Alan Ealham

A hard-hitting, right-hand bat, occasional off-break bowler, and brilliant fielder, Alan joined Ashford as a product of the district's successful Yorkshire Cup side. The county were quick to spot his potential following a series of outstanding performances as a teenager for his home-town club.

He developed quickly under the masterful captaincy of Ashford's Peter Nelson and was soon playing regularly in the early Sixties for Kent second team. Alan scored his first hundred for Ashford at 14 and it was only a matter of time before he would leave his employment at Haywards Garage to join the county full-time.

Willesborough born, Alan emerged from the Yorkshire Cup side managed by Frank Pinch, a long serving Ashford player, who is mentioned elsewhere in this list of first-class players.

Alan's genial smile and friendly countenance masked an ambition to go to the very top. A gentle person, he became one of the game's most competitive players when one-day cricket became such an essential part of the English domestic calendar.

To this day, Alan has never forgotten his roots. He, and his wife Sue, can often be seen on the Ashford ground. It is sometimes forgotten in this age of highly paid, contracted players that Alan would travel miles in the winter months over a period of 40 years making after-dinner speeches for no monetary reward.

At his peak, in the Kent glory years of the Seventies, Alan never lost the common touch that made his so popular with those he had known in his formative cricket years. A visit to Lord's on one of those one-day cup final Saturdays with Kent in town were great days for Ashford members. "Ealey gave me the thumbs-up when he spotted me in the crowd" was a regular topic of conversation in the Ashford clubhouse. Nickname: Clogger. Favourite dish: Fish and chips. He made his Kent debut in 1966. An Honorary Playing Member of Ashford.

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Mark Ealham

Son of Alan Ealham (Kent 1966-82, see above), Mark was a product of Ashford's development scheme towards the end of the club's tenure at Barrow Hill and early years at Ball Lane. A prolific run-getter and fine young pace bowler, whose all-round skills were earmarked for a future in the professional game.

Much like his father, Mark was a fine ground fielder. Not obviously Kent material in his early teenage years, Mark's game blossomed at Ashford under the watchful eyes of his father and mother, and grandfather, Stuart Ealham, a keen supporter of Ashford cricket.

Strongly built, Mark's all-round qualities were demonstrated in many match-winning performances for Ashford. He made his Kent debut in 1989. A photograph of Mark's England Test debut at Trent Bridge hangs in the Ashford pavilion.

Mark, an Honorary Playing Member of Ashford, whose nickname was "Podge" in his years with the club's junior development squad, developed his father's appetite for the game and his capacity to consume large take-aways on awayday match trips for Ashford.

But then he had earned his reward, having probably scored a ton and taken five-fer to earn his supper. Genial, kind, fair and sporting, Mark, too, straddled the chasm that exists between the amateur game and the professional circuit to play cricket for England at Test and one-day level.

One Ashford captain of his day remembers taking Mark in his team to play a match at Beckenham. Mark's mother, Sue, was keen for her 14 year-old son not to suffer burn-out with the call on his services already beginning to drag him from match to match on a near daily basis. The Ashford skipper agreed to protect his young all-rounder, only to discover the only bowler on the field capable of taking advantage of the conditions was the said Mark. Ealham went on to take seven match-winning wickets and bowl many more than the 10-over limit agreed between mum and the captain.

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Phil Edmonds

Tall, gangly and talented with bat and ball, Phil joined Ashford from Tenterden. His made sporadic appearances for Ashford in the late Sixties and start of the Seventies before making his debut for Cambridge University and Middlesex in 1971.

An aggressive right-hand bat and left-arm spin bowler, who featured in the Ashford first team at about the time they won the Kent League in 1971.

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Nigel Llong

Left-hand bat and off-spin bowler, Nigel joined Ashford from British Rail. He went to school at Newtown primary and became an exceptionally talented young sportsman before coming to the notice of Kent scouts through his outstanding form for the Ashford club.

Nigel graduated to the Ashford first team the year after the town club became Kent League champions. By 1987, he was a first team regular, and his acceleration from club cricket to the first-class circuit was rapid.

Current first team skipper Julian Day claims Llong was "class". He says: "Once Llongy got in, he could murder attacks. But I don't think his bowling ever realised its early potential after showing a lot of promise, especially in his Ashford days."

Indeed, Nigel himself has always regretted not having the self-belief to maximise his potential on the county circuit. But if his first-class career ended prematurely when he left Kent, his decision to become a first-class umpire has opened-up a golden new career path for one of the most popular and likeable players to grace the Ashford club.

On leaving Kent a few years ago, Nigel returned to Ashford for a few seasons, in which he made a major contribution to the club's Kent League performances. His ambition to become a fully qualified umpire was rewarded in 2002 when he was appointed to the 1st Class list. He is now a member of the International panel. Nickname: Nidge.

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Alex Loudon

London-born, right-hand bat, right-arm off-spin bowler, Alex was 'placed' with Ashford by Kent as part of their policy of giving young professionals a run-out at weekends with Kent League clubs. Ashford's relegation ended that association when Alex went elsewhere. Played for Kent, Warwickshire and England's one-day squad before retiring from first-class cricket in 2007.

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Martin McCague

Born in Northern Ireland, the tall, burly, right-arm fast-bowler, who played for Kent for 10 years from 1991 and made three England Test appearances, was seconded to Ashford by the county to maintain match fitness in his latter days at St Lawrence. He later left Ashford for Gore Court.

