your boots off at the end of the day's play because your feet were so swollen after toiling away for hours trying to take a wicket or two. It has been a busy and momentous week in the parish. I returned from South Londonshire on Monday evening and fell into the holy bed at Boycott Vicarage and slept the sleep of any of those fast bowlers in the last round of matches in the first division of the County Championship because, much like them, I was exhausted. Tuesday was spent tidying Boycott Vicarage, doing some paperwork. By that I mean origami, which I have just started classes in. I can now fold an A4 sheet of paper into a working model of Brian Laura playing a cover drive, and I made my parish visit. I also had to help young Mr. Vickers with his packing for his overseas cricketing and chorister exchange visit this week. He was extremely excited, which was understandable, but I had to get him focused because Tuesday afternoon was all about preparations for the Women's Institute cake sale taking place in the village hall on Wednesday. Trestle tables were put out, bunting was laid, and Mr. Vickers and I retired to the Badgers Googly for a well-earned pint of the local brew and Trevor the Landlord's monthly pub quiz. Now, Trevor takes great pride in his quiz questions, but they do seem to have a theme to them, namely his love of the 1980s Buddy Buddy American Motorcycle Cop series Chips and former BBC weather forecaster Carol Kirkwood. Anyway, young Mr Vickers and I didn't win the quiz prize of a box of knobbies nuts, but the Avenging Angels, the team for Mrs. Bartholomew, Mrs. Watts and Mrs. Jackson took home first prize when they answered correctly. Trevor's tie-breaking question What was Carol's score for her cha-cha-cha in the first round of Strictly Come Dancing in 2016? The answer, if you're at all interested, was 16. Anyway, Wednesday dawned bright and early, and the cake started arriving in the village hall. It was a triumph as myself and young Mr. Vickers, who were privileged to judge the competition, worked our way through slice after slice after slice of the entrance magnificent bakes. I must admit we had to take a break at 1 o'clock for an emergency trip back to Boycott Vicarage for an industrial-sized box of Rennies, but by 3 o'clock we were sat happily in separate cubicles of the village hall toilets, totting up the scores. I'm delighted to announce that Mrs. McGuigan's lemon drizzle with a gin infusion won first prize and it was a marvellous day, and much needed funds were raised for the Women's Institute hot tub that they want to have installed in the Village Hall. Thursday I took young Mr. Vickers to the airport for his flight. I think his cricketing and chorister exchange week will be hugely beneficial, but I must admit I didn't expect him to organise it for Mauritius. Anyway, I made him pack an extra pair of socks just in case the weather was not as warm as expected, and he seemed very happy as he went through departures, clutching a copy of the good book to read on the plane. I spent Thursday afternoon doing cricketing stats for Surryshire against Sussexhire and dashing to the boycott vicarage toilets as the cake sale continued to give me its feedback. Friday, I headed to the Ovalshire, where you find me today as the Shires of Surrey and Sussex continue to do battle. In the absence of young Mr. Vickers, Trevor, landlord of the Badgers Googly, is keeping an eye on the parish for me, but I must admit to having a slight concern the choir might go rogue this morning. Without young Mr Vickers to keep an eye on them, I fear they will finally have the opportunity to perform their reworking of Barry Manilo's Coca Cabana, where music and passion were always the fashion, but they do know it will be a roaring success. Plus, I am slightly concerned that Trevor told me he was taking a suitcase for the weekly collection. So we're in May, and that means we're fully into the season. For the parish 11, it is only a week to go until our opening fixture against Little Winging, and nerves are beginning to take hold in the parish. Next week will be all about tactics, analysis and matchups. The squad have trained very hard, and next Saturday all our cricketing superstitions will be back. It is part of our beloved game. Putting your right pad on first, not moving from your seat if a partnership develops. Asking the opening bowler, the favourite member of the 1980s rock band Kiss before you face your first ball. I think our opening batsman, Mr Sutcliffe, is the only person who has that superstition, but it seems to work for him. Cricketing superstitions are part of every player's and every dressing room's makeup, and I'm sure you have your own. As I say, they are part of the beloved game, and even the best players in the world have them. Zaheer Khan, the Indian left-arm pacer, always had a yellow handkerchief in his pocket when he bowled. Sachin Tendulka always put his left pad on first. And of course, South African batsman Neil Mackenzie famously tried not to tread on any white lines on the pitch, which was quite tricky at the crease, I would have thought, and ensured the toilet seats were all down in the dressing room and all the dressing room lights were turned off before he went out to bat. All part of our wonderful, crazy, beautiful game. Anyway, as always I buttered the left side of my toast this morning and read a message from young Mr. Vickers saying all was well on his exchange and he hadn't needed the extra pair of socks, so we can all relax. May your week be full of pronounced seams and some early movement, much like me on Thursday morning after the WI cake sale. And please, until next week, bat well everybody. Bat very, very well And now it's time for our hard hitting and groundbreaking feature. What cricket sound is this? In a moment you'll hear a sound and all you have to do is tell us what cricket sound is this? Now last week you heard this sound. The question was What cricket sound is this? That was of course action from the Surrey women's side when they played Durham at the Kear Oval. So now time for this week's. And the question is What cricket sound is this? If you think you know the answer, email Sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or tweet at Sundayservice22.
