Coming soon: Special 1970 Championship winning dinner

Alan Knott (pictured), England“s outstanding wicketkeeper-batsman of the post-war era, will make a rare return to the St Lawrence Ground for a dinner to mark the 40th anniversary of Kent“s County
Championship triumph in 1970.

Knott, who now lives in Cyprus, will be reunited on September 10 with other members of the side who beat the odds by surging from bottom place at the end of June to claim Kent“s first championship pennant since 1913.

Five other Test players, Asif Iqbal, Alan Brown, Mike Denness, John Shepherd and Derek Underwood, are expected to attend, as well as John Dye, Alan Ealham, Norman Graham and Graham Johnson. The only probable absentees are Alan Dixon and Richard Elms.

The dinner will be held exactly 40 years after Kent picked up the handful of bonus points they needed against Surrey at the Oval to secure the title. It is also the last scheduled day of cricket at Canterbury this season.

Jamie Clifford, the Kent chief executive officer, said: “We“re delighted that so many of the players are going to be able to make it and we“re particularly thrilled that Alan Knott will be there.

“It“s a chance for a special group of players to get together and for the club and supporters to salute their achievement.”

Journalist Clive Ellis, who is co-organising the event, added: “I“d spoken to most of the players when I was researching my book about Kent“s recent history, Trophies and Tribulations. It struck me that if we didn“t do it now we might not get another opportunity; six of the 18 players who figured in the 1970 championship side have already died.”

Anyone interested in attending the dinner should keep an eye on the Kent website for further information,
www.kentccc.com.

BACKGROUND INFO: The other members of the championship-winning side in 1970 were: Colin Cowdrey (died 2000), David Laycock (died 2008), Stuart Leary (died 1988), Brian Luckhurst (died 2005), David Nicholls
(died 2008), Bob Woolmer (died 2007).

Picture:Getty Images