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Brian Close
From Wikipedia
For more coverage of cricket, see the cricket portal.
 England (Eng) | ||
 | ||
| Batting style | Left-handed batsman (LHB) | |
| Bowling type | Right-arm off break/medium pace | |
| Tests | ODIs | |
| Matches | 22 | 3 |
| Runs scored | 887 | 49 |
| Batting average | 25.34 | 16.33 |
| 100s/50s | 0/4 | 0/0 |
| Top score | 70 | 43 |
| Overs bowled | 202 | 3 |
| Wickets | 18 | 0 |
| Bowling average | 29.55 | n/a |
| 5 wickets in innings | 0 | 0 |
| 10 wickets in match | 0 | N/A |
| Best Bowling | 4/35 | n/a |
| Catches/Stumpings | 24/0 | 1/0 |
| As of 13 July 1976 | ||
Dennis Brian Close (born 24 February 1931 in Rawdon, Yorkshire) is the youngest man ever to play cricket for England. He was admitted to the Test team to play against New Zealand at just 18 years and 149 days old. Close went on to play 22 Test matches for England, captaining them seven times, winning six times and drawing once. Close also captained Yorkshire to four county championship titles, the main honour English county cricket clubs play for. He later went on to captain Somerset, where he is widely credited with turning Somerset round to a hard-playing team that helped mould Viv Richards and Ian Botham into the cricketing greats they became. February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Rawdon is a small town in Yorkshire located within the Leeds Metropolitan boundary. ... Yorkshire as a traditional county. ... // Objective and summary Cricket is a bat and ball sport. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. ... In cricket, the captain is the most important member of the team. ... Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. ... In the UK, County cricket is the domestic form of the sport of cricket that is considered to be first-class cricket. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ... Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards (known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, Viv Richards), a former West-Indian cricketer, was born in St Johns, Antigua on 7 March 1952. ... Ian Terence Botham OBE, (born November 24, 1955) (nicknamed Beefy) was one of Englands best-ever cricketers and one of the best all-round cricketers of all time. ...
Throughout his cricket career, which lasted from 1948 to 1977 season, Close was one of the most charismatic and well-known cricketers. At just over six feet tall he was a noticeable presence on the field, often fielding at short leg. Short leg is a position close to the batsman, and, as cricketers did not use head or body protection in Close's day, he would often get hurt when a batsman struck a ball that hit him. Close was also noted for standing up to intimidatory bowling when he was batting and letting the ball hit his unprotected torso. Indeed, Close was so well known for getting hit a lot that Eric Morecambe, Britain's leading comedian of the time, would joke that "you know the cricket season has arrived when you hear the sound of leather on Brian Close" (mimicking the usual phrase "leather on willow" - cricket balls being made of leather, and bats, of willow). 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ...
A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a metre. ...
Eric with trademark pipe and glasses Eric Morecambe OBE was the stage name of Eric John Bartholomew (May 14, 1926 - May 28, 1984), part of the double act of Morecambe and Wise with Ernie Wise. ...
A comedian (also comedienne, female) is a person who attempts to make people laugh through a variety of methods, normally through joke telling, or a stream of funny banter. ...
Yet despite his successes, Close was dogged by controversy throughout his career. He was serving a sentence of being "confined to barracks" during his National Service when called up for his first international tour, sacked by England for timewasting, and sacked by Yorkshire for being against one-day cricket and not giving enough support to younger cricketers. He went on to tour apartheid South Africa and white-minority controlled Rhodesia, and as chairman of Yorkshire's cricket subcommittee, he had many run-ins with the then Yorkshire captain, Geoffrey Boycott. In short, Close was known as a cricketing gambler; he was prepared to take risks and to court controversy throughout his career. As his schoolfriend Bryan Stott said, "Brian was a very bright lad, but at school and later on he has done some of the most incredibly stupid things". National Service was the name given to the system of military conscription employed in the United Kingdom (although excluding Northern Ireland) between 1949 and 1960. ...
A night match at Old Trafford One-day cricket is a version of the sport of cricket that is completed in one day, as distinct from Test cricket and first-class cricket which can take up to five days to complete. ...
Apartheid (International Phonetic Alphabet or in English and in Afrikaans) is the policy and the system of laws implemented and continued by White minority governments in South Africa from 1948 to 1990; and by extension any legally sanctioned system of racial segregation. ...
The Zimbabwean cricket team is a national cricket team representing Zimbabwe. ...
Geoffrey Boycott (born October 21, 1940) is a former England cricketer. ...
Table of contents |
Childhood
Close was born into a working-class family in Town Street, Rawdon, Yorkshire on 24 February 1931 to Harry, a weaver, and Esther (née Barratt), the second eldest of of five boys and a girl. Close was brought up in a series of council houses in Rawdon, Guiseley and Yeadon. Although these houses were small, they did have a back yard, where young Brian could practise cricket with his father. Harry Close was himself a keen cricketer, who kept wicket and was a big hitter in the Bradford League, but he never quite made it to the Yorkshire county team. Rawdon is a small town in Yorkshire located within the Leeds Metropolitan boundary. ... Yorkshire as a traditional county. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Guiseley is a small town in the county of West Yorkshire, England, near Otley. ... Yeadon is a town in West Yorkshire, England. ... A wicket keeper in characteristic position, ready to face a delivery. ...