SPEAKER_00Hi, Matt Fisher, Surrey and England.
SPEAKER_03Um, you're listening to the Sunday service with church and vicars. And now it's time for our cricketing guest. On Monday, Cameron still had to announce his retirement from the game due to an ankle injury. A leg spinner and multi-purpose batter, up until Ben McKinney's 244 against Gloucestershire earlier this season, Cameron had been Durham's youngest ever double centurion. The 30-year-old was born in California, he grew up in Western Australia, and he first damaged that left ankle of his significantly back in 2024. He returned to action in May of 2024 only for further complications to arise. A second operation followed last September, and although he's undergone a further six months of rehabilitation, he has been advised on medical grounds to call time on his 11-year playing career. Now Cam started that career at Middlesex before the move to Durham. He also played for Hampshire, but he then signed for Surrey back in 2022 and went on to be part of the hat-trick of championship winning sides. He was a vital member of the Surrey side and finishes his career with over 2,000 first class runs, 60 first class wickets, over 800 runs and 57 wickets in white ball cricket. Well, I caught up with Cam earlier this week, and I started by asking him how hard that decision had been to retire from the game.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, about as tough as it gets, I'd say. Um it all it's been brewing for a while, I suppose, as my as I've tried harder and my ankles just sort of plateaued and not and not really got much better. I it's not that I didn't expect it, but um yeah, it was a it all moved quite quickly last week and um it was a very, very emotional week and the dust is only only sort of settling now. But yeah, blown away by the amount of support I got. I couldn't couldn't believe that that many people knew who I was, let alone um actually wanted to show some support. So now I'm I'm blown away, profoundly grateful, and yeah, end of an emotional week, I'm exhausted now.
SPEAKER_03Do you mind me asking, when when the doctor says to you, listen, it's it's gone back again, you're gonna have to go back and rehab and rehab and rehab. Is it is it a case of sitting there thinking, Yeah, I can do that, but there's no guarantees it's gonna get better. Maybe now is a good time just to say stop, it's gonna be horrific, but then I can move on with the rest of my life.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's funny, I I've had those conversations twice with the two surgeries. Um, and I think each of those times I've been massively optimistic about how it would come. And I suppose the retirement never even crossed my mind with the first two surgeries, and especially with a six-month recovery after the last one in September 2025. I've got to think about years now. Um it I don't know, it just never crossed my mind that it would be the end or that it might not get better. I think when you when you speak to a specialist and you and you have a big procedure done, you always expect that it's gonna get better as maybe it's the naivety of youth, but um unfortunately it's just hit a point where no one really has the answer, and the only answer is it just takes time. And it's taken the best part of 18 months to get better, and yeah, it just got to the point where where getting through a session was nigh on impossible. So it was just it just seemed like the right time and had the conversations with the doctors, physios, and um yeah, retiring on medical grounds. Never thought I'd say that.
SPEAKER_03You say you're surprised by the reaction, I'm not, uh in the slightest. Just this place is special. We're sat sat at the key over. This place is very, very special. And I'd imagine that when you told them the support around you was unbelievable.
SPEAKER_01Incredible. I mean how many I I don't know how many superlatives I could use to to describe the support that I've got from everyone. I mean, uh the first first person I told was the gaffer. Um so I went up to Radlett where he was watching the second team and had a lap with him. I think when I said I was coming to see him at Radlett, he probably knew what was coming. Then tell telling bats was was certainly the hardest. I think it blindsided him a little bit. Just not from a sense of I think he's just the ul he is an ultimate optimist, and um I think in his interview that he did with you, he had so many high hopes for where I could take my my cricket and my bowling in particular. So I th I it was a really tough conversation with him, and I uh we were both almost in tears, or I certainly was. Um So yeah, I th I think because because often people don't see what you go through day to day when you are in the depths of the the rehab purgatory, it's it's quite hard for people to sometimes comprehend why you would come to that decision. Um that's not to say that people don't completely understand, but um but yeah, I I could I couldn't be more appreciative and and grateful of of the support and some of the beautiful messages I've got. I mean I haven't even got to speak to the boys properly yet to say my goodbyes and uh so I actually sent a message to our group to announce it essentially. Um I've picked off a few people one by one, but yeah, I haven't had a full chance to say my prop goodbyes and close that chapter yet, which is I'm really looking forward to. Um and yeah, I'm sure I'll get incredibly emotional. I was I was the reason I sent the message to the group was that I was just basically too emotional to to say it on the day. Um so yeah, maybe that's my weakness, but um we'll we'll get there at some stage. But yeah, I don't know if I've even asked answered the question there.
