Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been a thorn in England’s side ever since he debuted against them as a wet-behind-the-ears 19-year-old back in 1994. In that match the Lilliputian leftie made 62 in a crushing innings victory on his home ground in Guyana and 18 years later, with the glory days but a distant memory, he continues to cling on, limpet-like and resolute to the last.

He has been a near constant presence at the crease in contests between West Indies and England over the last three decades, particularly on these shores. In 2004 the Windies were whitewashed emphatically but Chanderpaul was steel personified, averaging 70 plus for the series, including 225 unbeaten runs at Lord’s.  Three years later, he was more or less immovable; going 1,074 minutes without being dismissed and averaging 148.66 in a series the tourists lost 3-0.

The first day of this series provided a familiar tale, with the 37-year-old digging deep and the West Indians showing flashes of brilliance – not least from their pocket-sized opener Adrian Barath, who carved England’s bowlers for nine boundaries on his way to 42 before throwing his wicket away with an ill-advised slash outside off stump – but ultimately failing to make the most of their opportunity on what looks a featherbed track by shooting themselves in the foot at crucial moments.

In truth, Chanderpaul was responsible for the worst piece of cricket of the day – selling Darren Bravo a dummy that left both batsmen at one end and resulted in Bravo’s dismissal just as a promising partnership was developing – but, that abomination aside, Barath and Marlon Samuels could learn a lot from watching the veteran at the crease after playing shots they will wish they hadn’t when well set. Chanderpaul went about his business at Lord’s in the way that he always does: blocking or leaving anything that he judged to be remotely threatening and easing into anything loose, sending the ball to the boundary with exquisite, effortless timing.

He is often described as an ‘ugly’ batsman, but that does him a disservice. His crouched, awkward stance – which gives the impression he is about to receive a delivery from mid-wicket – may not be easy on the eye and it certainly won’t be found in any textbooks, but by the time the ball arrives he is perfectly still and in a position to play shots all round the wicket with the minimum of fuss.

Fresh off the back of a wonderful series against Australia that saw him reinstalled as the world’s No.1 Test batsman, Chanderpaul arrived in England in fine fettle and with plenty of runs behind him (more than 10,000 now in Tests – just the 10th batsman to achieve the milestone). Arriving at the crease at 86-3 he began cautiously before showing signs of aggression against Graeme Swann, sweeping the spinner for four before driving him through mid-off in a manner that was anything but ugly.

But an all too familiar pattern was emerging as Samuels and Denesh Ramdin fell in quick succession to Stuart Broad, leaving Chanderpaul in his well-accustomed role of marshalling the tail. It’s a role he cannot relish but it is one he excels at and as his teammates flail at the other end, he looks ever less likely to get out.

And so it proved again today as Chanderpaul reached stumps unbeaten on 87 with only the No.11 Shannon Gabriel for support and his side 243-9 – a below-par effort on a batsman-friendly track that Andrew Strauss must have been tempted to bat first on. The vulnerability of the West Indies top-order would have been a significant factor in his decision after winning the toss and the England skipper will feel justified in his decision to put them in after what he has seen today.

England will sincerely be hoping it won’t take another 1,074 minutes to dismiss Chanderpaul in this series, but even it does, the West Indies’ frailties elsewhere mean it is unlikely to have an impact on the end result.

Click here to read Ed Kemp’s account of the sights and sounds of Lord’s on day one of the Test match summer

First day. First Test. Lord’s.

It’s tempting to leave this article at that. There’s something special about the first morning of a Test whenever or wherever it is. But the first of the summer, at HQ?  The gentle hum of the excited, anticipating crowd, the almost implausible green of the outfield, the buzzing of the fans as they find their seats, the chatter of the media types…  it’s everything you want and expect from an early start at the Home of Cricket.

I’ve got a confession to make: I’m on debut here. Not in the team (you’d have heard already if England’s selection had been quite so left-field), but on the first morning of the first Test of the summer. I’ve been around a bit, but not managed the curtain raiser of the international season, until now. Today, it’s leant an extra dimension by the presence of the debutant Jonny Bairstow (as well as the West indies’ Shannon Gabriel). Handed his cap by Geoffrey Boycott – a friend and teammate of his late father, David – Bairstow spent his first hour of Test cricket fielding at backward point in front of an almost packed Lord’s. I imagine he’s had worse days.

After such a miserable few weeks weather-wise, it really feels like the start of summer: walking through the gates here, the ground staff were trimming the turf on the Nursery Ground – it’s the first time in 2012 I’ve smelt cut grass. Before you’ve even settled down for refreshment, it’s an intoxicating place. We’re met by some strikingly dressed (almost circus garb) Caribbean ladies offering everyone the chance to win a trip to Barbados. The place is buzzing.

It’s where I always placed myself as a dreamy cricket-loving child. I was England captain, striding through the long room and out on to the green turf, drinking in the historic ground. Then I watch Strauss and Sammy doing the toss in their blazers, and the anticipation amongst the spectators filling up the stands is palpable. First up: Straussy wins the toss, and sticks the tourists in, reckoning it would do a bit first up. He reckoned right.

It’s a flat track here of course, but there’s a bit in it, and crucially those clouds above are helping it hoop in the air. Look up, not down, they say. Anderson’s long first spell was a further exhibition of his mastery of swing bowling. Adrian Barath has been driving well – though Jimmy won’t mind him playing the shot.

After being hit for a couple of good fours by the solid looking right-hander, Jimmy finally got a go at the lefty, Kieran Powell (mistaken for ‘Pollard’ by the Lord’s scoreboard operator initially). Mid-off came in to short extra – the only off side fielder in front of square – he played and missed at an outswinger. Jimmy continued: out, out, out, then in. And out went Powell: he was tyring to leave and only realised too late that Jimmy had sent him an inducker, coming in and demolishing the top of off stump. Wonderful stuff.

Some tidy top-order batting, some masterful new ball bowling: proper Test cricket. For all the atmosphere and excitement, the festival feel of what is a special occasion, it’s still the play itself that is the most thrilling attraction.

Click here to read Michael Vaughan’s predictions for the England v West Indies series

I left my post as ECB Marketing Director in 2003 (when cricket was still on Channel 4 – that long ago!) and have been a sports marketing consultant ever since. Three years ago, my good friend David Morgan called me to say that the West Indies Cricket Board was looking for help on their marketing – and I’ve worked with the Windies for the past two years.

I first visited the Caribbean in March 1981 when England was touring and up against a fearsome attack of Roberts, Holding, Garner and Croft. The batting wasn’t bad either – Greenidge, Haynes, Richards & Lloyd to the fore! Botham’s England drew a rain-affected fourth Test in Antigua that year but lost the series, and although I had been hooked on Caribbean cricket since 1963 (when I saw my first Test Match at Lord’s when Dexter, Close Trueman & Shackleton took on Worrell, Butcher, Hall, Griffith and Sobers in the most famous drawn match) I had now experienced cricket in the West Indies first-hand – nothing short of joyous.