The hero and dominating figure of Close's home town of Rawdon was Hedley Verity, a great England and Yorkshire player in the period before the Second World War, who also came from Rawdon, and the Verity family continued to live there. Indeed, for a while Close lived in the same Canada Estate that Verity had lived in. At primary school, Close was taught by Grace Verity, Hedley's sister and was friends with two of Verity's children, Wilfred and Douglas. Later Close went to Aireborough Grammar School, where Verity was the best-known alumnus. Close's early years were surrounded by images of local cricketing greatness. Hedley Verity (18 May 1905 - 31 July 1943) was an England cricketer. ...
Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...
Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ...
Close appeared set for equal greatness. At school he was a good all-round sportsman, and an excellent cricketer: Aireborough went unbeaten in the six cricketing summers while Close was there, with Close dominating junior level cricket in the area, both within and outside schools. However, he also excelled as a student and seriously considered becoming a doctor and had an offer to go to university after his National Service at age 18, which, in the event, he turned down. National Service was the name given to the system of military conscription employed in the United Kingdom (although excluding Northern Ireland) between 1949 and 1960. ...
As well as cricket, Close was also proficient at football to such an extent that he was taken on as an amateur by Leeds United. He even became the first Leeds player to play international football at youth level, when in October 1948 he played for England against Scotland at Pittodrie Park in Aberdeen. However, when he got injured playing football, thereby allowing him to play cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1949, his sporting ambitions were focused on cricket. Close's excellence at cricket, together with Yorkshire's enthusiasm for it, even encouraged Bradford MP Maurice Webb to intervene to allow Close to complete the 1949 season for Yorkshire, when he would ordinarily have entered into National Service. This article deals with the history and development of the different sports around the world known as football. For links to articles on each of those sports, please see the list in the Football today section of this article. ...
Leeds United F.C. is the only professional association football club in Leeds. ...
Pittodrie is a football stadium situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen and was the first all seater stadium in the UK. The stadium is used for home football matches by Aberdeen F.C.. As a result of a groundsharing agreement, it is also being used by Inverness Caledonian Thistle...
Aberdeens location in Scotland Aberdeen (Obar Dheathain in Scottish Gaelic) is Scotlands third largest city, with a population of 212,125. ...
Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. ...
1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...
This article discusses the city Bradford, in West Yorkshire, England. ...
MP or mp can mean any of the following: Member of Parliament Military Police Modus ponens Madhya Pradesh - a state in India Mathematical Physics Microprocessor Molecular Pathology Multi-port Multi-platform Mission Possible - a Christian based childrens ministry. ...
Maurice Webb (1904-1956) was a British Labour politician. ...
Close's 1st first-class season
Close's first first-class games for Yorkshire in the 1949 season were against Cambridge [1] and then Oxford University. [2] Close acquitted himself well, although his 8 wickets against Oxford were not enough to prevent Oxford winning by 69 runs. After these games, he continued to impress, particularly as a bowler: in his fifth first-class game, against Essex, [3] Close took 5 for 58 in Essex's first innings, and top-scored with an undefeated 88. His perfomances for Yorkshire earned him a place in the North v South Test trial. However, he underperformed in that game taking no wickets and scoring only 2 runs.[4] Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... Cambridge University Cricket Club (now subsumed into the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence) is a first-class cricket team. ... Oxford University Cricket Club (now subsumed into the Oxford University Centre of Cricketing Excellence) is a first-class cricket team. ... This article is about the cricket term. ... A bowler in the sport of cricket is usually a player whose speciality is bowling. ... Essex County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Chelmsford, though with grounds elsewhere. ...
Close continued to do well for Yorkshire and was selected for the Players against the Gentlemen.[5] At that time class status was still important: professionals, known as Players, were expected to show deference to the amateurs, who were the Gentlemen. Gentlemen did not share changing rooms with Players, and cricket scorecards would differentiate between the two of them, with the names of Gentlemen being prefixed "Mr", the names of the professionals being styled by their surnames and then their initials. This was a time when it was considered necessary to announce on the tannoy errors such as "for F.J. Titmus read Titmus, F.J.".
Close did well for the Players and top-scored with 65. When he reached his fifty, he was congratulated by the Gentlemen's wicket-keeper, Billy Griffith, and in a conversation that now seems innocuous, Grifftith congratulated Close by saying, "Well played, Brian", with Close replying, "Thank you, Billy". However, Close had not referred to Griffith as "Mister", and ten days later was called to see Brian Sellers, a former captain and member of the Yorkshire committee, who reprimanded Close for the effrontery.
