David Inshaw - Cricket Etchings

These twelve newly released cricket etchings are being exhibited for the first time at the Redfern Gallery and at London Original Print Fair 2020.

When David Inshaw was living and working in Wales in the early ‘90s he became an avid listener to Radio 4’s weekly programme Poetry Please, at that time presented by the poet and cricket enthusiast Simon Rae. After moving back to Devizes he was in a queue at a Private View at Devizes Museum one evening when he heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned round to discover Simon Rae standing behind him. He introduced himself as a great admirer of the programme and the two went on to become firm friends. Simon asked if he played cricket as he needed an extra player to make up numbers for his team Pomroy’s (consisting mainly of poets including Kit Wright, Neil Rollinson and Alex Martin). David said he hadn’t played since his schooldays but would be happy to give it a go.  His first match with the poets was at Aldworth near Reading.  David thought he wouldn’t be needed but suddenly they were 37 for 7 and he found himself being told to pad up.  They needed 20 to win.  David scored 10 not out and his team won.  He continued playing with Pomroy’s on several occasions as well as joining them on a tour of Dorset.

A book of texts and poems, Into the Long Grass, with images by David Inshaw, is due to be published later this year. The subject is cricket: specifically the exploits of a team of cricket-playing poets of which Inshaw was a member.