Until the late 1980s, there was little to distract a young boy from one of the main island pastimes. There was little American influence in the region. No cable television. Usually just one free-to-air station per island. Few affordable flights to whisk many young West Indians away to North America. Little sport to watch on TV, no computers or mobile phones… so plenty of time to play and easy to be spotted and rise up the ranks to the island team. Remember that in those days, Barbados alone could probably challenge the world.

Since the 1990s all that has changed. Australia had inaugurated the first national cricket academy and they were becoming a force to be reckoned with, and whilst Lara, Walsh and Ambrose kept West Indies competitive, others were catching up. Meanwhile a cultural change was taking place in the region.

People often refer to West Indians latching onto basketball but that was only a very small part of the whole picture. American influence grew in the islands through property, banking and tourism but cable television did not just bring basketball. It also brought MTV, fashion, and the rise of the ‘bling culture’.

Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh have yet to be adequately replaced

Young West Indians could now travel more easily to the US and Canada, helped by the tying of local Caribbean dollars to the US dollar. US College sports scholarships, especially for basketball and track and field, offered a funded degree and early recognition of athletic prowess – but not at cricket, these talents were in effect lost to the game.

They could also sit at home and log on to their computers. They could watch basketball, yes – but English Premier League too. They simply got used to the couch as well as the playground. In recent years, an obesity problem has emerged in the Caribbean. Not just a cricketing but also a social challenge. The grass roots were therefore weakened as other interests and aspirations took centre stage. Athletics had always been a source of national pride (and remains so nowhere more than Jamaica!) but soccer also became a gateway to the world’s second biggest global stage as Jamaica (1998), then Trinidad (2006) qualified for Soccer World Cup Finals.

West Indies cricket administration was slow to adapt to the modern sporting era and did not, whilst in the ascendancy, respond the need to build a regional infrastructure for success – easier said than done when the West Indies is only an entity in cricket – and without strong leadership, easily becomes a region hard to organise. As money became more accessible (particularly to other cricket Boards and cricketers), so disputes between the Board and its players (and Players’ Association) became more commonplace.

What should have been a chance for cricket to regain centre stage in the Caribbean, the World Cup in 2007, was the worst edition ever as crowds were over priced and policed by ICC and the legacy appeared to be larger stadiums with fewer fans, especially for Test Cricket where the Windies were now struggling. The advance of IPL and T20 saw a relationship with Allan Stanford that at least revived some interest in island cricket but ended in tears. No more so than when certain players professed more interest in the riches on offer in India than representing their region.

Darren Bravo is helping to re-ignite interest in the West Indies Test side

So is it all doom & gloom? Not at all. Although the Caribbean is a small economy struggling in a world recession, the natural cricketing talent is still there in abundance. It’s just that now cricket has to be really organised in order to compete with the likes of India and, of course, England – who have grown in stature since the formation of ECB and are now top of two piles (T20 Champions and Test Rankings) after 14 years’ determined work.

After several CEOs came and went in the early 2000s, Dr Ernest Hilaire took the reins at WICB in late 2009 and has already started to transform the way in which cricket is organised. A Cricket Academy was launched in Barbados last year, a revitalised Kiddies Cricket programme has been re-launched and a new secondary school programme introduced.

Concerted moves are in place to raise standards of cricket clubs, pitches, umpires & coaches to name just a few key areas. The new men’s team under Darren Sammy is beginning to show competitive signs, evidenced by Devendra Bishoo winning the ICC Emerging Player of 2011. Darren Bravo has real potential (reminding many aficionados of Lara) as does Kemar Roach and several others.

Meanwhile the men’s age group teams – Under 19, Academy, and Combined Campuses & Colleges are beginning to bear fruit. Windies Women are climbing up the rankings and the Caribbean T20 (in which English counties now participate) is drawing back the crowds. The England Lions found the four-Day competition in February and March last year to be very competitive, only winning 2 of their 7 matches.

With a new strategic plan being launched in 2012, watch out for a Caribbean cricket revival. It may take some time and the road may not always be smooth, but one thing is for sure: once the Windies start performing and rising up the rankings, the crowds will return and success should bring its rewards with a greater level of corporate/media support and investment so that the virtuous circle associated with well organised cricketing organisations can be put in place.

Click here to read Rohan Kallicharan’s assessment of the West Indies pace attack

But during these dark days there remained one shining light: the irrepressible Darren Gough. A year prior to plummeting to the bottom of the pile, Dazzler emerged from the gloom and gave England supporters something to smile about by bowling his side to a famous victory over South Africa.

Darren Gough – Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1999

First published in the 1999 Wisden Almanack

There are two different England teams these days. This is nothing to do with the increasingly disparate Test and one-day sides, because the difference affects them both. One lot is the downbeat, fatalistic crew who have become all too familiar: heads bowed, expecting the worst. The other is seen when Darren Gough is fit and firing.

At Old Trafford against New Zealand in 1994, Gough made one of the most sensational Test debuts of modern times. He took a wicket in his first over and had figures of four for 47. Earlier, he had gone out and hit a rousing 65, with 10 fours. He was 23 years old. Everyone yelled “New Botham”, which was not a Yorkshire mining village but already a cliché, and later a rather sad joke.

That winter, with England having been humiliated in the Melbourne Test, they went to Sydney looking hopeless. One young man took the game by the scruff. England 309 (Gough 51, and a thrilling 51 at that). Australia 116 all out (Gough six for 49). The Test was not quite won, but its hero was suddenly the hottest property in English sport. He was young, good-looking, an authentic Yorkshireman with that air of sleeves-up defiance which the nation adores. Vast wealth as well as glory looked a certainty.

But Gough had felt pain in his left foot even while the cheers were echoing. He ignored it. In a one-day international a few days later, he broke down and went home with his foot in plaster. It took four years to recapture that exuberance, in which time his career veered between wretched injuries and fated comebacks. His batting form went to pieces. And at the start of England’s next Ashes tour, he became the sort of bowler everyone drops catches off, which was never Botham’s fate. He was a star who twinkled rather than blazed.

And yet the omens of 1994 have been proved right. And in 1998 he delivered. At Headingley, with his home crowd roaring him on, he ripped through South Africa’s second innings to settle the series: six for 42 – three of them in a dramatic opening burst. Then he was at the heart of England’s epic win in Melbourne before starting 1999 with a hat-trick in the Sydney Test. In any case, Gough’s contribution to the team cannot merely be computed. He is an inspirational cricketer in an uninspiring era. And his successes make the Tests he has missed even more poignant.