SPEAKER_03No, you have mate. And and the other thing with that is that will be tough. It will be very, very tough. But with that group, you know, you'll always be part of that group, and always, as Garrett said in the interview, you know, this is your home, so you'll always be coming back. Um okay, my friend, let's go back. Let's go, let's let's go right back. So, where did all this cricket start? Because obviously, born in America, then you moved to Australia. So, what what's your first memories of actually cricket bats, balls, etc.?
SPEAKER_01Um well, yeah, born in America and then moved back to England aged four. Um mum and dad are English, so they had their affiliations with cricket to start with, but not many. Um there is a photo of me with uh American jumper on with the American flag with a cricket bat in my hand, maybe aged about one or two. Um, but I certainly didn't start doing any form of actual cricket until we were living in the UK. Uh and my first memories of cricket actually were at school. I was very fortunate to go to a school where there was chess club and cricket club. And at one point chess club was cancelled, and I was in the chess club. Uh under nine West of England champion, I'll have you know. Hang on, never knew that. Oh there we yeah, we can delve into that, we can delve into that on comms, but um yeah, I I then played my first bit of cricket and and from then on my my best memories or first memories of cricket are playing in the backyard with my dad and my neighbour and my sister. And yeah, from there fell in love with it and and it has has been my my first love until I met my my partner.
SPEAKER_03Good answer. Thank you. Um well done. So when did you move towards what age were you when you went to Australia then?
SPEAKER_01So it was in the US from zero to four. Yeah. The UK from four till twelve, and then to Australia to Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia for high school. Uh I finished high school and had played in WA Troops for my school district cricket and then moved to back to England to pursue a cricket career and university for Durham University, and at that point it was Somerset on trial where I had grown up and then ended up being signed at Middlesex while I was at Durham University.
SPEAKER_03So so just let me go back. So obviously you played from four till twelve here in this country, then you go to Australia. What was the difference? Because I can imagine at that age, I can imagine at that age, you go from sort of let's all let's let's be totally honest about it. Very nice over here, and everybody's very polite and everything, and uh you play a bit of cricket and it's all it's all lovely, and and hit hit Australia, it must have been a different animal, I'd have thought.
SPEAKER_01Boys and men, it's the difference. Um I th I think part of that is because when I went over to Australia, I was moved up a school year simply because of the it was September versus January schooling, so I was the youngest in the year in in Australia. Um but just the physicality of teenage boys and I d don't know how much I'm allowed to say this now, but the just the masculinity of it and just the Australian culture is brash. It's especially in Western Australia, um there's no hiding. And and our coach at school, Mike Hirsch, who I've got so much to thank for, I I certainly wouldn't have been a professional cricketer and followed my dream without him. He he was tough. He was really tough. I remember my first session at school, he had well it was a it was a hit with him, and he told me to close my eyes, lift my arms above my head, and he threw balls at my ribs. And old school. It was old school. Um and if you got out in the net so you played and missed, you'd have to run around the lake, um, a couple of K's in your pads, sometimes about above your head. It was proper old school. Um but toughens you up pretty quickly. Um and and just just the you're playing against boys who are three, four years older than you, you play grade cricket, there's there's no there's they don't hold back with the sledging at any age. It was just complete change from nice posh school cricket here and and underage county stuff. It is completely, completely different. And physicality in the other sports, they take fielding so seriously. Just dune as a junior growing up, I I came into an environment where I was the worst player rather than the best, and yeah, it was the best thing probably ever to happen to my cricket. Even though I went to Australia kicking screaming, really didn't want to leave England. Um but mum and dad, yeah, wanted a new life, and and we got a pretty good one.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. Well uh uh you said that Mike how you follow your dream to become a professional cricketer. When did that happen? When when was it that they it was like, right, that is what I want to do, do you think?