At the same time, Close had been selected for the third three-day Test match at Old Trafford against the touring New Zealand cricket team;[6] in this game, Close became, and as of 2005 remains, England's youngest-ever Test player, being aged just 18 years and 149 days when he played against New Zealand. He came in when England needed quick runs, with the instruction from Freddie Brown, the captain, being to "have a look at a couple and then give it a go". Close played two balls back to the bowler, then hit out for the boundary, only to be caught just short, one-handed, for a duck. Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. ...
Old Trafford cricket ground has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1856. ...
For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ...
2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ...
Frederick (Freddie) Richard Brown (born in Lima, Peru on 16 December 1910, died in Ramsbury, Wiltshire on 24 July 1991) was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Surrey, Northamptonshire and England. ...
A bowler in the sport of cricket is usually a player whose speciality is bowling. ...
Boundary has two distinct meanings in the sport of cricket. ...
Overall, Close's first season must be seen as a resounding success. He played his first Test, and as of 2005 remains the youngest player to have achieved the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in a first-class season, and the only player to have achieved this double in his first season as a first-class player. This first season set the flavour of the remainder of Close's career: times of notable success, tarnished by many run-ins with officialdom, and with Sellers in particular. Close himself felt that the Test call-up was an albatross round his neck. He was always referred to as England's youngest player, always with a suggestion of unfulfilled promise. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Tour to Australia in 1950
Professional footballer Close, as he described himself, finally did his National Service on 1950, becoming 22185787 Signalman Close at Catterick. This did not prevent him concentrating on sport, although it did mean his first-class cricket games in 1950 were restricted to turning out for the Combined Services side. His performances both first-class and non-first-class were exceptional enough to attract the attentions of England cricket captain, Freddie Brown. Before calling Close up to the Test side to tour Australia, Brown consulted Close's fellow Yorkshiremen, including Bill Bowes. Bowes pleaded with Brown not to select Close arguing that it was too early, and his early promotion could damage him as a player. Bowes later described Close as having a "tremendous ability spoilt by moments of extreme spontaneity, and of determination marred by rashness"; Brown had ignored Bowes and selected Close; Close was never to be a regular in the England Test squad. 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Map sources for Catterick at grid reference SE2497 Catterick refers to two settlements in the county of North Yorkshire, England. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... This is a list of cricketers who have captained the English cricket team for at least one Test match. ... Frederick (Freddie) Richard Brown (born in Lima, Peru on 16 December 1910, died in Ramsbury, Wiltshire on 24 July 1991) was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Surrey, Northamptonshire and England. ...
Close's call-up to the Aussie touring party attracted a lot of press interest, and a press conference was called at Catterick to give the press a chance to question Close. However, his moment of glory also gave rise to controversy when one pressman found out that Close was "confined to barracks" for discliplinary reasons at the time his call-up was announced as he had not turned up to play for the Combined Services in a cricket match. The pressman promised to stay silent, but the story circulated in Catterick, and a week later a clerk on the camp newspaper telephoned the Daily Express with the news. However, Close still toured, and his National Service was suspended so he could do so.
Close was the youngest on the tour, and had little in common with the rest of the party; by the end he was not even on talking terms with most of them. After a reasonable start, Close faltered, and then became injured, with a badly pulled groin muscle. It was then that Close was selected to play in the second Test. England were beaten by 28 runs. Australia were dismissed for 194. England however, had collapsed to 54 for 4 when Close came in with only eight deliveries to go before lunch on the second day. Misjudging the bounce on the Melbourne wicket, which was somewhat different to the bounce of English wickets, he swept a ball from Iverson only to get a top edge to Sam Loxton behind square. The dressing room was silent when he returned. England captain, Freddie Brown, when advised that Close was a bit down and needed consolation replied, "Let the blighter stew. He deserves it." Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 3,488,751 in the Melbourne metropolitan area (census 2001 [1]) and 52,118 in the City of Melbourne (which covers only the central city area). ...
This article is about the cricket term. ...
Frederick (Freddie) Richard Brown (born in Lima, Peru on 16 December 1910, died in Ramsbury, Wiltshire on 24 July 1991) was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Surrey, Northamptonshire and England. ...
Later, when travelling to Tasmania, he was ordered to play despite doctor's advice to rest, and as Close tried to nurse his injury, he merely got a reputation for malingering and insubordination. He was made to play six of the next seven games. When England won a Test match in Australia for the first time in 13 years in the final Test, Close was not even present, and was not even on speaking terms with the team. Close hated the tour, and even contemplated suicide during it. Nowadays, someone in Close's position would be carefully man-managed and well looked after by captain and team manager. But times were different then, and the Yorkshire stalwarts were proved right: he had been picked too early, and Close would never be a regular Test pick. Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ...