Darren Gough was born at Barnsley on September 18, 1970. No town in cricket has such a rich tradition of character and characters: Geoffrey Boycott, Dickie Bird, Michael Parkinson. Gough was not born straight into the tradition. His father, a pest control officer, was a sports fan rather than a performer. But young Darren quickly established himself as a breathtakingly good sportsman and, at school, was captain of football, rugby and athletics as well as cricket.

Football came first, and was the centre of Gough’s early ambitions as he went through the Barnsley FC youth system and then became a Government-funded trainee at Rotherham United. He was a midfielder – “stylish” he insists – modelling himself on Glenn Hoddle, and dreaming of a transfer to Tottenham. It never happened. “It was a time when football was all about quick runners, and I wasn’t good enough.” But then came another traineeship: this time with Yorkshire. And the club thought enough of him to give him a go in the first team right at the start of the 1989 season. The side travelled from Leeds to Lord’s by train. Darren’s dad took him to the station; David Bairstow, the captain, gave the lad, just 18, a big bearhug and promised Dad he would look after him. Pressure can override promises. Gough had to bowl 13 consecutive overs in the second innings. He ended up injured, and played only once more all season.

As seems to be Gough’s fate, fulfilment came slower than expected. He remained a member of the first-team squad, considered too valuable to be wasted much in the Second Eleven, but he was not getting enough chances to be kept happy. At the start of 1993, he thought he would give it one more season before thinking about another county. Then the opportunities came, and he grabbed them: 57 first-class wickets that season, followed by an A tour to South Africa, and his Test debut. But the glory was transient. He played again in 1995 when not quite ready. For a while, he ceased to be a certain choice, and was ignored (mysteriously) through the summer of 1996. In 1997, he began to feel pains in his left leg and was forced to pull out of the West Indies tour. When he reappeared, at Edgbaston, he broke a finger.

But the selectors knew now how much they wanted him: David Graveney, the chairman, called him the pulse of the team. And when Gough came back into the South Africa series, so did England. His bowling was highly skilled by now. Though he could not match Allan Donald on the speedometer, he was consistently quicker than anyone else, and was able to offer just about every other weapon in the fast bowling armoury as well – with the possible exception of really telling bounce. Pace bowlers like Gough who are not six-footers tend to produce deliveries that skid rather than leap.

Above all, though, in a team of brooders and worriers, he stood out for his bullish enthusiasm. England need Darren Gough, and not just for his wickets.

© John Wisden & Co

First published in 1864, The Wisden Almanack is still recognised throughout the cricket world as the definitive recorder of the game. Click here to buy the 2012 edition of the Wisden Almanack

Who? Shannon Gabriel

Age? 24

Two parts country singer, to one part heavenly vision? Steady on. He’s a strapping 6ft 4in quick from Trinidad and Tobago, and one of the first graduates of the Caribbean’s Loughborough equivalent – the Sagicor High Performance Centre in Barbados. He was selected in the Windies A Team in November 2011 and evidence suggests he’s a very decent if rather raw prospect.

What are his plans for the summer? Funny you should ask. He was supposed to be playing league cricket for Barrow CC in the Northern League. But the patrons of the north can rest a little easier now, as Gabriel’s found himself in the West Indies touring squad to play England.

Quite a step up. You sure he’ll be up for it? According to the experts he could well be. He regularly breaks the 90mph barrier, and Colin Croft says “he has the potential to be as quick as Ian Bishop”, Shiv Chanderpaul reckons “he’s got a bright future in West Indian cricket” and Curtly Ambrose said he “enjoyed seeing him play and can see him fitting in the attack if he keeps his game at this high standard.”

Praise indeed. But will he even be needed? Possibly. The Windies were a bowler short in last month’s 2-0 series loss against the Aussies, with Fidel Edwards injured and Jerome Taylor out of favour. Edwards is back to lead the attack with the brilliant Kemar Roach in support, with Ravi Rampaul wobbling through the overs as back-up. But of that three, only Roach convinces; as the series rolls on, expect Gabriel to be unleashed.

We’ve heard all this before though. Fidel Edwards was supposed to be the next best thing and he’s got a Test match bowling average close to 40! So, which is it, potential West Indian fast bowling legend or another false dawn? Evidence suggests he has the pace and fire to terrorise batsmen for years to come. And he certainly has the support of the old guard of quicks who recognise raw pace above all else. But a match against the Windward Islands last February might contradict that. He wasted an opportunity to impress the Windies skipper Darren Sammy by trying to pepper him. Sammy responded by sending the rest of the spell to the boundary. Gabriel then had to be calmed down by his Trinidad captain Denesh Ramdin.

There’s nothing wrong with a hot head though is there? No, not if he can be controlled. Holding, Roberts and Marshall were all aggressive, but they were good enough to be. Gabriel might not be there yet, but if (when) the Windies find themselves chasing the series, don’t be surprised if they throw the ball to the big lad with instructions to do as much damage as possible.

Words: Isaac Crowson

Click here to read Rohan Kallicharan’s England v West Indies Test series preview

Vaughan says: “In their own conditions, England are a formidable Test side and, weather permitting, 3-0 is very much on the cards. Expect Jimmy Anderson to shine with the ball throughout the series and my shout is for Ian Bell to pile on the runs at Lord’s.

“After a pretty disappointing winter in the UAE and Sri Lanka, which included a series whitewash against Misbah-ul-Haq’s Pakistan side and a hard-fought drawn series against Sri Lanka, England are back on home soil.

“And we all know what that means – Anderson, Stuart Broad and company swinging the ball around corners and opposition batsmen edging the ball time and again into the gloves of Matt Prior and the grateful hands of Andrew Strauss and Graeme Swann in the slips. Well, that’s the plan anyway.

“A lot has been said about what went wrong during the winter so we won’t go over all that again. Suffice to say this is a wonderful opportunity for England to whitewash an inexperienced West Indies side in favourable conditions. Of the Windies’ likely top seven, only Shivnarine Chanderpaul has experience of playing over here before. The little left-hander will be the absolute key wicket and will make life tough for England’s bowlers, but beyond him it’s hard to see who is going to spend enough time at the crease to get big, matchwinning scores.

“I like both Fidel Edwards and Kemar Roach and they can both produce spells of rapid pace bowling. But using the cherry in English conditions is a skill that takes a fair bit of getting used to, especially at Lord’s, the venue for the first Test, where the slope provides a unique feature that has caused trouble for some of the finest bowlers in the game.

“Unless one of the three Tests is heavily affected by rain and we lose more than a day’s play, I can’t see any outcome in the series other than a whitewash. So 3-0 to England in the Series score market at 2.7 (1/1) is an obvious starting point as far as our wagers go.

“James Anderson is for me the best fast bowler in the world with the possible exception of Dale Steyn. Bowling with the new ball in England in May against an inexperienced batting line-up, Anderson will feel like a kid in a sweet shop. Like all the best bowlers, he’ll be targeting five-wicket hauls, not just the odd wicket here and there, and he looks the man to side with as the series top wicker-taker at around 3.5 (2/1).