SPEAKER_01Probably I mean, as a kid you always want to be a footballer or a cricketer, or as at least if you're English, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I wanted to open the battle for England when I was about five, I think. Well, there we go.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean I I wanted to play professional cricket or professional football from age nine or ten, but I think I only became serious about it when I was when we moved to Australia, actually, I think I was sort of Got the bit between my teeth. Just before we moved, I had a good season as a 13-year-old. I mean, that's a ridiculous sentence to say out loud, but um I I think moving to Australia I really got the bit between my teeth and had the support of Hershey, and then there was a sp um a spin bowling coach at my school called Ted Wishart who is who is unbelievable, and then ended up just playing grade cricket with my with my club Clem Clermont Edlands, um, who've produced plenty of cricketers and um had the support of Jim Jim Allenby who played Jim Allenby? Yeah, who's played lots of professional cricket over here over 400 games I think and and has coached um some of the finest players in the world actually at the moment. Some of the T20 guys are in the IPL, he still coaches, and yeah, had the support of him and and a number of others, too many, too many to name. But yeah, just thought it was it was at about 13-14 where I knew I could be good enough if I really committed to it, and yeah, and I think from about 15 there was no looking back, that's what I was doing. Um I've always worked hard at academics anyway, um, but yeah, I wanted to be cricket a cricketer or else.
SPEAKER_03And how how was Durham University for you as well? Because I was at Durham and and A, it's a great university, but B, sports-wise, it's terrific as well, and the cricket side of things. And were you under contract when you were at Durham? So so most of most most are aren't they? They but a lot of players that uh or players, students at Durham that go to Durham Uni are already under contract, and you were under contract with Somerset?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I was I played on trial at Somerset that year, um, and I actually ended up signing with Middlesex just before I just before I went to Durham Uni. And that was only because um at the time Somerset wanted me to spend all year round in Taunton and I either wanted to play cricket all year round or do university and cricket, and so that just didn't it didn't work out. It didn't work out, and unfortunately it didn't because I do love Somerset, I love the club, um, and I I've a lot to thank for Jason Kerr as well uh at Somerset, he was my second team coach at that time. Um but I ended up signing with Middlesex because Angus Fraser was a big fan of the MCCU scheme and offered me three years to basically spend most of my time at uni and and come and develop with um in the on the odds on the old summer contracts developing with and how good was that?
SPEAKER_03Because I I remember when I was at Dorothy Uni, so I won't mention names, but there were some what are now big names there under contract, and and the great thing for them was that they went back pre-season, they sometimes went back, and then once studies were done, they were banged straight back into Canterbury.
SPEAKER_01I mean I'm incredibly grateful for Middlesex for that opportunity and and also for the for the contract system at the time. Uh it's something that I wish was still around. I mean it's unbelievable what the what the PCA do for supporting players and with their contracts and everything, but I I I felt at that time I probably wouldn't have had a contract if it wasn't for the summer contract or the development contract scheme. So it was a way of me being a professional cricketer, and and it's certainly helped my development. I mean I was ugh, I was spending uh six months of the year with Graham Fowler and the MCCU boys, and and there's a lot of very hungry university cricketers who are keen to get better, and we had some really good cricketers in our sort of age group, so we was getting to train with and improve with them. We got really, really, really fit um up there.
SPEAKER_03Oh Foxy, Foxy is and sadly it's not happening anymore, but but Foxy was unbelievable in that role.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, word on Foxy. I mean I owe him a great day. He was took me under his wing, a wonderful coach and and a and a wonderful bloke, and yeah, I I try I try to speak to him whenever I go up there, but um haven't been able to get off as much since playing for Thari. But he uh I mean what he taught me and all of us was it's quite a weird I've said this in interviews before, but it's quite a weird piece of advice. He told us to find our limits and it's quite a weird piece of advice for people who are trying to be professional cricketers, but he was he wanted us to see uh where we could take ourselves, where we c how much fun we could have and still show up to work the next day essentially, and and that was actually really good advice for me. Is so I learned very early on that I can't be one of those guys who can really drink and play cricket, unfortunately. Um so yeah, just taught me early on. So he said get your mistakes out of the way, and he was absolutely right. That's a it's a very safe environment at uni, so it's it's a great place to to make your mistakes, to have fun, to make the best friends that you have for life, um, to explore things outside of what you've ever known, learn what you need to do to achieve what you can do, the independence. Um can't think and that would that was him, so I I yeah, I'm forever in his debt.
SPEAKER_03But the thing is, you were then back to Durham. So so how did the move to Durham come about? Because it's a place you'd ever and that really is where it it started when when you went back to Durham.