Out of the limelight 1951 to 1958
The years between 1951 and 1958 were relatively unsuccessful for Close, even though he achieved 1,000 runs in a season 5 times. However, immediately after the tour to Australia, Close did have a good season with the Combined Services, including a century against the touring South Africans. At the end of his National Service in October 1951, he signed for Arsenal FC, and tried to combine this with his cricket for Yorkshire. But it proved impossible to combine the role of dual professional: Close received permission from Yorkshire captain Norman Yardley to leave the first match of the 1952 cricket season to play for Arsenal. This leave of absence was later rescinded by the match manager in Yardley's absence. Close arrived late at Arsenal and was sacked. Promotional picture of Brian Close in action This is a copyrighted promotional photo with a known source. ... Promotional picture of Brian Close in action This is a copyrighted promotional photo with a known source. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Arsenal F.C. (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) is a north London football team founded in 1886. ... Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. ... Norman Walter Dransfield Yardley (19 March 1915-3 October 1989) was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Yorkshire and England. ...
Close enjoyed a good 1952 season at Yorkshire, achieving another double, but played no Test cricket. He played soccer for Bradford City this time, and it was whilst doing this that he picked up a serious knee injury that ended his professional footballing career, and nearly threatened his cricket career. Close played only two first-class matches in the 1953 cricket season. 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...
In 1954 Close scored his first first-class century for Yorkshire, an undefeated 123 for Yorkshire against the touring Pakistanis. In 1955 he scored his first county championship century. He also played one Test match against South Africa, and was 3 wickets short of another 1,000 runs/100 wickets double. He was in the Test selectors' sights again, and was picked for the MCC tour to Pakistan in 1955/6. Close played two Tests against the West Indies in 1957, but did not perform well enough to secure a regular Test place. 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
First class is a particularly high quality travel class offered by passenger airlines, railways and shipping companies. ...
1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) was the original governing body of international cricket. ...
1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Note: This page shall also refer to West Indian womens national cricket team, and junior teams (representing West Indies) but unless explicitly mentioned, it refers to the senior (main) cricket team West Indies cricket team shirt (ODI, 2004) The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as The Windies...
1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Meanwhile, in this period, Yorkshire had not win a single County Championship. At the end of 1958 there was a shake-up in the Yorkshire team. Yorkshire appointed a new captain, Ronnie Burnet, and Johnny Wardle, Yorkshire's top bowler and Close's preferred choice of captain, was dropped for disciplinary reasons. Burnet was 40 and seemed an unlikely man to take Yorkshire to the top of the championship. He had been preferred as it was felt by the Yorkshire committee that he would inject some necessary discipline into the Yorkshire team, and, with tactical support from his senior professional, Brian Close, he succeeded in doing just that. In the UK, County cricket is the domestic form of the sport of cricket that is considered to be first-class cricket. ...
1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Yorkshire as County Champions and more controversy
| Career record | First-class | List A |
| Matches | 786 | 164 |
| Runs scored | 34994 | 3458 |
| Batting average | 33.26 | 23.84 |
| 100s/50s | 52/171 | 2/11 |
| Top score | 198 | 131 |
| Balls bowled | 69972 | 2258 |
| Wickets | 1171 | 65 |
| Bowling average | 26.42 | 22.43 |
| 5 (FC)/4 (List A) wickets in innings | 43 | 2 |
| 10 wickets in match | 3 | N/A |
| Best Bowling | 8/41 | 4/9 |
| Catches/Stumpings | 813/1 | 53/0 |
| As of 2 September 1986 Source: [7] Edit this template | ||
Burnet, aided by Close, was immediately successful, and in 1959, Yorkshire won the county championship. At the end of that season, as Close later heard, Burnet was told that, having just won the championship, he could have another season as captain, but, if he did, Close would then take over. If he resigned at the end of 1959, Vic Wilson could take over as captain in preference to Close. Burnet chose to step down straightaway. Once Wilson took over, with Close still as the senior professional, it seemed that Yorkshire did not know how to lose. Yorkshire won the county championship again in 1960, were second in 1961, and won again in 1962. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... A night match at Old Trafford One-day cricket is a version of the sport of cricket that is completed in one day, as distinct from Test cricket and first-class cricket which can take up to five days to complete. ... Batting average is a statistic in both baseball and cricket measuring the performance of baseball hitters and cricket batsmen, respectively. ... The cricket ball is a hard, solid ball with an interior of cork and a leather case with a slightly raised sewn seam. ... This article is about the cricket term. ... Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket. ... This article is about the cricket term. ... An innings, or inning, is a segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably baseball and cricket – during which a side takes its turn to bat. ... This article is about the cricket term. ... In the sport of cricket, the term stump has three different meanings: part of the wicket, a manner of dismissing a batsman, and the end of the days play (stumps). Part of the wicket The stumps are three vertical posts supporting the bails to form a wicket at each... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years). ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Vic Wilson was a Formula One driver from South Africa. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Close was called up for his seventh Test in 1961, against Australia.[8] Again, it turned to disaster with Close being blamed for England's defeat. Many considered this unfair, including the Australian captain, Richie Benaud, who said, "I thought the slating of Brian was one of the most unjust things I have ever experienced". Richard Richie Benaud (born October 6, 1930) is an Australian cricketer and latterly cricket commentator. ...