“A big element of England’s success over the past couple of years has been their consistency in terms of selection. It’s been very much the same 12 or 13 players who have featured in series after series and they’ve kept their places by delivering big performances. Eoin Morgan was probably the one player who didn’t quite play to the level that both he and the selectors would have hoped and that’s cost him his place in the Test side, at least for the time being. But the others have all contributed.

“That said, we have a new face in the Test side – Jonny Bairstow. Whether he would have been selected ahead of a fit Ravi Bopara is something we may never know, but it’s provided the Yorkshireman with a golden chance to prove he’s ready to play at this level.

“Bairstow’s two biggest assets are that he seems to score runs for his county when they really need him to and that he is an extremely phlegmatic young man, nothing seems to faze him. In addition to that he can play the big shots, as well as being solid in defence, so all in all we have an exciting young prospect who looks to have all the assets to be a really good international batsman.

“Lord’s in May can be a really difficult place to score runs. I’m almost certain the ball will swing early on so life could be tough for the openers on both sides. I don’t think Andrew Strauss will be that worried about the outcome of the toss because he’ll be confident that his bowlers can exploit favourable conditions and that his batsmen have the experience to deal with the moving ball. But Darren Sammy may think his team’s best chance is to bowl first and take early wickets to put England under the right amount of pressure.

“A win for the Three Lions looks a sure thing to me at 1.47 but rather than take that pretty short price, I prefer a punt that the match will end on the afternoon session of day four, at 9.2. I think England will be capable of posting a score of over 400 at least once, which will take time to compile, so I don’t think it will all be over before the end of day three.

“Batting may be tough early on so I’ll be giving the top-order a miss and siding with someone in the middle-order for England’s batting honours. Kevin Pietersen would be an obvious choice but I actually prefer the chances of Ian Bell, who has been in fine county form and has a habit of scoring runs early on in a series.”

Vaughan’s Suggested Tips:

Back England to win the series 3-0 @ around 2.78
Back James Anderson to be top series wicket-taker @ around 2.94
Back Afternoon Day 4 in the First Match Test End market @ around 9.2
Back Ian Bell to be England First Innings top batsman @ around 6.4

Slazenger have been through a bit of a reinvention. Shiny new stickering and a distinctive set of branded grips make their latest selection of bats pretty eye-catching, and the newest, the V360, even made it to 11th place in the AOC Gear Test, where Slazenger were described as a “resurgent” equipment brand.

So it was with some interest that I took a brand new bat – the V500 – into the nets recently, this one, unlike those at the Gear Test, fully stickered and gripped up, looking snazzy. It’s the biggest, heaviest blade in the brand’s range, “for batsmen that require maximum power without compromise” according to the overview on the Slazenger website. So as I strode to the crease, I got myself into uncompromising batting mood.

It’s a bit of a change for Slaz, all this. Some of us used to think of them as traditional, strokemakers’ sticks. But as we know, these days bats must offer all things to all men, and although this is far from the lightest available now – it weighs in at 2lb11oz – it is generously proportioned for that. With a suggested sale price of £360, it ain’t cheap – but you can obviously buy it for a fair bit less than that at most retailers.

All that said, the V500 is a bit of a club – a thick, oval handle helps you present a dense, chunky blade; surely too heavy for some, but the majority of club cricketers should be able to wield it effectively. The long, thick handle and low meaty middle mean it is most suited to smashing full balls over the top, down the ground.

During my net, I hit bigger and further straight than I usually do (although obviously that’s not necessarily saying much) and although it’s a thick blade it feels fairly smooth and controlled on the downswing by virtue of the carved out sections on the back of the blade.

Overall, it’s large, and it hits the ball a long way – probably more one for Kieron Pollard than Ian Bell, but (the Ultimate is Slazenger’s top grade willow) made of the right stuff.

Are there any other bats you think this would compare to? Or do you have a Slazenger? Share your thoughts with us.

Any questions for a batmaker? Get them in before our live chat with the master batmaker at Laver & Wood on Monday May 21. Tweet #batmaker or join the discussion on the Custom Bats Forum.

“I’ve made countless mistakes in my life; it would be hypocritical of me to judge others too harshly”
Andy Flower learns us all

“A stand-up set can be equated to the first session of a Test match. Ideally you want to be 90-1, but I’ve had some gigs where I’ve been 40-8 with a couple of batsmen in hospital”
Andy Zaltzman explains the comedy of cricket

“I was far too much of a wimp to say a word to him, as he’s such a legend and all, so I kept my head down and let him continue on his merry way”
AOC’s diarist Steve Finn can’t cope with Graham Taylor’s legend

“A fair multitude of stars facing off against each other; a shrieking backdrop of hysterical fans, Bollywood icons and grinning Lolitas on shaking dance podiums: what could be wrong with that?”
AOC tries to figure out the appeal of the IPL

“I’d do alright if I played Test cricket”
‘Dangerous’ Dave Masters doesn’t muck about

“People who coached me would say: ‘Come on Tudes – get fired up!’ and I’d say: ‘That’s not me bruv’”
Alex Tudor: cool for cats

“The rest of the lads are starting to believe the lucky charm thing as well. They say ‘Oh, it’s alright, Brezzy’s playing this week.’ But it’s totally the wrong attitude!”
Tim Bresnan is most definitely not a cuddly toy

“The day before the match I was asked to bowl from 15 yards to Dennis Amiss to get him prepared for facing Michael Holding and the rest. That’s great psychology for me: I’m opening the bowling for England tomorrow and you reckon I’m seven yards slower than the West Indies’ fast bowlers”
Mike Selvey on the good old days

“Where are my stumps?”
Lefty Langman gets existential

And remember…

“Cricket is just meaningless encounters between groups of pathetic, sexually inadequate no-hopers”

We are not alone.

The new issue of All Out Cricket is in shops from May 17. Click here to subscribe and save yourselves a walk to the shops

The total currently stands at almost £1,500, with the donation page open until Monday May 27, so log on now and spare a couple of quid for a truly great cause.

In an inspiring story of endurance and determination in the name of a worthy charity, here’s Tom’s story. It’s a good watch.

Click here to see this week’s Caught On Camera

Ajit Agarkar Surprises Everyone

Before this Test, Agarkar’s batting record for India was embarrassing – Indian fans didn’t fancy him as a bowler, let alone as a batsman. He was a genuine tailender, with an impressive record of consecutive ducks. But suddenly, unexpectedly, one day at Lord’s in 2002, he went from playing like Alan Mullally to batting like Don Bradman.