SPEAKER_01Is it yeah, strange vocalizing this? I don't think I've spoken about it all of it in this much detail ever. Um it's so when I was at Middlesex, I was I was in the twos the entire time. I did quite well with the bat. I was opening the batting and and got a few hundreds, but never at a club like Middlesex at the time they won the championship in 2016. You had it was a bit like Surrey now, where you have to bang the door down in order to get it going. I just never did. Um I also was signed as an all-rounder, but I had the yips with my bowling. So I actually had the yips while I was all the way through university. So I'd I maybe that was a good thing because I worked so much harder on my batting, but yeah, but it wasn't a good thing.
SPEAKER_03Sorry, I no, no, no. And and just to explain to everybody that in a basic way, that is when it's like with a golfer with the yips when they tried to putt, they can't actually get the club through the ball. And for you as well, it was actually just letting go of the ball in many ways, wasn't it?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean my first uh net at Durham Muni was Freshers' Nets, where the guys who are assigned or on the MCC program just have to show up, not really have to do anything, it's more just being there. And I bowled a double bouncer and albeit I was hung over from a very big freshers week, but yeah, I knew something was up. I didn't know, didn't know where my run-up was, I didn't know what foot I took off from, and yeah, it was it was very bad. And then I figured it would probably get better within a few weeks, it didn't, um and then yeah, in the Nets it it eventually got better, but in games it didn't, and it would take a very long time to to get over that. But that is a conversation for another time.
SPEAKER_03No, no, no, but what I'm but but you said it there, so that enabled you, and you didn't want to, but it enabled you to work on your batting, you concentrated on your batting, so you hit Durham.
SPEAKER_01Hit sorry, so yeah, so you hit Durham Uni uh and had my three seasons with Middlesex, and Nick Compton came off an ECB contract at Middlesex, therefore there was no room for a full-time contract for me, or that's the words that I got from Gus Fraser, um, who I also owe a debt to. Okay. And he I then I had done well in the first class games, the old school first-class games between university at Durham University and Durham cricket, I'd always done well against Durham. I scored an 80 and a 60, I think, in a couple of years, and John Lewis, the head coach at the time, and Alan Walker, the assistant coach, had been doing a bit of coaching at Durham Uni when Foxy was having some mental health issues. So they knew who I was, and um when I basically when I was a free agent, as it were, in June or July 2016, uh I gave John a call and he said we'd love to have you trial with us. My first game was actually against Middlesex in the As it would be as it would be in the second level championship final and I got 90 odd and um and batted for a long time and and I was again fortunate enough that Mark Stoneman and Badger Borthwick were coming down to Surrey. So it's all timing and and I yeah, I was very fortunate and they wanted me, they signed me on a development deal, so not a big financial outlay. I'd have taken I'd have taken anything. I I'd still pay to play if um I didn't have some responsibilities. But um yeah, it it all worked out and and I spent a grade season in Australia where I actually had a shoulder operation because I'd bowled so much in the nets trying to get trying to get my bowling back. Um I was bowling something like 20 overs four times a week in the nets, sometimes warming up for two hours before a game. So I had my AC joint shaved down and burstis cleared up as a whatever I was, 19, 20 year old. And then um, yeah, it took the yips out of my shoulder and um yeah, signed for Durham where where I started to flourish.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and that's what I mean. That was where you started to flourish. Oh no, no, that absolutely's a hell of a journey. Um and I was I was saying that so young Mr. McKinney goes and gets that double hundred, but until that point three weeks ago, whenever it was, you you were the youngest ever Durham player to get a double hundred. And uh you I I get the impression that Durham is well just the place, but also that dressing room and the team. It's a real family environment there, and for somebody like you trying to make your career, it it was a perfect place for you at that time.
SPEAKER_01Incredibly enjoyable time. I mean it the stars aligned for me really. Um, and Paul Collingwood was my first captain, and he was a cricket mastermind. He was he was a wonderful play under and he really helped me. Was always keen to talk cricket, always, always keen to help out, and with John Lewis as a coach, they just backed me and and that was I feel all I needed and backed me with my bowling as well. So my bowling improved. I scored that double hundred in 2017 and and was a key key member of the dressing room. I captained a game in 2018. Um still I think I'm still Durham's youngest ever captain. So yeah, I was I I was so happy there. Those two years I looked back on very fondly. They were they were good fun, we had an incredible dressing room. Um and it was just a shame we had that points deduction, really, because we could have we were still a still a strong team. We still had Keaton Jennings, Graham Onions, Chris Rushworth, Paul Collingwood. It's a hell of a team. Yeah, we had and the the overseas we would get coming through. We had Tommy Latham come one year, we had um Aiden Markham, we had some great players. Stephen Cook. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Were you there in Sanger? No, I wasn't just after Sanger.
