Making of the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy – Engraving

And who better to do it than David Bedford, the Hand Engraver who started doing this in 1965. “It’s been near on 50 years, it’s been my life," he says. "And a passion too – my wife says, ‘I don’t think you’ll ever retire fully'.”

Steven Ottewill, the Trophy Director, says the concept “encapsulates all of the elements of cricket – the stumps, the globe, the world arena is engraved on the top".

It’s Bedford’s job to the engraving, to add character to the various elements. He says drawing skills are an absolute must. “You must be able to draw. Anything we do, to be able to cut it, you’ve to be able to draw. It’s all done free-hand first – drawn, then scribed, then cut. Drawing skills are essential.”

Bedford’s been doing this for so long now that a lot of it comes naturally to him. It's an instinct now. “I’ve got a selection of cutters here that I use for different projects,” he says. “Some of these handles are probably 200 years old, maybe.

“You can pick a cutter up and it just will feel correct – it’s in you, it’s in your hands. Years and years of concentrating, you pick up a cutter and you can just do it.”