by Arunabha Sengupta

May 6, 2003
The formal opening of the new, all-weather cricket nets at the Malvern College ground

George Chesterton, the former Worcestershire opening bowler, a geography teacher at Malvern, was for long the master in charge of cricket. The new nets were to be dedicated to him.
Some 54 summers before that day, Chesterton had played for Oxford University against Gloucestershire, in only his second First-Class match. He had captured six on that occasion. His first victim was a 21-year-old Tom Graveney. They had become fast friends. Down the years, both served as president of the Worcestershire CCC.

So, Chesterton had invited Graveney to the event. The former was 81, the latter 76. A crowd gathered, the atmosphere was festive, the boys were having a hit, some of the masters had joined in, there were parents, some interested onlookers, and some members of the press.

And suddenly Graveney’s twinkling eyes fell upon a spare bat.
Andrew Murtagh, Graveney’s biographer, former Hampshire cricketer, an English teacher at Malvern and responsible for running cricket, was the one in charge of the event.
He confesses that he was a bit worried when Graveney picked up the bat and turned to Chesterton with the words, “How about a net, George?”

Chesterton, 263 wickets from 72 First-Class matches at 22.78, had played his final game for Worcestershire in 1957. After a few seasons for Free Foresters, but had called it a day in 1961. He grabbed a ball.
Graveney, 47,793 runs in First-Class cricket with 122 centuries, 4882 of those runs for England, took guard. “Come on George. Put it on the spot as you always did.

Chesterton measured his run up. In his days of youth and glory he used ten paces. Now it was more of ‘a hop and a step.’ But the arm had remained as straight as ever. The ball was pitched perfectly on the off stump. Graveney leaned forward, his bat went through the classical downswing and the ball was struck into the side netting. But for the nets, it would have sped through where covers would have been. An entirely new generation had witnessed the famous Graveney cover drive.

The last time that Chesterton ever bowled or Graveney ever batted.

But the cover-drive was as unblemished as ever.

Class is indeed permanent.