Lyr Req: When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease

Subject: Sting in the Ale?
From:
Date: 02 Oct 97 - 11:59 AM

A reference in another thread reminded me of a song, the chorus of which stuck in my head. It was basically about cricket and drink, as far as I recall, and the chorus went something like:

For it might be Jack and it might be John
With the new ball swinging the tail
And it might be me, or it might be thee
Or it might be the sting in the Ale

Anyone know it?

Regards

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: Bert
Date: 02 Oct 97 - 01:39 PM

Which reminds me of the song....

The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs has an English Pub called "The Golden Bee" and they have a song about "The bee with a sting in the tail"

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 11 Oct 97 - 02:59 PM

Last try!

No luck on this one?

Regards

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 18 Feb 02 - 10:46 AM

One more try....

Regards

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Feb 02 - 11:30 AM

It's a Roy Harper song called 'When an old cricketer leaves the crease'. Try This link or for more general information about the excelent Mr Harper try here

And good luck - the more people doing Roy's stuff the merrier as far as I am concerned!

Cheers

Dave the Gnome

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Feb 02 - 11:32 AM

Cor - just noticed the time lag! Do I now hold the recored for the longest awaited answer on the mudcat? Oct 97 - Feb 02?

I always was a bit slow;-)

DtG

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 18 Feb 02 - 11:38 AM

It's a Roy Harper song (sorry for the delay - I was trying to find you some words online) - When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease (HQ lp).

"When an old cricketer leaves the crease
Well you never know whether he's gone.
If sometimes you're catching a fleeting glimpse
of a twelth man at silly mid-on
And it could be Geoff and It could be John
with a new ball stinging his tail
And it could be me and it could be thee
and it could be the sting in the ale."

You'll find chords and a few more words at: When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease

Mick

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 18 Feb 02 - 11:49 AM

Well done lads! It came back into my head lately so I dug out the old thread, polished it up and reposted it in the hopes that some more recent 'catter would recognise it.

Regards

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: GUEST,harvey andrews
Date: 18 Feb 02 - 02:45 PM

I don't think it's "stinging his tail" I think it's "sting in his tail" The John referred to I think was John Snow the England fast bowler of the time, and for those overseas who don't understand cricket, the new ball is at its hardest and most dificult to play when bowled well.

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: Lanfranc
Date: 18 Feb 02 - 05:36 PM

Sang this at Stony Stratford.

It's "a new ball sting in the tail" - a convoluted cricketing metaphor which, I believe, refers to an unexpected score of runs by the last batsmen to take the crease (the tail), taking advantage of the new ball that was being used by the bowler(s).

Geoff is almost certainly Geoffrey Boycott, a controversial but sometimes brilliant Yorkshire and England batsman. I agree with Harvey about John Snow.

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 12:50 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: The Vulgar Boatman
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 06:52 PM

After everything else he'd done, the perfect evocation of the great eccentricity that is cricket;

When the day is done, and the ball has spun
In the umpire's pocket away,
And all remains is the groundsman's pains
For the end of time and a day,
There'll be one mad dog and his master,
Pushing for four with the spin,
On a dusty pitch, with two pounds six
Of willow wood in his hand...

Sort THAT out across the pond!

Subject: RE: Sting in the Ale?
From: Rasener
Date: 25 Nov 09 - 06:56 PM

And there was me thinking Sting was pissed on real ale.

I'll get me Piddle In The Hole

Subject: Lyr Add: WHEN AN OLD CRICKETER LEAVES THE CREASE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 11:13 PM

WHEN AN OLD CRICKETER LEAVES THE CREASE
Roy Harper

1. When the day is done, and the ball has spun, in the umpire's pocket away
And all remains, in the groundsman's pains for the rest of time and a day
There'll be one mad dog and his master, pushing for four with the spin
On a dusty pitch, with two pounds six of willow wood in the sun

CHORUS: When an old cricketer leaves the crease, you never know whether he's gone
If sometimes you're catching a fleeting glimpse of a twelfth man at silly mid-on
And it could be Geoff, and it could be John, with a new ball sting in his tail
And it could be me, and it could be thee, and it could be the sting in the ale
Sting in the ale.

2. When the moment comes and the gathering stands and the clock turns back to reflect
On the years of grace as those footsteps trace for the last time out of the act
Well this way of life's recollection, the hallowed strip in the haze
The fabled men and the noonday sun are much more than just yarns of their days.

LAST CHORUS: When an old cricketer leaves the crease, well you never know whether he's gone
If sometimes you're catching a fleeting glimpse of a twelfth man at silly mid-on
And it could be me and it could be thee.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crea
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 04:59 AM

When an old cricketer leaves the crease