TSB Cricket Association National Tours
The two images on this page have been reproduced from Banknotes - the magazine for staff of Trustee Savings Banks. The magazine
always included details of TSB national sporting events, such as the Cricket Association's National Tours. These tours were made by
a representative side selected from the individual TSBs.
In 1977, the team toured the southeast of England, but experienced extremely
wet weather. Rain-swamped pitches prevented play in the first three scheduled matches - against Lloyds of London; the Kent County
Cricket Club and Ground XI; and the Essex County Second XI. However, the next fixture (versus Midland Bank, at New Beckenham,
Kent) was able to be played, Midland Bank winning by 4 wickets.
Two members of the staff of BMTSB were included in the tour party:
- Rob Wilden (third from left - middle row);
- Bob Milne (sixth from left - middle row).
The final game (versus Sidcup Cricket Club) featured these two players as reported
by Banknotes:
The Sidcup Cricket Club, celebrating its centenary year, did its utmost to dissipate the downpour gloom. A break in the
rain enabled play to get under way at 1pm, 90 minutes later than intended.
And Sidcup rattled up 115-7, with Copson (4-38), Milne (2-15)
and Austin (1-14) sharing the wickets. But there was time only for the TSB opening pair, Milne and Wilden, to net 16 before the rains
came yet again to put and end to play.
Better weather prevailed in 1978, when rain barred play on only one day of the tour of the Wales and Border Counties region. The same
two BMTSB staff members were selected, and are shown on the back row of the photograph:
- Rob Wilden (third from
left);
- Bob Milne (seventh from left).
Results:
v Gloucestershire Club & Ground @ Stroud -
Drawn (Milne 35; Wilden 12)
v Worcestershire Club & Ground @ Evesham -
Lost
(Wilden 23)
v North Wales XI @ Wrexham -
Drawn (Wilden 4)
v South Wales League XI @ Swansea
-
abandoned due to rain
v Malvern Clubs XI @ Malvern -
Drawn
(Milne 10 retired hurt; Wilden 17)
Banknotes (in 1977) also included some notes regarding Bob Milne, then working at Kitts Green branch:
Bob .... has played for
the Warwickshire 2nd XI and the Warwickshire under-25s. Bob, born and educated in Birmingham, represented Warwickshire Schools at
the age of 15, then played regularly for Warwickshire Colts.
He was averaging four or five games a year for the Warwickshire 2nd XI
between the ages of 16 and 18 and might have well joined the county playing staff had there been a vacancy.
As it was, he joined the
bank instead - at the age of 18. And since then his representative appearances have been confined to his holiday periods.
And
his regular cricket is for Moseley in the Birmingham League.
He was married recently - to Barbara Ison, who works at the Birmingham
bank's Saltley office.