England were chasing 256 to win in just under 4 hours, and got to 150 for 1. Then Ted Dexter and Peter May got out in quick succession to Benaud, who was pitching his leg breaks in the rough outside the right handers' leg stump. This brought Close to the crease. It was the last day of the Test, and the captain, May, was still asking his players to go for the runs. Close took a calculated risk, and chose to sweep Benaud. He took one six off Benaud. Then on the tenth ball he faced, he played another unorthodox sweep which O'Neill took above his head with two hands. Commentators did not appreciate what Close's approach was: to hit Benaud out of the attack and make it easier for right-handed batsmen to score runs. Purists were outraged, and as England collapsed to 201 all out and a 54 run defeat, Close alone took the blame, with some commentators saying he should never play for England again. Edward Ralph Ted Dexter (born May 15, 1935 in Milan, Italy) is a former cricketer. ...
Peter Barker Howard May, C.B.E. was born( 31 December 1929 in Reading, Berkshire and died on 27 December 1994) in Liphook, Hampshire from a brain tumour. ...
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling used in cricket. ...
Yorkshire captaincy
At the end of 1962, Wilson retired, and the Yorkshire committee appointed Close captain. According to Bowes "almost overnight it seemed that Brian Close matured". He wrote, "Close's field placings were as intelligent and antagonistic as any seen in the county for 25 years". 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Close's attitude, in his own words was that "I've always believed that the team is more important than the individual", and that credo stood Yorkshire in good stead. Ray Illingworth noted that when he went to Leicestershire, the players there were surprised that, while Yorkshire were perennial Championship winners, the batting averages of the lead batsmen tended to languish in the 20s. The answer was that Close had honed them to play the innings required at the right time: when quick runs were required, players did not play for their averages, they played for quick runs. External reference Cricinfo page on Ray Illingworth Categories: Cricket stubs | 1932 births | English cricketers | English bowlers | Yorkshire cricketers | Leicestershire crickters | English ODI cricketers | English test cricketers | English cricket captains | Wisden Cricketers of the Year ...
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Leicester. ...
Batting average is a statistic in both baseball and cricket measuring the performance of baseball hitters and cricket batsmen, respectively. ...
Close was recalled to the Test squad in 1963, and played his first full series, against the West Indies.[9] His innings in the second Test at Lord's remains his best known.[10] Against Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith, two of the West Indies' quickest bowlers. In need of quick runs, Close took the battle to the West Indian fast bowlers, daring to advance down the wicket to them. This was an age before body protection and helmets, and time and again the ball struck Close firmly on his body. But he persevered. His 70 very nearly won the game for England, and with no other English player other than Ken Barrington scoring above 20, he saved the game. Set 234 to win, England ended on 228 for 9, with Colin Cowdrey famously coming in to bat (for two balls at the non-striker's end) with his broken arm in plaster. Note: This page shall also refer to West Indian womens national cricket team, and junior teams (representing West Indies) but unless explicitly mentioned, it refers to the senior (main) cricket team West Indies cricket team shirt (ODI, 2004) The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as The Windies...
The Media Centre at Lords Cricket Ground Lords Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in St Johns Wood in London. ...
This article needs to be wikified. ...
Kenneth Frank Barrington, generally known as Ken Barrington, was an English cricketer who played for the English test team and Surrey County Cricket Club. ...
Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge (1932 - 2000) was an English India), on Christmas Eve 1932. ...
Although he was dismissed going for runs to win the game at the end, his courage earned him many plaudits, and his shirtless torso, black and blue with where he had been hit, made the front pages of the newspapers the next day.[11] Len Hutton wrote him a congratulatory letter on his innings, and he returned to county cricket the hero. Overall in the series he made 300 runs, but Close did not get selected for the next series. A database query syntax error has occurred. ...
Close also had immediate success as Yorkshire captain, winning the County Championship in 1963. His success in 1963 saw him named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1964, as one of the five players to make the biggest impact in the English 1963 season. Close went on to captain Yorkshire to the county championship in 1966, 1967 and 1969. 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Wisden is the main publisher of information on cricket in the United Kingdom. ...
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year award is made annually in the pages of the Wisden Cricketers Almanack yearbook. ...
1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...
1967 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...
1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...
Brian first met his wife Vivienne, an air stewardess with BOAC in Bermuda whilst touring with Yorkshire in 1964, when she was engaged to someone else. He pursued her relentlessly, even though initially she considered him not to be her type. Brian gambled with his love life too: on New Year's Day 1965 he told her that if she didn't agree to marry him, he would never see her again. They married the following March. They went on to have one daughter, Lynn, and a son, Lance. After technical problems with the Comet, BOAC resumed jet service with imported Boeing 707s. ...
1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1965 was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...