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Peter Nelson

Born 16th April, 1918 at Finchley, Middlesex, Peter played one first-class match for Northants (1938) and one for Kent (1946) before joining Ashford. A tall, elegant, classy left-hand bat and medium-pace bowler with uncanny control of line and length, Peter has been recognised as the player who wielded most influence on the development of the Ashford club in the latter half of the last century.

A highly experienced player with great tactical awareness, he captained Ashford successfully from the days when school, bank balance and status in the community counted as much towards a successful playing membership bid to more enlightened times when ability and decency were essential to receiving the opportunity to pull on an Ashford cap.

But Nelson was more than a captain. In his heyday, he was a classy left-hander with a glorious cover-drive he could play off both front or back-foot. He relied on nagging line and length when bowling in his latter days at Ashford, losing some of his nip but none of his guile.

In many respects, Peter's reign as captain from the post-war years to the early Sixties, with Ken Geering running administrative affairs as chairman, was the most colourful period in Ashford's history. It was Nelson and Geering who realised Ashford's need for change in a developing cricket world where privilege counted for less than talent.

Nelson encouraged the three Marshall brothers, Graham, Hugh and Stewart; Bill Horne, Alan Ealham, David Marshall, John Tredwell, David Blacklocks and many other talented youngsters to forge the 'new' Ashford, all chosen for their ability rather than any status. Under the old warrior's guidance, they became one of Kent's best club sides, and a forerunning influence on the development of Ashford's Kent League winning team of 1971, the inaugural year of league cricket in the county.

By now, Peter had retired, leaving behind a club immeasurably the better for his leadership, if not his discipline, which could be wayward at times and probably cost him a county career with Kent before Ashford offered him a lifeline to some of his best cricketing years. He later became Club President.

Overshadowed by his illustrious dad, Maxwell Nelson, his son, became a major influence on Ashford following their move to Ball Lane. A delightful person with a great love of cricket, Maxwell became a regular and immensely popular midweek player before his untimely death.

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Frank Pinch

Frank scored 138 not out on his first-class debut for Glamorgan against Worcestershire at Swansea in 1921. A school-teacher, he joined Ashford when he came to work in East Kent. He became captain of the club and a stalwart all-rounder for Ashford in their days at Barrow Hill.

On retirement from Ashford, he took charge of the Ashford age group representative team that triumphed in the Yorkshire Cup, a competition that attracted representative teams from all Kent districts and still runs to this day under another name. Several Ashford players were members of the district youth team Frank managed in the late Fifties-early Sixties. The group included:- Hugh Marshall, Stewart Marshall; David Marshall; Alan Ealham; John Tredwell; David Tredwell; Peter Moralee; Norman Lambert; Harold Hoad; Bill Day; Goose Andrews.

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Laurie Potter

Born at Bexleyheath, Kent, Laurie grew-up in Western Australia where he made the Australia Under-19 team. But he wanted to return to his roots and played his first ever game of cricket in England on Ashford's Barrow Hill ground in 1978. On trial with Kent for five weeks, he scored 33 not out before having to retire with cramp.

A right-hand bat, slow left-arm bowler and slip fielder, Laurie made his Kent debut in 1981, but with competition for places so fierce in those days, he joined Ashford to become a key figure in the club's Kent League title triumph of 1985. As Laurie says: "I was one of the Eames' Boys - with the Ealhams', Julian Day, Duncan Purvis, Paddy Steinhobel, Stuart Waterton and David Flawn. They were fun times, involving some drinking and some partying. The care and consideration given by Ashford to this young Anglo-Aussie miles from home will never be forgotten."

Laurie was made an Honorary Playing Member for his services to Ashford as he built a successful cricket career in the pro game with Kent and Leicestershire.

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Darrin Ramshaw

Darrin became one of the most successful overseas batsmen ever to play for Ashford, taking full advantage of the excellent batting conditions made available to him when he played for Ashford's 1986 Kent Cup (Wiltshier Cup) winning 1986 season, shortly before the club moved from Barrow Hill to Ball Lane.

He returned to Perth where he played for Western Australia, before hanging-up his boots to coach the WA Under-19 team for several seasons.

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Lawrence Seeff

Lawrence scored 142 for South Africa against Sri Lanka at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth in 1982-83 when the Sri Lankans made history by becoming the first black team from a Test playing country to visit South Africa.

David Flawn, one of Ashford's finest home-grown talents since the War, has always maintained that Lawrence was a guiding influence on his development as a batsman when he opened the batting with the South African overseas player during his time at Ashford.

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Stuart Waterton

Born 6th December, 1960, right-hand bat and wicket-keeper, Stuart was a member of Ashford's Kent League winning side of 1985. He made his Kent debut in 1980, and later joined Northants (1986) and Lancashire (1990).

Educated at Gravesend School for boys, Stuart became a sales manager for a bat maker on retirement from the game. Ashford would have welcomed a longer run from their Kent man, but his ambitions, both inside and outside the game, were always destined to shorten his time with the club.

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Simon Willis

To be continued

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Tim Wren

Born 26th March, 1970, right-hand bat, left-arm fast-medium bowler, Tim made his Kent debut in 1989 as a product of the flourishing Sibton Park club. Born in Folkestone and educated at Folkestone Grammar School, Tim's appearances for Ashford were sporadic in the late Eighties and Nineties. This was a period when a floating populace of occasional county players were made available by Kent to clubs like Ashford, a policy that did neither them nor us much good.

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