My Man, The Myth, The Legend
14.05.26, 18:53 Updated 14.05.26, 18:53
Dan Whiting
May 1986 and a cold, grey, dank May evening at Crowland Road Playing Fields in South Tottenham. We had heard that Tottenham had a decent opening bat, so our opening bowler, in a show of bravado, bounced him first ball. It ended up almost going into one of the reservoirs that make up the landscape in this part of North East London. The very next ball with his score on six, he tried it again. I called for it, as did one of my team mates and we watched it land between us as we left it to each other. The batter went on to get 120 not out in a 20 over game. His name was Mark Wayne Alleyne.
This was a Tottenham vastly different from the gentrified areas of North London today. Less than a mile away from where this game was played, Broadwater Farm had been scarred by rioting less just six months previously. Sadly, a policeman lost his life but Tottenham was a tough environment on a day to day basis back then, even without things getting hectic on the ‘Farm’. Other parts such as Northumberland Park, Seven Sisters and the Roundway Tiverton or Chestnut Estates had their moments.
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