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Nathan Astle |
Full name Nathan John Astle
Born September 15, 1971, Christchurch, Canterbury
Major teams New Zealand, Canterbury, Derbyshire, Durham, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
One of cricket's free spirits, Nathan Astle became a lively all-rounder at Test and one-day level without losing his breezy confidence. He began at Canterbury as a no-account batsman and the most parsimonious of medium-paced bowlers, but his batting developed quickly. After becoming a free-scoring one-day player Astle was turned by the national coach Glenn Turner into a first-rate Test top-order batsman, with consecutive hundreds in West Indies in 1995-96. He ripped up the record books with his 222 against England, at Christchurch in 2001-02, which was the fastest double century in Tests, coming up off only 153 balls. A knee injury forced him out of action towards the end of 2003, but he was picked for the tour of England in 2004. Astle is now an assured batsman in both games, an expert slip-catcher, and an occasional medium-pace partnership-breaker. He may be a certain selection, but his laid-back attitude means he has never been considered for the captaincy, despite his seniority. His 10th Test match century was made against Sri Lanka in April 2005, followed soon after by his 11th. And in September, he became only the tenth man to score 15 ODI centuries, arguably becoming New Zealand's greatest one-day player. In 2006 he signed for Lancashire, although he wasn't at his ballistic best. He surprised most people by retiring from international cricket six weeks before the Word Cup, citing a lack of motivation. Six months later, he retired from first-class cricket as well.
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David Ripley |
Full name David Ripley
Born September 13, 1966, Leeds, Yorkshire
Major teams Northamptonshire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
David Ripley (born September 13, 1966, Leeds, Yorkshire) was a cricketer who played for Northamptonshire in county cricket from 1984-2001. He is the most successful wicketkeeper in the history of his county after Keith Andrew, with 678 catches and 85 stumpings. In his 307 first class games he scored 8693 runs @ 28.40 with 9 centuries.
Ripley was appointed vice-captain of Northamptonshire in 1999 and became captain in his final season, replacing Matthew Hayden. In 1998 he put on 401 for the 5th wicket with Mal Loye vs Glamorgan. To date they are the only Northamptonshire pair to ever put on 400 runs. His most prolific year with the gloves came in 1988 with 81 dismissals. In the same year he took 6 dismissals in an innings vs Sussex.
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Steven Rhodes |
Full name Steven John Rhodes
Born June 17, 1964, Dirk Hill, Bradford, Yorkshire
Major teams England, Worcestershire, Yorkshire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
The son of former Nottinghamshire keeper Billy Rhodes, Steve looks the part. In the wicketkeepers' tradition, he is stocky yet athletic, and a pugnacious batsman. He joined Yorkshire in 1981 and became the youngest keeper to play for the county. But as an understudy to the then Yorkshire captain and keeper David Bairstow, his opportunities were limited and he was released to join Worcestershire in 1985. He gained his county cap a year later and has served the club with great consistency for two decades.
One of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year in 1994, Rhodes made his Test debut in the same year against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, hitting 49 and taking six catches. He might have played for England much earlier, having been selected for the tour to India in 1988-89 that was cancelled for political reasons. He caught three of Devon Malcolm's nine victims in the famous Oval Test match of 1994 against South Africa, and went on to tour Australia in 1994-95.
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Gordon Barker |
Full name Gordon Barker
Born July 6, 1931, Bramley, Leeds, Yorkshire
Died February 10, 2006, Chelmsford, Essex (aged 74 years 219 days)
Major teams Essex, Marylebone Cricket Club
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Born in Bramley on July 6, 1931, Gordon dreamed of playing for his native county - but the competition around at that time was just too strong.
He made a big impact in the Bradford League in the early 1950s, when he opened the batting for Bowling Old Lane with Yorkshire's Doug Padgett, and he also had a spell with Farsley.
Gordon's big break came in the summer of 1954 when Essex captain Doug Insole spotted his talent while Gordon was playing for the Army.
Essex gave him a trial. On his debut against the Canadians at Clacton in early August he began with a duck, but scored an unbeaten 107 in the second innings.
Gordon played in 444 First Class matches for Essex between 1954 and 1971, and he was capped for the county in 1955. He made his top score of 181 not out against Kent at Colchester in 1961, and he topped 1,000 runs in a season 15 times.
His vintage summer was 1960, when he rattled up 1,741 runs for an average of 36.27. In all First Class matches he scored 22,288 runs and hit 30 centuries. A fine all-round sportsman, Gordon also played football for Southend United.