Mike Atherton’s Lord’s Slip Up

He never made a ton at the Home of Cricket. This was the closest he came. “Tragedy, tragedy!” as Tony Lewis says…

Editor’s Net Pains

Finally, here’s esteemed All Out Cricket editor Phil Walker wearing a few from the Middlesex boys in the Lord’s indoor school. Tormentor-in-chief? The ferocious Joe Denly…

Click here for last week’s Caught On Camera, focusing on England v West Indies

In an era where footballers, pop stars, actors and for heaven’s sake reality TV nonentities are too easily accorded hero status by a craven media and celebrity crazed populace, it is perhaps timely to remember Hedley Verity – a hero on the battlefield as well as the cricket field, who was born this week in 1905.

Verity was one of – if not the – best spinners to ever pull on an England sweater and cap. His Test record is impressive enough, but his career statistics for Yorkshire were even more remarkable – some of his performances will never be equalled. In short, Verity excelled with a cricket ball in his hand, but as a soldier in World War II his bravery and valour were even more notable as this story will tell.

Patience was a virtue that Verity understood only too well. Despite his obvious ability, he had to wait until he was 25 to forge a first-class career with Yorkshire when his predecessor as England’s premier spinner Wilfred Rhodes finally decided to retire. After his long and dignified vigil as understudy, Verity didn’t look back. He made his Test debut a year later and in each of the following nine seasons until the outbreak of war, Verity averaged 185 wickets per season.

A slow left-armer who took a “longish run to the crease and bowled usually faster than Rhodes – at a pace comparable to Underwood” according to his biographers, Verity was a magnificent bowler, as evidenced by his superb record. In all first-class cricket he took 1,956 wickets at an incredible 14.90 – the lowest of any post-19th century bowler with a similar haul of wickets. In 40 Tests Verity took 144 wickets at 24.37. He snared five wickets in an innings 164 times and 10 wickets in a match 54 times – equivalent to once in every seven first-class matches he played in. He wasn’t a bad batsman either, averaging over 20 in Tests and was even used as a Test opener on occasion by the cunning Douglas Jardine.

Verity played an important role in the most notorious Test series ever – the ‘Bodyline’ rubber of 1932/33, where his ability to keep one end quiet was just as important a part of Jardine’s masterplan as the fast leg-theory unleashed at the other end by Harold Larwood and Bill Voce. The Yorkshireman played his role to a tee with 11 wickets at 24.63 and an economy rate of just two runs per over. He also made several useful contributions with the bat, including 45 in the pivotal game of the series in Adelaide as Bradman was tamed and the Ashes regained.

In the pantheon of English spinners, Verity has a claim to the crown and certainly stands alongside Rhodes, Laker and Underwood at the very pinnacle. Twice he took all 10 wickets in an innings – both times at Headingley; in 1931, against Warwickshire for 36 runs in 18.4  overs and then a year later against Nottinghamshire, for 10 runs in 19.4 overs with 16 maidens – a world record in first-class cricket for the smallest number of runs conceded by a bowler taking all 10 wickets in an innings, and it included a hat-trick.

He also holds the record for most Test wickets in a day – 14 against Australia (and Bradman) at Lord’s in 1934 (the last time until 2009 that England won a Test against Australia at HQ). In all he had match figures of 15 for 104. A barometer of Verity’s brilliance is the respect with which he was held by Bradman who once said of Verity’s bowling: “I think I know all about Clarrie (Grimmett), but with Hedley I am never sure. You see, there’s no breaking point with him.”

No breaking point indeed until World War II cut his career and life short. He left the perfect cricketing epitaph when in the final match before the outbreak of War in 1939, Verity took seven wickets for nine runs against Sussex to confirm his position at the top of the first-class averages. He took a wicket with his last ball. Tragically, it was to prove his final delivery in first-class cricket.

During the War, Captain Verity served with the Green Howards and saw action in a series of countries before joining the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943. He was mortally wounded during the Eighth Army’s advance under murderous gunfire on Catania and was taken prisoner by the Germans. After being handed to the Italians, he died on July 31 1943 reportedly acknowledging: “I think I have played my last innings for Yorkshire.” Wisden’s obituary describes in stark detail the heroism that Verity exhibited in his final battle, emphasising that he was more concerned about the survival of his men than himself despite having been shot.

One of his Yorkshire mentors George Hirst said: “Anyone who came into contact with Hedley had but one thought: he may be a fine bowler but he is certainly a fine man. I am so glad I knew him so well. I will cherish his memory as long as I live.”

That is the definition of a hero. Verity’s bravery and personal sacrifice was even greater than the unyielding mastery of his wonderful bowling.

David Green is the warped mind behind The Reverse Sweep cricket blog and regards Douglas Jardine as his ultimate cricket hero. You can follow David on Twitter @TheReverseSweep

Click here to read Rohan Kallicharan’s preview of the England v West Indies Test series

The world of batmaking is a fascinating, almost mythical one: in which highly skilled practitioners utilise a blend of old-world wisdom and constantly updated technology. Now we’re giving you the chance to put your questions about bats, batmaking and batmakers to a real specialist. Live. And the best question will get a goodie bag of bat accessories and a special t-shirt. Ideal for all you cricket equipment keenos.

From 8pm on Monday May 21, you can take part in a live chat with the expert batmaker at Laver & Wood, James Laver. What should you look for in a bat? How are bats made? How has the batmaking process changed in recent years? And who has James made bats for…? Start putting your questions now through Twitter, mentioning @AllOutCricket and using the #batmaker hashtag. Or leave a question on our Facebook page. Remember to follow us on Twitter and ‘like’ us on Facebook to keep up to date with the live chat – and also follow it live on the Custom Bats Forum, by registering in just a few seconds. The prize for the best question will be a Laver & Wood Prize Pack, including an L&W t-shirt and bat accessories.

James Laver has been making bats for well over 20 years now and estimates that he has personally hand-crafted over 35,000 bats in his career.  He trained under Julian Millichamp at M&H in Somerset in the early 1990s and quickly moved up to being their head bat-maker.  James then moved to New Zealand in 1998 and set up Laver & Wood…

He is now the chosen batmaker for many of the world’s best players and produces around 1,000 bats a year from Waipawa, New Zealand.

Join the chat now.

Until recently the Indian Premier League had been to me what protecting Gotham City has been to Batman for the past 73 years: fun on occasion, but swiftly becoming tedious and largely irrelevant.

Where the Dark Knight had to contend with new, increasingly cunning and malevolent super-villains shortly after deposing his previous arch-enemy, I’ve had to deal with the excessively excitable IPL commentary team. It’s debatable as to who has had the tougher assignment.

When the concept of the Indian Premier League was first announced it appeared, to this sceptical purist at least, little more than a glorified domestic Twenty20 tournament utilising the vast cricketing resources of the Indian sub-continent to create the greatest money-spinner the sport has ever witnessed. The pioneers behind the competition have certainly achieved that. I was wrong to underestimate its significance.

