A Guinness World Record from the Old Lyonian Cricket Club

I thought you might like to see this little piece from our OL cricketing past!

The current Guinness World Record for throwing and catching a fresh hen’s egg without breaking it is held by Americans Johnny Dell Foley and Keith Thomas. In 1978, they achieved an incredible distance of 98.51 metres (323 ft 2 in) in Jewett, Texas.

But before that, the record was held by the Old Lyonian Cricket Club!

In 1971, Jim Anthony (thrower) and John Wilson (catcher), both of the Old Lyonian Cricket Club, set the Guinness World Record for throwing and catching an intact fresh hen’s egg.

Their record-breaking throw covered 317 ft 10 in (96.87 metres) and held the top spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for several years, until it was finally broken in 1978.

I was part of the Old Lyonian CC team involved in the attempt in 1971. I managed the team’s second-longest throw, at more than 90 metres, to John Wilson. No prizes for coming second!

The eggs were supplied by the late Roger Pike, an OL cricketer who was also, rather conveniently, an egg farmer!

I met John Wilson, the record-breaking catcher, again recently on the sad occasion of the passing of Patricia Peacock, wife of Stan Peacock. I’m not sure of Jim Anthony’s current whereabouts, but I met numerous other OLs of that vintage, including Peter Freund and John Thomson, as well as members of the Montague, Wilson, Freund and Pike families.

It gave us the opportunity to swap many memories of those long-gone days.

John and I also laughed about his appearance after our Guinness World Record attempt. The Abominable Snowman came to mind! He was covered from head to toe in egg white and yolk, properly scrambled, so to speak. Not a pretty sight!

With my very best wishes to all my friends and fellow OLs who see this.