Cricket Thread. Only Mad Dogs And Englishmen

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Local news report of the death of Terry Gunn, 85. A Sussex wicketkeeper who's opportunities were limited by him being a contemporary of Jim Parks Jr.. Played 41 times in 7 seasons, generally when Parks was playing for England. He was a 'specialist wicketkeeper' i.e. excelled at wicketkeeping but couldn't bat., which probably didn't help his cause

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/56971321

Alan igglesden hasn't got long left unfortunately. He was wheeled out to play against the Aussies in the late 80s after every other English fast bowler either got injured or dropped after being smacked to all parts.

In  cruel twist, one of his team mates at Kent, Richard Davis,  succumbed to a brain tumour at a relatively young age some years ago.

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I was at the Oval for Igglesden's first Test in 1989. We managed to snatch a draw at the end of a 4--0 drubbing. But Gladstone Small, not known for his batting, held the Aussies at bay with a splendid 50 and as Iggy sloped out at number 11, someone in the stand called out "now you do the same!" Not a Kent follower, clearly. 

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Recent interview here with Mr & Mrs. Iggy,  

 

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I was sorry to learn today, by way of his Times obituary, of the death of writer David Foot late last month. I have two of his books, Wally Hammond: The Reasons Why and Beyond Bat and Ball. The first, in particular, is a masterpiece. He wrote mainly on cricketers from Somerset and Gloucestershire and his writing has a rather elegaic feel to it, which no doubt increased as he grew into old age (he was 92). After suffering a long respiratory illness, perhaps he wasn't too sorry to shuffle off to the pavilion before the appearance of The Hundred. 

[The Watcher 314]

18 hours ago, Cerberus said:

I was sorry to learn today, by way of his Times obituary, of the death of writer David Foot late last month. I have two of his books, Wally Hammond: The Reasons Why and Beyond Bat and Ball. The first, in particular, is a masterpiece. He wrote mainly on cricketers from Somerset and Gloucestershire and his writing has a rather elegaic feel to it, which no doubt increased as he grew into old age (he was 92). After suffering a long respiratory illness, perhaps he wasn't too sorry to shuffle off to the pavilion before the appearance of The Hundred. 

Foot was a fine writer and wrote an exceptionally regarded book on cricket suicides. John Woodcock has written very few cricket books but was cricket correspondent of The Times for decades and has met everyone from Bradman to Broad and Eileen Ash (Whelan) to John Manners. Woodcock whose paternal grandfather was born before the Battle of Waterloo nears his century with every completed run/year - something that Gerald Howat (another fine cricket writer) failed to do by 21 years.

 

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Unless there's another book I'm unaware of, I think you may be thinking of David Frith there - Silence of the Heart is a tremendous and very moving work. Foot often wrote on troubled individuals though - some of whom, such as Harold Gimblett, did go on to take their own lives. 

[The Watcher 314]

3 hours ago, Cerberus said:

Unless there's another book I'm unaware of, I think you may be thinking of David Frith there - Silence of the Heart is a tremendous and very moving work. Foot often wrote on troubled individuals though - some of whom, such as Harold Gimblett, did go on to take their own lives. 

Yes, you are correct. I was mixing up my David F's! I think I was remembering the Gimblett book - which was titled Tormented Genius?

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

4 hours ago, Cerberus said:

Unless there's another book I'm unaware of, I think you may be thinking of David Frith there - Silence of the Heart is a tremendous and very moving work. Foot often wrote on troubled individuals though - some of whom, such as Harold Gimblett, did go on to take their own lives. 

 

Frith's cheery book about cricketing suicides (I thought it was called By Their Own Hand?) had a forward written by Peter Roebuck, who later jumped to his death from a hotel balcony.

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3 hours ago, DevonDeathTrip said:

 

Frith's cheery book about cricketing suicides (I thought it was called By Their Own Hand?) had a forward written by Peter Roebuck, who later jumped to his death from a hotel balcony.

Roebuck was a horribly troubled individual. 

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5 hours ago, DevonDeathTrip said:

 

Frith's cheery book about cricketing suicides (I thought it was called By Their Own Hand?) had a forward written by Peter Roebuck, who later jumped to his death from a hotel balcony.

 

You're right it was originally published under that title, then updated with additional entries a few years later - still before Roebuck's demise though, I think. 

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An article with current photos of the surviving members of the 1981 Ashes England team which may be of interest 

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From those photos I'd say Boycott is likely to be one of the next to go but we knew that anyway. Gower and Botham have aged quite a lot recently but don't look ill. Most of the others pictured look ok. Brearley hasn't changed much recently. Gooch looks very good for late 60s and will probably make old bones.

 

Entire Australian squad from that series are all still batting (unlike England) but not much recent photographic evidence to go on. 

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Indian former-cricketer, umpire & coach Yashpal Sharma has died aged 66. 

 

He was a member of the ODI team that won the World Cup in 1983 (scoring 11 in the final) against a West Indies team containing Greenidge, Lloyd, Richards, Marshall, Holding & Roberts. 