SPEAKER_01But no, but the cut the culture up there is unbelievable, and and anyone who spent any time in the Northeast, I'm sure will feel the same that people are so friendly, but they're competitive and so parochial up there, and people are proud of people are proud of the land of the prince bishops.
SPEAKER_02Um it's an amazing place.
SPEAKER_01And they really brought me in as one of their own, and and I'm actually seeing a couple of the Durham boys tonight who are down playing Middlesex this week, and yeah, friendships will last forever and and a and a great time, but something uh a part of my uh Durham's a a huge part of my life. I've spent probably the most time in Durham out of anywhere in my adult life.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. You would have done that. Yeah, think about it with university as well. So so my friend the then there was a move to Hampshire and then and then and then the move here. Right? So move I remember when I heard about the signing and I thought, yeah, that's that makes sense. I remember your first game as well, and it was very quick turnaround, and you bought beautifully in a one-day game from memory. Um what about the move here then? Yeah, because it's a big old place to come to.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so again, a bit of context. I mean, uh even saying all this out loud makes me just think, God, I'm proper journeyman. There's a lot has happened. Um and a strange Securitous journey, this one. Um so basically with Durham it didn't work out. Um I didn't get any runs, and I I don't think the head coach particularly likes me or the players who were around in 2017, 18 whatever. Um didn't work out. And I was essentially looking for loan deals in 2020 2021. Yeah. I played a grade season in Australia between 2020 and 2021. I got very fortunate again to be able to quarantine in Australia and and live with my mum and dad for a bit and play for my home club, Clement Edlands. And uh essentially I I knew my bowling was in a really good place, but I was in in the process of reinventing myself as a as an all-rounder. Um and I did lots of work with with Jim Ellenby, um, with Noddy Holder, who's coached plenty an English player and plenty an Australian great, and yeah, just had a a a wonderful season and and I fell in love with fell in love with the game again and took I think 42 wickets at nine or something. Um someone will correct me, I'm sure, but um it was my bowling really was ready to for the next level at that point and I suppose I was very fortunate that I had um a director of cricket in Alex Stewart that seems to check in on on grade scores. So he was he was aware of it, and Surrey tried to get me on loan, um, as did Essex and Hampshire, which I was incredibly flattered by. Um so thank you to those guys as well. But I I chose I chose Hampshire because that was more as an opening batter, as a spare opening batter, and I figured my bowling would would take care of itself. So I I chose Hampshire, which I had a lovely three months living with Jimmy Adams, um who was the second team coach at the time, his wonderful family. Really enjoyed the boys there, very friendly. Um but incidentally our first game was against sorry second levin and the attack was it was at Guildford, the attack was Ricky Clark, Liam Plunkett, Matt Dunn, Connor, Connor McCurr, and James Taylor, Dan Moriarty, and um I got 120 and then a 90. Um the gaffer was there for both of those. So I think he yeah, he was he was impressed, and then I played a game again for Hampshire second eleven against in a T20 against Surrey at the Oval and took four for 18, I think it was, and shook Stewie's hand that day and said thanks for thanks for trying to sign me on loan, and and then soon after that um he offered me a contract and and the rest of my friend.
SPEAKER_03The rest is history. Listen, yeah, when when sort of so I I spoke to you, you you told me what you were getting, the decision you were gonna make. And the first thing you do is is sort of take it on board, and then and then you start thinking about your career. And I jumped on cricket and I looked at the numbers, and then then I looked at Surrey, and then I thought, hang on, he won three championship titles with Surrey, a hat-trick of championship titles, made valuable runs. I always remember the hundred at Old Trafford that opening game. Uh, he played out your skin in that, and also with the bowling as well. Come on, I know you haven't had much time to really look back, and I'm not going to ask you to look back on your time with Surrey and all that, but but if if if at that point someone had said to you you'll be part of three championship winning sides, I think you'd be pretty happy with that, wouldn't you?
SPEAKER_01I mean there's plenty of players who've who've had incredible careers, they've never won a championship, and I would have been your arm off for it. I remember saying to my my parents actually when I joined uh or at the start of 2022, I just said, Oh, if I could if I could win one championship, I'd I'd happily retire. Um and then I got greedy, we got three, and I really don't want to retire. Um But yeah, I I think just the whole environment we had, especially for that that first period of of success was the stars don't align very often with that sort of thing, and and uh it was it was pretty it was pretty special.
SPEAKER_03Um sorry, just waving to right, Ollie Robinson and uh Phil Walker. I think they're off to do an interview now as well. But no, what I've always thought is getting back to you saying stars aligning and all that good stuff, but actually, and to do it here, so we're sat in this ground now with the group of players you did it with. Actually, at the end of the day, you you you could not have asked for anything more than that, could you?