Gordon attended Yorkshire's Championship match against Somerset at Scarborough in 2004, when he was entertained by Committee members Nigel Adams and Simon Parsons...they bought him something he had never been able to get for himself - a Yorkshire cap! |
Barry Stead |
Full name Barry Stead
Born June 21, 1939, Leeds, Yorkshire
Died April 15, 1980, (aged 40 years 299 days)
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Left-arm fast-medium
For almost two decades one of the most riveting sights in county cricket was the frantic, scuttling approach to the crease of fast-medium left-arm bowler Barry Stead, news of whose death from cancer on April 15 saddened the cricket community. He was 40. Born in Leeds, Stead had a dramatic debut for his native county, taking 7 for 76 against the 1959 Indians at Bradford. One further appearance for Yorkshire followed, but in 1960 and 1961 he played for Combined Services and then joined Nottinghamshire, whom he was to serve regularly until 1976, the year of his benefit. Capped in 1969, when he was top wicket-taker with 71, he returned the best figures of his career three years later, when Somerset were demolished for 107, Stead 8 for 44 (including a hat-trick - Virgin, Cooper and Close), the other two wickets falling to Sobers. Stead's match figures were 12 for 111, and that season he went on to head the Nott's bowling with 93 wickets at 20.33. In 1973 his 49 Championship wickets were the most for the county, too, and after having waited for several years to establish himself, he was now a game, willing and valuable member of the attack. Cricket was Barry Stead's life, and in 1975-76 he followed the sun to South Africa, playing for Northern Transvaal. And as the Rice-Hadlee era dawned at Trent Bridge, and Stead's pace began to wane, he enjoyed some league cricket. Not always, perhaps, the luckiest of cricketers, he was called back by an injury-hit Nott's in 1978 and had the desperate fortune to miss a difficult, lofted catch from Lancashire's Jack Simmons which decided the John Player League match before the eyes of millions of television-viewers. Through his discomfiture, characteristically he managed a wide and ruddy grin.
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Tim Boon |
Full name Timothy James Boon
Born November 1, 1961, Balby, Doncaster, Yorkshire
Major teams Leicestershire, Natal, Norfolk
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Tim Boon was a right-hand top-order batsman who was a key part of the Leicestershire side for a decade from the mid 1980s. In 1980 he toured the Caribbean as captain of England Young Cricketers (the forerunners of the Under-19 side) but he only secured a regular first-team place with Leicestershire in 1984, passing 1000 runs for the first of seven occasions. He retired after his benefit in 1995 and went into coaching. In 2006 he returned to Grace Road as the county's senior coach. |
Ashley Metcalfe |
Full name Ashley Anthony Metcalfe
Born December 25, 1963, Horsforth, Yorkshire
Major teams Cumberland, Nottinghamshire, Orange Free State, Yorkshire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Ashley Metcalfe was an attacking opening batsman He scored a hundred on his debut for Yorkshire in 1983, putting on 248 for the first wicket with Geoff Boycott, and he underlined his one-day credentials with a Sunday League century the following summer. In 1986 he scored 1803 runs, including six hundreds, being named the Young Player of the Year and coming close to being selected for that winter's Ashes tour. He continued to score well, forming a solid opening partnership with Martyn Moxon, his best year coming in the batsman-friendly summer of 1990 when he made 2047 and 51.17, including another six hundreds. In between, he was a key part of Yorkshire's 1987 B&H success, winning four Gold Awards as well as scoring more one-day runs in the summer than anyone else. He left Yorkshire for Nottinghamshire in 1995 . He then continued to play Minor County cricket for Cumberland.
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Raymond Illingworth
More Pictures of Raymond |
Full name Raymond Illingworth
Born June 8, 1932, Pudsey, Yorkshire
Major teams England, Leicestershire, Yorkshire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1960
Ray Illingworth was one of England's most successful captains, as well as being a top-quality off-spinner with batting good enough to be considered an all-rounder. Bowling from a modest angled run, Illingworth approached the crease at a flat-footed trot, bowling with an upright action from close to the stumps. He varied pace and flight well, and his arm-ball was particularly effective, gaining him many wickets to slip catches as the batsman played for spin that was not there. With the bat he was unspectacular, and certainly not stylish, but was very effective. Many of his best innings were played when his team was struggling, where his determination not to throw his wicket away made him a tough opponent. A tough, uncompromising man, he thought deeply about the game, and translated his insight into imaginative and successful captaincy.
Born in that cradle of Yorkshire cricket, Pudsey, his talent as an off-spinner was recognised early and he made his debut for his native county when under 20. He was capped in 1955, and continued success at the county level earned him a Test debut in 1958. He played all five Tests on his first tour, to the West Indies in 1959/60. A fine series against India in 1967 finally established him in the team, but at the age of 35 his long-term career prospects looked poor. 1969 marked a renaissance - frustrated at his home club, he took up the offer of the Leicestershire captaincy, and when Cowdrey was injured he took over as England captain. He had immediate success in both positions, leading England to a series wins over West Indies and New Zealand. His batting seemed to be transformed by the captaincy, and he became a very capable number seven. There was no tour that winter and in 1970, Illingworth led England against a Rest of the World side after the cancellation of the South Africa tour. In 1970/71 he recorded his greatest triumph, leading England to Ashes victory, making useful runs, taking wickets, and above all captaining superbly. He developed an intense loyalty from his players, and supported them to the hilt, even to the extent of incurring the wrath of spectators and umpires alike by leading them off the field after spectator trouble in Sydney. More success followed, with series wins over New Zealand and Pakistan, and retaining the Ashes at home in 1972. A loss against India in 1971 was tempered by his second Test century and bowling success. After England were beaten by the West Indies in 1973, he stepped down as England captain. He was still bowling as well as ever, and Leicestershire benefited from his return, winning the Championship in 1975.
