Paul WASTELL

- Batsman / Off Break Bowler

- Scored 3,134 Runs For Hythe inc 1,306 SPL/County League Runs.

- League Batting Best 68 vs Old Tauntonians 2nd XI 1979

- Took 316 Wickets For Hythe inc 61 SPL/County League Wickets.

- Friendly Batting Best - 69 vs Old Parkstonians

- Friendly Bowling Best - 7-44 vs Fordingbridge inc hat-trick

- 5 Friendly Match 5 Fors inc 2 against Lymington

Every club has very few people that they can call great clubman but Paul 'Wobbler' Wastell earned this title from his team mates back in the early eighties for the amount of work he use to do behind the scenes.

Paul started playing for Hythe in 1973 after previously playing cricket in Essex. He was one of four Wastells who played for the club during the 80-90's. Dad Fred umpired for the club whilst his brother Fred played for Hythe for two seasons for Hythe First XI in 1975 & 76. Later in the 90's son Danny also played for the club.

Family life restricted Pauls playing time with Hythe but during the thirteen year span he played for the club he put in some useful performances for both the First and Second XI allowing him to score over 2300 runs for the club and take over 250 wickets @ 18.57

1973 saw him take 5-65 against Kennedys in one of his first games for the club and by 1974 he regularly opened the batting for the Sunday side as well as playing for the Saturday Seconds. Sundays he scored 40 against Wimbourne after Phil promoted him to opening the innings.

It was the 1975 season wobbler had most success with the ball - especally on a Sunday playing and bowling spin alongside brother Fred. The pair put in many winning performances that season more notably against Trojans where he scored 28* and took 4-39. Paul also scored 49 v Hyde and 65 against Colehill whilst Fred was leading run scorer on Sundays.

1976 saw Wobbler take a hat-trick against Fordingbridge in figures of 7-44 as well as scoring 21. 28* and 4-14 aganst Poole OG also saw another match winning performance. 1977 he returned to Fordingbridge to take another fiver 5-25 but a knock of 30 against the strong Southampton Touring Club probably gave him more satisfaction. 1979's highlight was a
League Best 68 v Old Tauntonians 2s and 1980 a 5-44 against the same club. Wobbler also scored 69 against Old Parkstonians - his highest ever score for the Green Caps. 

In 1982 with Hythe Saturday 2nd XI struggling in the Southern League Wobbler had a good season with the bat topping the Hythe averages 295 runs @ 25.0 & scoring 57* v Soton University, 37 v Petersfield, 24 v Lymington and 24 v Trojans. Sadly games after that were few and far between though his last game for the club he put in another man of the match performance scoring 54* and taking 4-29 v Enichem.

Pauls last game for the Green Caps was in 1988 against Enichem where he scored 54* & 4-29. Unfortunately as far as Hythe was concerned his cricket career finished too soon, but ask any player from those days - who stands out as doing the most work for the club during that time and Paul ' Wobbler ' Wastell will be mentioned. 

Paul Wastell - A Hythe Legend