England captaincy
After the fourth Test of their five-Test series against the West Indies in 1966, England were 3-0 down and had lost the series. Needing someone to come in to revitalise the squad, the England selectors turned to the successful Yorkshire captain, Brian Close. Close knew why he had been selected, and also why many of his men had been. At the pre-match dinner he said, "I shouldn't be here if we hadn't made such a mess of the series. What's more, neither would a few of you. You are here because you are all fighters, and we are going to keep the pressure on and keep it on for five days." What Close did was to engender a battling spirit for the final Test Match. So, when England were 166 for 7 in reply to the West Indies' 268 all out, they did not give up. Instead, a century from Tom Graveney and John Murray, and half-centuries from Ken Higgs and John Snow, saw England to 527. The highlight of the match was when West Indian captain Gary Sobers, who had a batting average in the series of well over 100, came in to bat at 137/5 with his side still 128 runs from making England bat again. Close knew that Sobers was a fine hooker, and he knew how he wanted to approach him, so he asked John Snow to bowl a bouncer first up. Everything went to plan: Sobers hooked, edged the ball to his body, and it rebounded to Close at his customary short leg position, close to the batsman, ready to take the catch or a full blow to the body had Sobers middled it. Sobers c. Close, b. Snow 0 off one ball. England went on to win the game by an innings and 34 runs. Thomas William Graveney (born 16 June 1927) is a former English cricketer and the president of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. ... There have been several important people by the name of John Murray (roughly in chronological order): John Muray (1730–1809), Lord Dunmore, colonial governor of Virginia John Murray (Anglo-American Universalist minister) (1741-1815), father of American Universalism John Murray (aristocrat), Lord of the Isle of Man from 1764 to... Ken(neth) Higgs (born January 14, 1937, Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, England) was an English fast-medium bowler who was most successful as the opening partner to the incomparable Brian Statham with Lancashire in the 1960s. ... There have been several people named John Snow: John Snow, the founder of epidemiology John W. Snow, US businessman and politician John Snow, English cricketer See also: Jon Snow, British newsreader This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers (born July 28, 1936 in Barbados), better known as Garry Sobers, was a West Indies cricket player. ... There have been several people named John Snow: John Snow, the founder of epidemiology John W. Snow, US businessman and politician John Snow, English cricketer See also: Jon Snow, British newsreader This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
There was no overseas tour in 1966/7, so the next game Close captained was the first Test at Headingley against India in 1967.[12] Of the 16 Tests India had previously played in England, England had won 12 and drawn 4, and there were no expectations that there would be anything other than an England victory in the 3-match series. But they still needed to be beaten, and England, under Close, won each game convincingly. 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...
1967 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...
Headingley is also the name of a city in Manitoba, Canada. ...
1967 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...
Pakistan toured England in the second half of the summer of 1967.[13] The first match of that three-Test series was a rain-affected draw. The second Test was won comfortably by England by 10 wickets. It seemed certain that Close would be selected to captain England in their 1967/8 tour to the West Indies. 1967 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...
1967 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...
1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...
Then on 16, 17 and 18 August, Yorkshire, captained by Close, played Warwickshire at Birmingham.[14] Warwickshire had been set 142 to win in 100 minutes. When the match ended, Warwickshire were 133/5 and the match was drawn, 9 runs short of the victory target. However Yorkshire managed to bowl only 24 overs, with only 2 being bowled in the last 15 minutes. Whilst it was wet, and Yorkshire had to dry the ball often, this was seen as unacceptable time-wasting and gamesmanship. Close did not help himself as he personally berated a Warwickshire spectator who he thought had called out something inopportune, though in the event, he picked on the wrong man. After the game, Close said to the Warwickshire captain, MJK Smith, "Bad luck, Mike, you played better than we did. But I couldn't give you the game." Smith appeared to accept this when he replied, "I quite understand." Cover of local Yorkshire paper when Close was axed in 1967 This work is copyrighted. ... Cover of local Yorkshire paper when Close was axed in 1967 This work is copyrighted. ... Warwickshire County Cricket Club is a cricket club (team) based in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England (Birmingham historically being part of Warwickshire). ... Gamesmanship is the use of dubious (although not technically illegal) methods to win a game, often a sport, such as golf or football. ... Michael John Knight Smith (born June 30, 1933 in Leicester) is an English cricket player. ...
Brian Sellers, chairman of Yorkshire and the one who berated Close in 1949 for saying "Thank you, Billy", then made matters worse for Close by sending an apology to the MCC. In 1967 England touring sides were still MCC sides rather than "England" sides, and the MCC took the opportunity to overrule the selectors who picked Close as captain. Close, whose temperament had been shown lacking, would not go to the West Indies; Cowdrey would captain the MCC England squad instead. And so it was that the Wednesday before the third and final Test against Pakistan, Close was told he had been stripped of the captaincy for the upcoming tour. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...
1967 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...
The third test against Pakistan[15] was Close's final test as Captain. He went on to lead England to a comprehensive 8 wicket victory and win the series 2-0. His record as captain was played 7, won 6, drawn 1, the best record of any England captain who has captained in more than 2 Tests.