I remain very much a traditionalist when choosing cricket à la carte. Where Twenty20 provides a tasty starter to whet the appetite, Test cricket is the main course. One-day internationals are very much for dessert; a painful addition to the meal that you don’t really need when you’ve already reached saturation, but ultimately indulge regardless.

It is therefore no surprise that I have cared little for the incessant stream of cringe-worthy advertising emanating from India ahead of each and every IPL season. Yet, strangely, I might just have been won over. Perhaps those annoyingly histrionic adverts reminding me that the IPL is the 21st century’s very own Roman gladiatorial games are effective at gaining viewers as well as inducing involuntary vomit in one’s mouth, after all.

Like a vessel heeding the call of a particularly mischievous siren I’ve been lured in; whether in to rocky waters or new lands ripe for exploration only time will tell. Thus far, progress has been satisfyingly serene.

The turning point, it would seem, has been the rather agreeable sight of a selection of the world’s finest Test match performers wreaking havoc in the competition, proving that the cream does indeed always rise to the top. We have heard the term “Twenty20 specialist” bandied around aplenty, but the fifth edition of the IPL has witnessed these ‘mercenaries’, as I tend to call them, convincingly eclipsed.

It has been a joyous sight to watch cricketers of unsurpassed ability, Virender Sehwag, Kevin Pietersen, AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn in particular, unfurl their full array of talents in an environment where innovation and daring is applauded rather than admonished.

Such is the awe in which I have observed their genius that I’ve even began to develop an immunity to those highly irritable phrases such as”and there’s another DLF maximum for Kevin Pietersen.” Despite putting up admirable resistance, I’ve finally succumbed to the IPL bug. What’s not to like about it?

Click here to read Cheetan Narula’s round-up of the lastest IPL matches

Andrew is the author of the Silly Point(s) blog. Click here to follow Andrew on Twitter

When the West Indies famously ‘blackwashed’ England in 1984, their tour was accompanied by a 7” single, released by Island Records, entitled The West Indies Are Back In Town. Sung to the tune of Jamaica Farewell, the first verse described the Windies as “the cricket team English men fear and dread”. In truth, while the fear was very real, the respect and admiration was just as strong.

In that era, the West Indies were the greatest show on earth, filling English stadiums in a way that even Ashes tours could not. Defeat was more or less an inevitability for opposition supporters, but passing up the opportunity to see this world-beating side in the flesh was not an option for dedicated cricket fans.

28 years on from that famous tour, things are of course very different. Much like a 15-year-old may wonder what the fuss is all about when it comes to Liverpool FC, or question why so many rate Bjorn Borg as the greatest tennis player ever, we are entering an era where young cricket supporters have nothing more than history through which to relate to the glory days of West Indian cricket. The West Indies are no longer prime-time or box-office attractions; they are the sideshow to the summer’s main event, when the South Africans arrive in July.

Statistics rarely lie and of their eight Test matches this winter the West Indies won just once, and lost on four occasions. In their last two series they lost 2-0 in India and 2-0 at home against Australia. This does not inspire too much confidence as they prepare to take on the world’s top ranked side in their own backyard.

Yet, as someone who has been very critical of both players and administration during recent years, I am as encouraged about West Indian cricket as I have been for some time. One should not underestimate the shambolic mess that Ottis Gibson inherited in early 2010, when he was appointed to the position of head coach. Poor early results hardly endeared him to an already impatient public, but he has remained focused on the task at hand and been determined in his desire to instil a professional mindset in the side.

That process has seen experienced players such as Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo fall by the wayside as Gibson focuses on developing a young side with Darren Sammy at the helm. However, the recent Australia series highlighted problems at the top of the order that England’s star-studded attack will surely seize upon.

The top three has been a constantly revolving door with Kirk Edwards, Adrian Barath, Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell all showing glimpses of potential without producing the level of consistency required for Test match cricket. Darren Bravo, meanwhile, appears to be finding the weight of runs to match his undoubted talent. All of these youngsters will look to the senior citizen Shivnarine Chanderpaul to take the lead and he remains the foundation upon which the batting line-up is built. The return of Marlon Samuels should add an element of stability to the middle-order, leaving the uncapped Assad Fudadin – a talented left-hander from Guyana – and Narsingh Deonarine to fight for the remaining batting slot.

Talking of revolving doors, the dropped Carlton Baugh and recalled Dinesh Ramdin continue to juggle the hot potato at wicketkeeper, and both unfortunately often continue to juggle the ball when it comes near them. Ramdin is a stylish batsman who has really not fulfilled his potential, and this may be his last opportunity to do so.

The bowling looks in much better shape for the tourists. In Kemar Roach and Fidel Edwards there is genuine pace and fire, and if they can get their lengths right, England’s top-order will have their hands full. If he finds his rhythm, Roach is as quick as there is in the game today and Edwards, although inconsistent at times, seems to have found maturity with age. Whilst Ravi Rampaul’s Test figures do not flatter him, he is the bowler who could really flourish in English conditions. The improvement in attitude, stamina and discipline has been clear to see, and he can move the ball both ways at decent pace.

Many have been surprised by the omission of Devendra Bishoo, but his game has regressed over the last few months and he will benefit from some time away from the international scene to develop more flight and change of pace in his bowling. In the meantime, Shane Shillingford has grasped his opportunity with both hands, although he is unlikely to find too much help in conditions that are expected to be seamer-friendly. This bowling attack is a far cry from that under Captain Clive, but it represents the tourists’ best hope of winning.

The one person I have yet to really mention is Darren Sammy, the captain. I really admire the way that the young man has gone about leading this side, and improving his own game. Captains have to be credible, and there have been times when his place in the team has come under scrutiny. He needs to ensure that he keeps on working on all areas of his game because there will come a time soon when Andre Russell simply has to be selected. The young Jamaican is the most talented all-round cricketer to emerge from the islands in a long time, and his Test opportunity must be around the corner.

In truth, I see England having a little too much firepower for the West Indies. They have the nous and experience to win the key sessions and moments, much like Australia and India did in the Windies’ last two series. However, with one exception, the West Indies have been competitive in every match during that period, and I expect that trend to continue here in England.

Click here to watch video footage of the West Indies in action in Caught On Camera

All you have to do to enter the draw to win the shirt is answer the following question:

In Greek mythology, what did the goddess Nike personify?

A) Failure

B) Victory

C) Sleepiness

Send in your answers to comps@alloutcricket.com with ‘Nike’ as your subject title and please specify if you require size S, M, L or XL. The competition closes on May 18 at 2pm. Good luck!

