Okay, let’s make no bones about it. The 1977 intake at St Mary’s excelled at sport. By a quirk of fate, the best rugby player and the best cricketer the school produced both arrived in this year. This was in the shape of Jim Staples and, the late, great Danny Kelleher (or Dan as we always knew him) respectively.

Jim went on to play 26 times at full-back for the full Irish international side and Dan played for Kent Schools and later the full Kent County side for four seasons as a right arm fast medium bowler and a hard-hitting lower order batsman.

The sporting high point for the year was at U14 level – the academic year of 1979/80 – when we won the Kent Schools Cricket Cup and came runners up in the rugby version.

With Dan in the side, few teams could touch us on the cricket field but, on the day we won the Kent Cup at Dartford’s Hesketh Park, against Chatham House Grammar of Ramsgate it was two popular lads from St Fidelis, Erith, who starred.

The leading light – and undoubted man of the match – was Simon ‘Si’ Pajak who top-scored with 39 as we posted 134 for 7.

Si was the archetypal watchful opening bat, an accumulator of runs whose trademark shot was the tickle down to fine leg off his pads.

No one could describe Si as flamboyant but he built his innings gradually and was difficult to shift once he got his eye in. He was our mainstay – St Mary’s equivalent of Geoffrey Boycott if you will.

As a bowler, there were days when he was unplayable with a right arm spin that – like the Kent and England left-armer ‘Deadly’ Derek Underwood – bordered on medium pace.

And against Chatham House, Si was on fire, returning five for 23 as the lads from Ramsgate were skittled out for 96 to win us the Cup.

Recalling that day, Si said: “I remember having a massive bundle on the wicket when the ninth fell. Also, by fortune, it was the only game my parents came to see me play in.

“We won the North Kent cup a couple of days later, with Roy White following up his promise to take us to for a Wimpy afterwards to celebrate both cup wins.

“Like Dan, I played for Kent schools a few times and also for North Kent, which resulted me in getting my sports colours tie at the end of the second year I think. And I’m still playing now!”

Si was greatly assisted in the Kent Cup Final by the devastating medium fast swing of Paul Miller, the diminutive younger brother of Chris Miller, who started at St Mary’s in 1972. Paul delivered equally impressive figures of four for 15.

Paul had an arcing run and a slingshot action and you could hear the ball whizz as it moved through the air after he bowled.

That balmy day in the summer of 1980, the two lads from Erith did us proud.

I’m proud to say that Si and I have been great mates since school and am delighted to add that Paul has also contacted me via this website. It’s been a pleasure to hear from him again.