The last years at Yorkshire
In 1969 Close played only 18 County Championship games as he was plagued by a calf injury, although he did lead Yorkshire to victory in the one-day Gillette Cup for a second time, the first time being in 1965. A shoulder injury saw Close miss much of the 1970 season, and Yorkshire fell down the County Championship table, but once Close was fit again, they had an extraordinary run and finished a creditable fourth. 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... A night match at Old Trafford One-day cricket is a version of the sport of cricket that is completed in one day, as distinct from Test cricket and first-class cricket which can take up to five days to complete. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ...
Close, however, has always opposed one-day cricket, believing that it lessens players' abilities. Mike Procter notes that when Gloucestershire played Yorkshire in the John Player 40-over League in 1970, with Yorkshire 3 wickets down needing 6 an over, word came from Close in the dressing room: "No chance of winning this one, lads — just get some batting practice." Mike Procter (born Michael John Procter September 7, 1946) was a South African cricketer. ...
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Bristol. ...
1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ...
In the sport of cricket an over is a series of six consecutive balls bowled by a single bowler. ...
Yorkshire had a policy of not offering contracts to its players, but in return they would tell cricketers by the end of July if they did not require their services the next summer. When July 1970 came and went, Close must have thought he was safe. However, Close offended the Lancashire president, the Honourable Lionel Lister when Lister entered the away captain's changing room to speak to Close after Lancashire, Yorkshire's arch rivals, had beaten them at Old Trafford to retain the one-day John Player League trophy. Close, who may not have known who Lister was, offered Lister some choice words. Then Lister immediately told Brian Sellers, his Yorkshire counterpart, of the insult. Lancashire County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club based at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester External links Official Lancashire County Cricket Club website Categories: Cricket stubs | English first class cricket teams ...
Old Trafford cricket ground has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1856. ...
Close wrote a letter to Lister apologising, and gave a copy to a Yorkshire committeeman. But the letter was never presented to the committee as a whole, which voted to sack him as the first agenda item on their next meeting. And so it was that in November 1970, Close was summoned to see Sellers, when he was given the choice of either resigning or being sacked. To begin with, he chose to resign. But later that day, and after speaking to his legal adviser, he retracted this, leaving Yorkshire to sack him. The reason, according to Yorkshire, was Close's dislike for the new 40-over one-day cricket league, that was first played in 1969 (Close thought it led to bad habits and negative play) and because Close had supposedly not brought on the younger players. 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...
Somerset
After being sacked by Yorkshire, the 40 year old Close received offers from many other counties, including Lancashire, Glamorgan, Middlesex and Leicestershire. But he turned all these down, preferring to accept a non-captain's role at Somerset. Lancashire County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club based at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester External links Official Lancashire County Cricket Club website Categories: Cricket stubs | English first class cricket teams ... Glamorgan County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Cardiff, playing most of their games at Sophia Gardens, which is located by the River Taff. ... Middlesex County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club in England, named for the historic county of Middlesex. ... Leicestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Leicester. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ...
The rest from the captaincy did Close good, he went through the 1971 season without injury and scored 1,389 runs, including a century in his first game for Somerset,[16] and a century in the game against Yorkshire.[17] In 1972 he was awarded the CBE by the Queen for his services to cricket. Close was also promoted to Somerset captain. He soon gained the same respect and commitment from his players he had at Yorkshire. He was also called up to the England one-day squad to captain them in a three-match one-day international series against Australia, which England won 2-1, when the regular England captain and his former Yorkshire team-mate, Ray Illingworth, injured his ankle in the last Test. 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ...
1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ...
Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand Cross...
Political A queen regnant is a female monarch. ...
// Objective and summary Cricket is a bat and ball sport. ...
A One-day International (ODI) cricket match is a one-day cricket match played between two international teams each representing a particular country. ...
External reference Cricinfo page on Ray Illingworth Categories: Cricket stubs | 1932 births | English cricketers | English bowlers | Yorkshire cricketers | Leicestershire crickters | English ODI cricketers | English test cricketers | English cricket captains | Wisden Cricketers of the Year ...
In 1972/3 Close led a two-match tour of the "International Wanderers" to Rhodesia. The next two winters he captained the Derrick Robins' XI tours to apartheid South Africa. Robins' tours were the closest thing South Africa had to Test match cricket at that time, and for his efforts in the first of the tours to South Africa, Close was named as one of the four South African Cricket Annual Cricketers of the Year in 1974. 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ...
1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ...
This article is about the break-away colony of (Southern) Rhodesia , today Zimbabwe. ...
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. ...
1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ...
During his time at Somerset, Viv Richards and Ian Botham joined the county squad, and Close's leadership and discipline helped them become the great cricketers they are. Botham said of Close, "There was a genuine enthusiasm for cricket which rubbed off on all those playing alongside him. You couldn’t help but get excited by the game." Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards (known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, Viv Richards), a former West-Indian cricketer, was born in St Johns, Antigua on 7 March 1952. ...
