There are a few things cricket blogs can do better than the mainstream press. Obituaries are rarely among them. I’d love to pay fulsome tribute to Brian Close, but I rather doubt I’d do him justice.
Close was never England’s finest batsman or bowler. But he was the stuff of genuine cricketing legend. Pugnacious, rebellious, insanely brave, Close was one of the most colourful and fascinating figures in the history of English cricket, his career a rollercoaster ride of unwitting controversy and stoic heroism.
Close, who regarded his forehead as primarily a deflector shield, remains England’s youngest ever test cricketer. He began playing in the days when cricketers also played professional football, as he did, for Bradford City, Leeds and Arsenal. His first-class career spanned twenty eight years, and his test career just one fewer. A titan of Yorkshire cricket, he later turned Somerset into a winning force – and discovered Ian Botham.
His successful career as England captain was savagely cut short in 1967 by an act of bigotry vindictive even by the standards of the English cricket establishment. Finding his rough Yorkshire ways to their distaste – the distinction between Gentleman and Players had only ended six years previously – the MCC were looking for excuses to sack him.
They eventually found one in claims (which he denied) that he’d deliberately wasted time during a county match to force a draw. As pathetic pretexts go, it was right up there with looking out of the window. Tellingly, the selectors backed Close, but the MCC – then and now a private club – over-ruled them. Close was replaced by the nice Colin Cowdrey, who had shiny blazer buttons and had been to Oxford.
Most of all, though, Close will be remembered for this:
But there are people far better placed than me to tell Close’s riveting story and celebrate his wonderful contribution to the game of cricket. People who knew him in person, or at least watched him in the flesh. They include David Hopps, who wrote this lovely piece in Cricinfo, Scyld Berry in the Telegraph, Michael Vaughan, and of course, Geoffrey Boycott.
You may have your own memories of Brian Close, and if so, we’d love to hear them.
If you include both England test teams, Brian Close is now only the youngest man to play test cricket; Holly Colvin is the youngest person. Still an impressive record to have, of course.
A great Yorkshire character – and tellingly, a formative influence as captain for both Boycott and Botham. Not something many could aspire to.
As a player, his true potential was curtailed by injury (interesting to speculate just how good he might have been as an all rounder without the knee damage), and later by exile from both team and county.
One thing I think the crickinfo obituary missed was that he was a single handicap golfer – both left and right handed.
Nice Blog, loved to read it.