From time to time AOC may send you information on offers, promotions or services that may be of interest to you. If you do not want to be contacted please include the words ‘no mailing’ in your email

And now, for the first 100 participating clubs, they’re offering exclusive offers on the beer. Now available to cricket clubs are the following deals: FREE 50L keg ON INSTALL, FREE 50L keg with every 8 x 50L kegs purchased, FREE 50L keg, plus FREE case of 500ml with every 10 x 50L kegs purchased, FREE CASE KINGFISHER BOTTLES with every 10 cases purchased (any size). All offers are available by registering your club on the cricket section of www.kingfisherbeer.co.uk, including the promotional code ‘KFCCFS’ after your club name. Already registered? Just send an e-mail to cricketclubs@kingfisherbeer.co.uk, stating your club name, contact details and promotional code and Kingfisher will get un touch.

Over 350 cricket clubs have already signed up on the Kingfisher website to download the full event pack. These include all the essentials required to run a successful fundraising event: handy tips, advertising posters, ticket templates and answer sheets plus the main event: two great interactive sports quiz videos hosted by Graeme Swann and PCA ambassadors Darren Gough, Phil Tufnell and Alec Stewart.

Once your club registers, Kingfisher will also set you up with a great deal with a local beer supplier. Then just get the curry in, and throw in a few additional money-grabbers (like a raffle) on the night. You should have all you need for an effective fundraiser and a successful social.

PCA ambassador Alec Stewart recommends it. “The Kingfisher Quiz & Curry Night initiative is outstanding.  It’s a simple way for clubs to raise funds. They don’t always have to time to put everything together, whereas Kingfisher has done it for them so there is absolutely no excuse for the clubs not to take part!”

This year, Kingfisher Beer will also be supporting the ECB National Club Championship – which has been renamed the Kingfisher Beer Cup – as part of its ongoing support of recreational and professional cricket. Time to get involved!

And, finally, congratulations to Freddie Jones, the winner of last month’s competition, which asked a question from the Kingfisher quiz. Other than 2011, the last time England went through a calendar year without handing out a maiden Test cap was 1953. Freddie takes the two tickets to Lord’s for the first day of the third Test between England and South Africa. Enjoy!

Head to Facebook.com/Kingfisher between 4.30pm and 6.30pm to Quiz Swanny: your chance to ask the England twirler anything you like and get a live answer from the man himself. Should be entertaining. You can post a question on the wall now!

Team of the Week

This is a three-way battle for honours. Typically as the pressure grows, teams begin to fall by the wayside – it becomes too much for players to continue to perform in must-win situations and keep pace with the pack in front. Any two of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab were expected to drop points, and so it proved as the Royals were defeated by Chennai Super Kings, but they avoided losing too much ground by winning their next two matches. Both Bangalore and Punjab also won their two matches last week to maintain pace with the top four teams. The identity of the four teams that will contest the play-offs remains a riddle that is no closer to being solved.

Disappointment of the Week

This isn’t about being in contention or not. This is about playing an active role in making the league better and by that standard, Deccan Chargers have failed miserably. Yes, they didn’t really have any practical hopes of making the cut (mathematically it was still possible until last week). However, you at least expected them to turn up and put up a fight. In fairness, the batsmen did their part, setting a stiff target of 188 against Delhi and then 191 against Kings XI Punjab, but the ease with which their opponents chased down the total demonstrated Deccan’s frailties. That their management didn’t make any good purchases is well known; that their think tank hasn’t been chalking out the right strategies is also very apparent; but the players have failed to make stand of their own.

Winner of the Week

Kings XI Punjab take this prize. Kings had a lucky break last week, for they were slated to play Deccan Chargers twice. With the exception of Pune Warriors, every team has licked their lips at the prospect of facing Deccan. These are considered easy points and Kings only had to make sure they took the four points on offer with both hands. And they did, especially in the second match at home. Chasing 191 wasn’t easy, but a side bereft of Adam Gilchrist managed it.

Value for money of the Week

Kings XI Punjab would have been in some bother but for David Hussey. Filling the shoes of someone like Adam Gilchrist is never easy, but the Aussie allrounder has done so with aplomb and helped maintain his team’s play-off challenge. Hussey can lay claim to being the world’s premier batsman in this format (344 runs in 13 matches at an average of 34.40 at a healthy strike-rate of 134.90 support his case), and his useful spinners and electric fielding make him an excellent all-round acquisition.  He might have cost US$1.4m, and is the second highest paid foreign cricketer in the IPL, but just ask Kings XI fans and they will tell you it’s money well spent.

Flop of the Week

The Delhi Daredevils still lead the table comfortably, but by their own high standards they have underperformed over the last week, losing two of their three matches. Their only victory came against Deccan, courtesy of some rousing stuff from David Warner. More importantly though, they went down to Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, teams they can expect to counter in the play-offs. And these teams unearthed a major chink in their armour – Delhi’s batting is too top-heavy and severely missing the departed Kevin Pietersen.

The first Test is just four days away, there’s a full programme of CB40 fixtures being played around the country, and Sky Sports are showing Cheltenham v Torquay. Lest we forget, we’re in the cricket season.

Lesson 1. Tamim Iqbal doesn’t like his hair, but it’s grown on him
Earlier this week, Bangladesh’s hard-hitting opener revealed that he idolised Shahid Afridi and, in particular, Shahid Afridi’s “dark hair”. According to Tamim, he’s tried copying Boom Boom’s long locks for a while, but it didn’t take off… perhaps he should stop cutting it.

Lesson 2. Dave Gorman can text and ride a bike at the same time
I spotted the sideburn-wearing comedian doing just that on my way to play cricket in Teddington yesterday. It’s probably illegal, but it’s quite impressive. (Apologies if it wasn’t you, Dave. But if it wasn’t, you’ve got a doppelganger living in south-west London)

Lesson 3. Andy Flower is nothing if not inventive when it comes to testing his players
Not content with watching Ian Bell graft away against the West Indies this week, Flower decided that he would walk in front of the sightscreen while England’s No.5 was facing Shane Shillingford.

Lesson 4. Never miss a cricket match for a wedding
His cousin may have been tying the knot, and he may have been the down for best man duties, but Ollie Rayner got his priorities right this week, by turning out for Middlesex against Notts. He decision was rewarded when he scored a century – his maiden Championship ton – as a nightwatchman. Even better than a free bar.

Lesson 5. God hates cricket
The recent bad weather proves that the Almighty sees cricket as an abomination, according to The Daily Mash.