Ian Terence Botham OBE, (born November 24, 1955) (nicknamed Beefy) was one of Englands best-ever cricketers and one of the best all-round cricketers of all time. ...
The final Test innings
In 1976, the 45-year old Brian Close was called up for the first three Tests in England's five-Test series against the West Indies,[18] who were no less ferocious than when Close was battered by them in 1963. In the second innings of the third Test at Old Trafford,[19] Close's final Test innings, Close opened with the 39-year old John Edrich. Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Wayne Daniel, a trio of fast bowlers pounded them for two and a half hours. It was one of the most brutal displays of fast bowling ever seen. Wisden said, "Close and Edrich defended their wickets and themselves against fast bowling, which was frequently too wild and hostile to be acceptable". Close himself said, "It must have been the worst wicket I experienced in Test cricket. The faster the West Indians bowled the worse it got because the balls broke through the surface of the wicket. They exploded and flew at you." And it was with this innings of 20 runs off 108 balls in 162 minutes that Close completed his Test career, under a vicious barrage, standing tall and taking the damage as he had against the West Indies at Lord's 13 years ago in 1963. After that, both Close and Edrich were dropped for the fourth Test. The interval between Close's first and last Test matches was 27 years, the second longest after Wilfred Rhodes. Only one man, Zimbabwean John Traicos, has played a Test match at a greater age since. 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Old Trafford cricket ground has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1856. ... External reference Cricinfo page on John Edrich Categories: Cricket stubs | 1937 births | English cricketers | English batsmen | Surrey cricketers | English ODI cricketers | English test cricketers | English cricket captains | Wisden Cricketers of the Year ... Michael Holding was a West Indian cricketer. ... Andy Roberts (born 29 January 1951 on the island of Antigua in the West Indies) is a former West Indian cricketer. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Wilfred Rhodes (born October 29, 1877, North Moor, Kirkheaton, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire; died July 8, 1973, Branksome Park, Bournemouth) was one of the greatest cricketers of the twentieth century. ... Off-spinner Athanasios John Traicos (born 17 May 1947 in Zagazig, Egypt) is one of the small number of cricketers to have played at the highest level for more than one country. ...
Retirement
By the time he retired from county cricket at the end of the 1977 season, Close had achieved folk hero status for Somerset. He went on to play for Todmorden in the Lancashire League. Close also had a stint as an England selector between 1979 and 1981 and in 1984 he was elected to the Yorkshire committee. He became chairman of the cricket subcommittee, which led him into more controversy and conflict with the captain, Geoffrey Boycott. 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... Todmorden is a town in the county of West Yorkshire, England, southwest of Hebden Bridge, It is part of Calderdale local council. ... The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the Rugby League Championship for much of its history. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Geoffrey Boycott (born October 21, 1940) is a former England cricketer. ...
After his retirement from Somerset, Close continued to play at the Scarborough Festival against the touring international teams, first for TN Pearce’s XI in 1978 and then for his own XI from 1982 to 1986. In 1986, aged 55, and playing his last-ever first-class innings, Close needed 10 runs to achieve a career-total 35,000 runs. When he scored 4 he glanced a ball down leg-side to the wicket-keeper and walked. Afterwards, the New Zealanders said that if they'd known how near he was to the landmark, they would have let him stay, but Close would have none of it – he was out, and that was that. Close's 786 first-class matches leave him 10th on the all-time list. Only four other outfielders have taken more catches than him. 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...
1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
A wicket keeper in characteristic position, ready to face a delivery. ...
Close continued to turn out to help train Yorkshire youngsters. Sometimes captaining games with them, and taking on the short leg position without a cap, a position he had taken so many times in the past.
Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ...
References
- Brian Close, Cricket's Lionheart by Alan Hill ISBN 0-413-77297-7
- I Don't Bruise Easily by Brian Close ISBN 0-7088-1529-4
- Cricinfo page on Brian Close (Accessed 26 February 2005)
- Cricket Archive page on Brian Close (Accessed 26 February 2005)
- A profile of Brian Close on CricketArchive.com by John Ward (Accessed 26 February 2005)
- Charity-golf.com (Accessed 26 February 2005)
- Thisisbradford.co.uk (Accessed 26 February 2005)
- Who said cricket was a serious game?
- Mike Procter and Cricket by Mike Procter ISBN 0-7207-1326-9
Book cover of Brian Close, Crickets Lionheart This image is a book cover. ...
Book cover of Brian Close, Crickets Lionheart This image is a book cover. ...
| Preceded by: Colin Cowdrey | English national cricket captain 1966-1967 | Succeeded by: Colin Cowdrey |
Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge (1932 - 2000) was an English India), on Christmas Eve 1932. ...
This is a list of cricketers who have captained the English cricket team for at least one Test match. ...
1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...
1967 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...
Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge (1932 - 2000) was an English India), on Christmas Eve 1932. ...