He retired in 1978 and returned to Yorkshire as team manager. In 1982 he returned to captain Yorkshire at the age of 50, and lead them to the Sunday League title the next season before finally retiring. He remained at Yorkshire as manager until 1984, and later took on a similar position for England. His reigned as England chairman of selectors and manager for three years, he stepped down in 1997.
He was awarded the CBE for services to cricket, and was also made an honorary member of the MCC. |
Phillip Carrick |
Full name Phillip Carrick
Born July 16, 1952, Armley, Leeds, Yorkshire
Died January 11, 2000, Steeton, Keighley, Yorkshire (aged 47 years 179 days)
Major teams Eastern Province, Northern Transvaal, Yorkshire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Slow left-arm orthodox
Phil Carrick was born in Armley, Leeds, and began his first-class career in 1970. The left-arm spinner, nicknamed "Fergie", took more than 1,000 wickets over his 23 year career and fell just six runs short of hitting 10,000 first class runs for Yorkshire. His bowling partnership with Geoff Cope was a very successful one for the county. He captained Yorkshire to victory over Northamptonshire in the 1987 Benson and Hedges Cup, having had his benefit year in 1985. As well as Yorkshire he spent two seasons playing in South Africa with Eastern Province and Northern Transvaal. After retiring from first-class cricket in 1993 he continued to play local league cricket and also had success as an umpire for the ECB.
He died of leukaemia aged 47 on January 11th 2000 |
Kevin Sharp |
Full name Kevin Sharp
Born April 6, 1959, Leeds, Yorkshire
Major teams Griqualand West, Shropshire, Yorkshire
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Kevin Sharp is a former English cricketer who had a 14 year first-class career playing for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Griqualand West cricket team. He was a left-handed batsman and bowled right-arm offspin.
Born on 6 April 1959 in Leeds, Yorkshire, Sharp is another of the lost talents of English cricket. Unlike his contemporary David Gower, this gifted, curly haired left handed batsman failed to do justice to his talent and did not win the England cap predicted after he scored 260* for England Young Cricketers in 1978.
Sharp made his first-class debut for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1976 and was awarded his Yorkshire first team cap in 1982. As well as Yorkshire he spent three seasons with Griqualand West in South Africa between 1981 and 1984 playing 17 first-class matches averaging just under 40.
Sharp played for Shropshire in the Minor Counties from 1993 to 1997.
After retiring from the game he has worked as a batting coach for Yorkshire and as an umpire. |
Niel Mallender
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Full name Neil Alan Mallender
Born August 13, 1961, Kirk Sandall, Yorkshire
Major teams England, Northamptonshire, Otago, Somerset
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Neil Mallender received his big chance late in life, and seized the opportunity wonderfully well. Selected for England at the age of 30 to play against Pakistan on a seaming Headingley pitch in 1992, his was the epitome of a "horses for courses" selection. He took 5 for 50 and eight wickets in the match (the best figures by an English debutant for nine years), helping to win the game and thereby ensuring his selection for the final Test of the series. He found conditions harder at The Oval, but stuck to his task well on a good batting track. It was felt that he would struggle on Indian pitches and he was discarded before the tour to India and Sri Lanka, a decision that Richie Benaud, among others, described as "disgraceful."
Nickmaned "Ghostie" on account of his almost albino complexion, Mallender was born in Yorkshire, but began his first-class career for Northamptonshire in 1980, having impressed on a tour of the West Indies with England Young Cricketers. A right-arm fast-medium bowler, and an increasingly useful lower-order batsman, he was capable of bowling at a sharp pace, operating within himself and using the conditions expertly. He won his county cap in 1984, but moved to Somerset in 1987. He was an important part of the rebuilding process at Taunton, and soon became popular with members and players alike. He had come close to selection twice previously for England, both times in New Zealand, when the touring side were struggling with injuries. In 1983-84 and 1991-92 he missed out narrowly as England searched for replacements to injury-hit squads.
Neil Mallender spent several winters (1983-84 to 1992-93) playing for Otago in New Zealand, for whom he became something of a local. He captained the side for two years (1990-91, 1991-92) and generally revelled in the New Zealand conditions, always featuring near the top of the bowling averages. He scored his only first-class century in 1991-92 against Central Districts and was awarded the rare honour, to a foreigner, of a testimonial. Always whole-hearted and sometimes inspired, he left Somerset after a richly deserved benefit season in 1994 to return to Northamptonshire. But the length of time between injuries became ever shorter, and the body could clearly take no more. He called it a day in 1996 with 937 first-class wickets, and nearly 5,000 runs.
He became a respected first-class umpire, having been appointed to the list in 1999, and quickly rose through the ranks to stand in his first one-day international when England played Pakistan at Lord's in 2001. He made his umpiring Test debut at Lahore in October 2003. |
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