Click here to find out what AOC learnt last week

AB de Villiers

Anyone regularly sitting through the daily ITV4 cricket marathon that is the DLF Indian Premier League will have perhaps concluded the Pretorian is arguably the most complete cricketer in the world. Noting the significance of cricketers with initials instead of names, four years ago Simon Hughes was suggesting that de Villiers had quite a future, mentioning him in the same breath as WG, VVS and MS. He is a contemporary polymath – a “sickeningly talented” individual with talent to spare at rugby, cricket, golf and guitar, according to Hughes, who also suggested he is “hewn from the same lump of granite” as another AB – former Australian captain Allan Border. De Villiers was born on the 68th and last birthday of…

Don Tallon

In 2002, former Aussie batsman Keith Stackpole expressed written surprise that Sir Donald Bradman’s Best Ashes Team book included Don Tallon as keeper, rather than Gilchrist, Marsh or Healy. Stackpole felt that Tallon’s batting was not up to it, but concedes the Queenslander was considered by many as the “best gloveman of all-time”. An Invincible in 1948, Herald Sun correspondents Jon Anderson and Ken Piesse described him as “sublime” and “brilliant”, respectively. Not that the batting was a complete loss; in 1946/47 Tallon added 154 in 87 minutes with Lindwall at Melbourne with what Wisden called “some of the best batting ever seen in a Test”. As a keeper though, he was exalted. In Denzil Batchelor’s wonderful Book Of Cricket, there is a photograph of Tallon, arms raised in appeal for a stumping. As if emphasising the rattlesnake speed of execution, Batchelor notes the bails – falling adjacent to the stumps but still yet to hit the floor. Sublime indeed. Tallon’s last day in Tests was the 26th birthday of one of his opponents in that match…

Tom Graveney

Writing in 2010, Mike Selvey recalled an early appearance for Surrey, prior to settling at Middlesex. Playing Worcestershire on a New Road green top, he recalls one delivery to Tom Graveney: “on a length, lively enough… not badly directed… at least it deserved respect”. The subsequent on-drive for four, said Selvey, would have meant little to Graveney (“what, to him, were four more runs to set aside almost 48,000?”). For Selvey, however, it was very different. He suggests that in the 42 subsequent years, he saw or bowled at “every great batsman” and proceeds to name those with anything like a claim to the title, including Sobers, Pollock, Gavaskar, Greg Chappell, Barry Richards, Viv Richards, Lara, Tendulkar, Ponting and Kallis. But the stroke from Graveney, in the “twilight of his career”, stands alone as “the single most sublime, beautiful cricket stroke” he had ever seen. This is a fine accolade for the former MCC president and oldest member of the ‘hundred hundreds’ club. Graveney’s last Test knock was ended by…

Vanburn Holder

If the tall Barbadian had been born 40 years later he would surely have secured more than his 40 caps; his arcing run and trusty fast-medium seamers would have been just the job for the troubled scene that is contemporary Caribbean cricket. Instead, his career coincided with the richest of rich pickings in the pace department and unadulterated speed was usually preferred. He served Worcestershire with distinction for a dozen years and, even though his Test career was a stop/start affair, he still managed over 100 scalps. When he finished playing in the mid 80s he was just 50 shy of 1,000 wickets in first-class games, with four spanking hundreds to boot. In retirement he was a great character on the umpiring panel for many years, his imposing frame belying his quiet, undemonstrative manner. His first day of Test cricket was the 30th birthday of…

Geoff Griffin

By the time Griffin entered his fourth decade his career had been over for seven years, another victim of the cricketing equivalent of McCarthyism – the war against ‘chucking’. Tall and blond, the South African paceman had damaged his left arm in a childhood accident that left it permanently bent. Modern boffins would probably have cleared him for a stellar career but he was no-balled during the 1960 Lord’s Test amid claims of sinister interventions by English cricketing grandees. A distraught Griffin finished one over underarm and was called again for failing to inform the umpire he was changing his action. He was widely praised for the dignified way he dismissed promises by lawyers to make him wealthy through legal action, feeling it would do the game no favours. Ironically the two most famous latter-day underarm incidents could not be more polemic – Trevor Chappell’s notorious mollygrubber contrasting with Griffin’s reluctant dobber, which proved to be just about his last meaningful action in the game. Another South African to make his Test debut against England is… AB de Villiers!

Click here to read Following On: From Glen Chapple to Glen Chapple

It’s been a tough old start to the season for the batsmen in current weather conditions Mark… Is it the case that however well-prepared you are, it’s difficult to find a way to succeed at the moment?

Yes. It has been difficult to find a way. Not only has there been a lot of lateral movement but there’s been some uneven bounce, and a lot of the batsmen around the country are finding these things very difficult this early in the season.

And as you’ve said elsewhere, it’s not an easy time to be a young player learning your game.

No. Young batsmen face several challenges – one is to cope with the different formats: 40-over, the four-day game and Twenty20, and they’ve got to switch very quickly in terms of their technique and their mentality. That’s a big challenge for young modern day players. Then, of course, a very early start to the LV= County Championship combined with the wettest April in a century – it’s been extremely challenging conditions for everyone.

Nick Compton’s one of the only players to thrive so far this season. What have you made of his success?

Very impressed. I’ve always been a fan of Nick, he’s worked very hard at his game and he’s continued to improve – I think he’s reaping the rewards of a lot of hard work in previous years. With hard work over a period of time, if you continue to try and learn, practise your game, gain experience, then at some stage – and it happens to different players at different ages – you start to learn your game, feel comfortable in your own skin, and things start to come together. It coincides with Nick having a regular place at Somerset, and boy, he’ll be very, very happy with life at the moment.

Before the Worcestershire game, you’ve been rained out, then had a gap in your fixture list – it’s been a long time since any of you actually played any cricket isn’t it?

Yep, you’re right. Unfortunately it’s something that we just can’t control – the facilities at the Kia Oval are very good, but even having fantastic facilities, the rain and then a gap in the schedule means that players haven’t played much. Traditionally London is a brighter spot than a lot of other areas in the country – all players all over the country are facing this challenge: early season they’re striving for a bit of form and a bit of consistency and there’s nothing you can do when the elements are as they are. You just have to be patient, and when you get the opportunity try and be ready for it.

How do you tend to deal with the long breaks when you’ve got whole days just kicking around waiting for the rain to stop?

I suppose you’ve got to ‘box clever’. I don’t think there’s a lot of point in going into the indoor nets all day, every day. I think you’ve got to go down there when you feel like you’re practicing and enthusiastic and you want to work on your game, but there may be other times when you think: ‘Look, I’m going to give myself a break today,’ perhaps go off to the gym, or just take a break. You need to know when to train hard and know also when to just take a time out – otherwise it becomes a bit frustrating with the lack of cricket.

And what about coaching? You did your Level 4 badge on the same course as Andy Flower a while ago – is that part of your plan for the future?

It’s definitely an option – coaching does interest me, I enjoy working with players on a day-to-day basis and I think with the experience I’ve built up over my career it would be nice to try and accelerate young players’ learning and hopefully pass on some of the good information that I’ve learnt. There are some good young players here at Surrey – we get on very well and we talk about the game here and there. I think often with young players it’s knowing what to say and when to say it. You try and use your own experiences to help others.

Click here to read Essex tearaway Tymal Mills’ latest AOC blog from inside the county circuit