SPEAKER_01No, no, and I've never had as much fun as I had in that 2022 year. I mean winning obviously helps, but I just think the whole the whole environment was fantastic. We worked so hard on club culture, and I think I think what's nicest about that is I was a big part of that. Yeah, you I I'm quite empathetic and I I uh to be honest, I never actually really thought about many of these things until quite a few of the messages came through the other day. So it's I very rarely toot my own horn when it comes to cricket because I mean my stats are hardly Jack Callis, but um it's more runs than most people have made in first class cricket, my friend. Yeah, I mean, but I do feel incredibly proud of the impact that I've definitely had off the field and um in driving that culture and yeah, and contributing to some big moments on the field as well. I mean my favourite I said in my interview with the Surrey Media staff the other day that my favourite wickets were not my Vifers or anything, but the the wickets against Yorkshire in that in that game in 2022, and the googly against Ben Mike and then the wrong into uh same thing from the googly to Tom Kohler Cabmore to get them to follow on.
SPEAKER_03Can I be honest? But I didn't know whether I was gonna venture this to you. So you bought the perfect one to Ben Mike. And then you did exactly the same thing, it was very early on as well, against Tom Kohler Cabmore.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think everyone was surprised by uh I mean certainly over the Tanoy when it said coming on to Mole from the Vauxhall and it's Cameron Steele and the members all a bit like, oh, there was no no cheer.
SPEAKER_03It was really early on.
SPEAKER_01It was it was strange. I think it was probably to change Frankie's ends, I assume. Right.
SPEAKER_03But it um it was exactly the same ball uh as the one that got Ben Mike, and it was like wow! And at that point of the game as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean I scored no runs that game, I got none off two. I think I nicked off to Patterson, so I had to do something. Um but I mean my wrong and's always been my my best ball. So I think it's just something I was I surprised myself, I think I surprised a few people with that, and but I mean that's I think that's kind of a little bit the way my career's gone over the last few years. I'm just happy to contribute where I can and and my role certainly at Surrey has been to fill to fill a role that an England player's missing for or if blokes are tired or whatever it is.
SPEAKER_03Yes, but you're doing yourself down, and I said to you when you when I spoke to you about it, I said, My friend, you have lived the dream. You have lived the dream. You know, this this is what we all want to we all want to do what you've done and you've done it. And and those moments don't go anywhere and you'll have them forever. And i is that the way not now, but at some point you'll sit there in an armchair and think, yeah, yeah, I lived it.
SPEAKER_01I think I've already felt that in a way. I think because I've been injured for so long and I'm a deep thinker, I've had a lot of time for reflection, regardless of it all happening very quickly this last week. But I really have lived the dream, and I mean obviously the listener can't see where we're sat right now, but the sun's sun's hitting our backs and we're looking over the best ground in the world. So I mean I'm if you'd said to I said in an interview the other day, if you said to 10-year-old me or 15-year-old me, this is how it'll end up, then I would have been so happy, so happy and and grateful. And I am, I am even already incredibly grateful for everything that everyone has given me and the opportunities that have come to be part of a special group of players and and a and a special club. I mean we actually talk in our culture meetings, I think it was Tom Laws that said it about he feels a sense of stewardship and and his words that was in he was young when he said that. I mean I mean that that really stuck with me. I think he said it in 2022, and and I do feel a sense of stewardship and and hopefully I have left a mark on at least some of the guys or a couple of members that sort of look at me and think, oh, he really enjoyed playing the game and he gave absolutely everything because I mean I have given absolutely every bit of myself over the last five years, so gone off on a bit of a tangent there, but making me wax lyrical about the greatest column of the world.
SPEAKER_03Well, well, well, so I don't want you to get too far ahead of yourself, and I'm not gonna say what next, because who you know, who knows, whatever it is, you'll be hugely successful. But the writing, so so you've already got the column in the times. Um you've got your substack as well, which is hugely popular. You're joining us on commentary for the Sussex game. Um so so there's there's avenues, and you're a highly intelligent man as well. So so I'm sure where but but there the you're already, and what are we? We're we're we're doing this on Thursday. Announcement was made on Monday. You're already looking into avenues now, aren't you?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I guess I have to. Yeah. Um I suppose I'm I'm excited for what's next. I have no idea what's next, so there's a bit of trepidation there. But uh yeah, I suppose the what I've been writing for the Times has been hugely enjoyable um and rewarding, but it's the diary of a county pro, so I d it might be a bit tenuous now, but we'll see. We'll never know. Yeah, you could still do it. You could still do it. Could still do it. Um but yeah, I I I love writing, I love cricket, I love talking cricket, so in the immediate term I'll be spending some time up in our box and doing some comms, hopefully, and yeah, just see just keep my eyes open and and see what what comes really. It's one foot in front of the other, and I mean I'm I'm ambitious, I I wanna help, I wanna make other people better. Yeah. Um and whatever the way that might manifest itself, who knows?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I can see you coaching, but we'll we won't go into any of that now. Um and also The other thing is now you can spend a bit of time a bit more time at home with your good lady. And uh uh I know you're not with us on this is going out on Sunday, so you're not with us today in the comedy box because you're taking the good lady up today, which is quite right to you. But in a way, that that'll be nice to get a bit more time at home as well, won't it?
