Main picture: Terry Carter holds the National Village Cup trophy with brother Brian (far right) and the Troon team. Inset: Paul Discombe
A Lord’s record-holder and two brothers whose club dominated the early years of the National Village Cup will be inducted into the tournament’s Hall of Fame.
Paul Discombe, whose figures of 6 for 18 are the best by any bowler in a Village Cup final, will be awarded the honour to mark 25 years since his feat for Glamorgan club Ynystawe.
Discombe will be joined in receiving the accolade by Terry and Brian Carter, whose Troon team won three of the competition’s first five finals. This year marks the 50th anniversary of their last triumph at the Home of Cricket.
In joining the Hall of Fame, the Carter brothers follow in the footsteps of their Troon teammate, Peter Johns, who was inducted last year for being the first bowler to take a Village Cup final five-wicket haul in 1972.
On that same day, Terry hit the inaugural final’s only half-century and became the first captain to lift the trophy.
Older brother Brian also played in all four Troon finals in which his club played, making unbeaten scores of 70 and 55, in 1973 and 1983 respectively.
The trio will all be inducted during an official ceremony to take place during the final of this year’s tournament, which will take place at Lord’s cricket ground, in London, on Sunday 6 September.
The competition, whose headline sponsor is premium soft drink producer Cawston Press, has been run by The Cricketer magazine since its inception.
Ian Smith, Cawston Press Village Cup tournament manager, said: “Our three new inductees are very worthy entrants into the Cawston Press Village Cup Hall of Fame.
“Paul Discombe’s feat for Ynystawe is the stuff of dreams for any bowler.
“I was particularly amused to read that, as a DVLA employee, one newspaper headline described him as having a ‘licence to thrill at Lord’s’ after the 2001 final.
“Terry and Brian Carter’s place in Village Cup history is also assured, thanks to their influence on Troon’s success in the tournament’s early days.
“Terry even captained a National Village Representative XI to victory over a full Surrey side in an exhibition match, which shows his quality as a leader.
“Brian was courted by several counties, demonstrating the level of his batting ability, but professional cricket’s loss was very much the Village Cup’s gain.
“We look forward to welcoming all three of them to Lord’s for what promises to be a truly amazing celebration of village cricket.”
Laura Graham, head of marketing at Cawston Press, added: “One of the things we love most about the Village Cup is the incredible sense of community and the stories that make the competition so special.
“The Hall of Fame is a brilliant way to celebrate those who’ve made such a lasting contribution to village cricket and to recognise achievements that deserve to be remembered.
“We’d like to congratulate this year’s inductees on a fantastic honour, and we’re looking forward to cheering on the remaining teams as this year’s tournament reaches its final stages.”
August’s issue of The Cricketer, which is available here, includes a special feature on all three of the new inductees.
