No Particular Place To Go

German slip cover
for early Beatles' singles

In 1964, it being the way of things in those far-off-never-had-it-so-good years, Fantasy Bob went on his first foreign tour.  Two enjoyable weeks spent in a small Alpine resort in Austria sampling overseas wickets for the first time.  One small reminder of home that FB remembers was in the hotel bar whose jukebox offered one recognisable record in amongst all the locally produced Schubert and Mahler (presumably) hits.  This was 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' by the Beatles.   In the UK the B-side of this megahit was 'This Boy'.  The German release however coupled it with 'Roll Over Beethoven'.  FB has long wondered why this track was chosen for this purpose - presumably some not so subtle hint to the German speakers that their years of cultural dominance were at an end.   Who knows or indeed cares?

Chuck Berry in bronze

FB mentions this because Roll Over Beethoven was written by Chuck Berry whose 85th birthday is today.  Earlier this year a statue of Chuck Berry was erected in his hometown of St Louis Missouri and the man himself is still performing.  Chuck Berry has no cricketing pedigree and in particular is no relation to Scyld Berry, eminent cricket writer and until this year editor of Wisden.  John Lennon said that 'if you wanted to give rock and roll another name it would be Chuck Berry.'  He never expressed a view about Scyld Berry.

Darren Berry in whites

There is a cricketing Berry - but no relation to Chuck or Scyld.  Darren Berry is at present a highly successful T20 coach - his S Austrailia won the Big Bash and he also coaches the Rajasthan Royals. 

But as a player he kept wicket for Victoria for many years and was rated by Steve Waugh  as the best player in Australia not to make the Test side.  Shane Warne, who Berry played with at Victoria, rated him the best keeper he had seen.   He was unfortunate to be kept out of the Australian Test side first by Ian Healey and then Adam Gilchrist.   He was hardly a gentleman about it either, openly criticising Gilchrist's keeping skills.  But why should Gilchrist worry - his batting average in first class cricket was 44.16, Berry's a mere 21.58?  So Berry was left with, in the words of his namesake's song, which is also FB's favourite of the Chuck Berry songbook, No Particular Place to Go.