SPEAKER_01Definitely, yeah. Uh maybe it won't be more time at home because I mean I've had a lot of time to her with the with the rehab. With the rehab. I mean to her chagrin that I've been on the couch the whole time with my foot raised so she can't lie down. Yeah. Um but yeah, I I I it's gonna be nice to to be able to plan stuff and tell her, right, we can go away on this date, and then a ankle surgery doesn't get in the way of that, um, or an extra training session or whatever it is, um, playing for the twos or driving to a festing and all of that, it's stuff that I will miss so much incomprehensively, but also something that I think will make normal life quite more quite enjoyable.
SPEAKER_03Well I have no worries, my friend, because as I think I said to you, you've lived the dream, and the next chapter's gonna be living the dream as well. But listen, thank you for your time. Uh be very proud of what you've done. Uh as I said, there aren't many that have done what you've done, my friend. You're in a very small percentage. Um I know it's been tough, but as I say, whatever's next, you'll be hugely successful at it.
SPEAKER_01Um just want to say thank you to you as well, Churchy, for everything you have. You're always, yeah, light up the light up the dressing room whenever you come in. Um and you've never had a bad word to say about any sorry player, so I can't appreciate or can't show enough appreciation for what you've um said and done for me over the years, and look forward to sitting in the commentary box with you over the next few days.
SPEAKER_03I appreciate that. Yes, let's we we we better go and think of some words to to talk about. But well done, mate, and thank you for your time. Thank you.
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SPEAKER_03So there are our friends at Newbury Cricket, and now of course it's competition time. Thanks to our friends at Newberry Cricket, we have one of their beautiful SPS cricket bats to give away. My thoughts on that bat it gets more and more and more beautiful every week. I haven't dreamt about it this week, I have to say, but if you can win this competition and you can get your hands on the SPS bat, I guarantee you you'll be the most sought after player in your dressing room, your bat will be the most sought-after bat, and if you can find it when every other player has tried to use it, you will score runs. So, it's pretty straightforward, you know the format now. I'm going to ask you a cricketing question. If you think you know the answer, email us or tweet us. If it's right, your name goes in the hat, and we will pull out a name from our cricketing hat in a few weeks' time, and if it's your name, you win the SBS bat. So, my question last week was which sorry batter scored a hundred in his second first class game for Essex against Surrey, aged just 17? The answer, of course, was Dan Lawrence, and after last week, he now has a hundred for Essex against Surrey and a hundred for Surrey against Essex. So, this week's question. What amazing achievement did Myles Davis complete playing for Penkridge against Palsall in the Premier Division of the South Staffordshire County League last Saturday. I think it's been on every cricketing website. So if you think you know the answer, email sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or tweet Sundayservice22, and if you're correct, your name will go in our cricketing hat. And our friends at Newbury have released an official Sunday service discount code. You can now use the discount code Sundayservice15 and get fifteen percent off goods at www.newbery.co.uk, excluding Bespoke Bats. So why not treat yourself to some premium gear and quality willow? Right, that is stumps for this episode of Sunday Service with Church and Vicars. We'll be back together next Sunday, May the 10th, so get that date in your download diary. Don't forget to send us your answers to our hard-hitting feature, What Cricket Sound is this? And you can still get anything you want off your chest cricketwise by emailing sundayservice.pod at yahoo.com or tweeting at Sundayservice22. Thank you as always for listening. If you like what you heard, please rate and review us as it really helps others find the podcast because, as I say every week, we want us all to join together and be one big happy cricketing family. Thank you once again to Cameron Steele for joining us today, and of course, thank you to our friends at Newbury Cricket for all their support and their magnificent competition prize, the SPS bat. It is a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful piece of willow. Until next Sunday from the Kierover, this has been a Hector Vickers and Mart Church production. Have a magnificent cricketing week everybody, and if your opening part is Mauritius, find it out until he returns. Goodbye.