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On 10/07/2021 at 23:32, Deathrace said:

From those photos I'd say Boycott is likely to be one of the next to go but we knew that anyway. Gower and Botham have aged quite a lot recently but don't look ill. Most of the others pictured look ok. Brearley hasn't changed much recently. Gooch looks very good for late 60s and will probably make old bones.

 

Entire Australian squad from that series are all still batting (unlike England) but not much recent photographic evidence to go on. 

If you read the piece it's clear that bowler Mike Hendrick will be the next to go. He's not expected to see out the year, apparently. As he put it "I'm in the departure lounge but the plane hasn't quite left yet"

 

Not sure he's sufficiently well-known enough for the Fifty but a name many of the committee would recognise, I'm sure.

 

Cricket star's cancer message after the most important catch of his life - Derbyshire Live (derbytelegraph.co.uk)

[YoungWillz 21,028]

On 08/06/2021 at 11:00, The Watcher said:

Foot was a fine writer and wrote an exceptionally regarded book on cricket suicides. John Woodcock has written very few cricket books but was cricket correspondent of The Times for decades and has met everyone from Bradman to Broad and Eileen Ash (Whelan) to John Manners. Woodcock whose paternal grandfather was born before the Battle of Waterloo nears his century with every completed run/year - something that Gerald Howat (another fine cricket writer) failed to do by 21 years.

 

John Woodcock doesn't make his century as his Times Obit testifies: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/times-cricket-writer-john-woodcock-dies-aged-94-mxjgt6t5p

[The Watcher 314]

21 hours ago, YoungWillz said:

John Woodcock doesn't make his century as his Times Obit testifies: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/times-cricket-writer-john-woodcock-dies-aged-94-mxjgt6t5p

So, with Woodcock's death, does anyone living have a parent (realistically a father) born as long ago as 1857 or a grandparent born as long ago as 1815? 

[gcreptile 10,964]

31 minutes ago, The Watcher said:

So, with Woodcock's death, does anyone living have a parent (realistically a father) born as long ago as 1857 or a grandparent born as long ago as 1815? 

Of course, you've come to the right place.

Harrison Ruffin Tyler, grandson of US president Tyler.

Father born in 1853: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyon_Gardiner_Tyler

Grandfather born in 1790: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tyler

 

Other curious cases, but dead, are the Civil War widows/daughters Irene Triplett and Helen Viola Jackson.

[YoungWillz 21,028]

On 15/07/2021 at 07:53, Cerberus said:

If you read the piece it's clear that bowler Mike Hendrick will be the next to go. He's not expected to see out the year, apparently. As he put it "I'm in the departure lounge but the plane hasn't quite left yet"

 

Not sure he's sufficiently well-known enough for the Fifty but a name many of the committee would recognise, I'm sure.

 

Cricket star's cancer message after the most important catch of his life - Derbyshire Live (derbytelegraph.co.uk)

Mike Hendrick is dead according to Derbyshire: 

 

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After Woolmer, Dilley and Willis, fourth of the Class of '81 to go, though he didn't play in any of that season's classic games, being involved only in the less memorable first and last Tests - his last for England, as it turned out. As mentioned above all of the Aussies are still going - and with no health issues that I know of.

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1 hour ago, Cerberus said:

After Woolmer, Dilley and Willis, fourth of the Class of '81 to go, though he didn't play in any of that season's classic games, being involved only in the less memorable first and last Tests - his last for England, as it turned out. As mentioned above all of the Aussies are still going - and with no health issues that I know of.

I fear the England cricket team of '81 are going to have an even worse outcome than the Boys of '66 in their match with the Grim Reaper. As I have remarked previously, very few are candidates for old bones. Like the West Germans, Kim Hughes's ragbag team of losers appears to be in the ascendancy in the game of life. 

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,684]

19 minutes ago, Deathrace said:

I fear the England cricket team of '81 are going to have an even worse outcome than the Boys of '66 in their match with the Grim Reaper. As I have remarked previously, very few are candidates for old bones. Like the West Germans, Kim Hughes's ragbag team of losers appears to be in the ascendancy in the game of life. 

 

They'll probably all be skittled out just before the end.

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1 hour ago, Cerberus said:

After Woolmer, Dilley and Willis, fourth of the Class of '81 to go, though he didn't play in any of that season's classic games, being involved only in the less memorable first and last Tests - his last for England, as it turned out. As mentioned above all of the Aussies are still going - and with no health issues that I know of.

To be fair if Graeme Wood, Ray Bright, Graham Yallop or Martin Kent were gravely ill would we necessarily know about it until it was too late? Perhaps our Australian correspondents could assist? 

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I remember watching Hendrick bowl on TV and benaud used to berate him on commentary for not pitching it up enough.

Apparently had he done so, in Benaud's opinion , he would have taken more wickets. 

Funny how little things like that stick with you.

RIP

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One of his predecessors at Derby, Brian Jackson, used to bowl what John Arlott called a 'grudging length' - which I take to mean one that hit high up the pad, and meant that the batsman was likely to get the benefit of the doubt on an lbw shout. I imagine that's what Benaud meant, and he may well have been right.