A favourite mantra of many head coaches is to claim that they are “picking
from strength” when confronted with a tricky dilemma. In Leicestershire’s
case, we are just picking. Not that the XI I have selected here is
horrendously weak: it contains one of England’s most successful captains in
Ray Illingworth, a bowler of real venom in Andy Roberts, and the
incomparable David Gower, who was one of the main reasons I fell in love
with cricket more than 20 years ago, wafts outside off stump and all.
Indeed, I would back this side, much like the three Leicestershire XIs that
have won the County Championship, to be rather more than the sum of its
parts.
1. H. D. Ackerman: The South African has proved his worth as a batsman
time and again since joining two years ago. With a county career average of
more than 50 (and there are not many who can boast that among former Foxes),
he has been a buttress at the top of the order. He would ensure stability
and runs to see off the Mars new-ball attack.
2. Phil Simmons: There cannot have been many Leicestershire cricketers
as influential as Phil Simmons, underlined by his being one of Wisden’s
Cricketers of the Year in 1997. He contributed in all departments, whether
with important runs, or chipping in with handy wickets, or catches at slip,
all of which were vital ingredients in the unheralded championship triumph
of 1996.
3. Chris Balderstone: Just in case any footballing ability was
required, Balderstone is the man, as a former Huddersfield Town and Carlisle
United forward. But for Leicestershire, he was a courageous, gritty batsman
whose finest hour was winning the man-of-the-match award in the 1972 Benson
& Hedges Cup triumph. If Mars did manage to take an early wicket, it would
be reassuring to see “Baldy” heading out to the crease.
4. David Gower: His overall record for Leicestershire is comparatively
modest, but then county cricket never held too much appeal for Gower once
his talent had been recognised by England – unless he had been dropped, that
is. When motivated, few attacks could trouble him; with that mop of blond
hair often concealed beneath a floppy white hat, it was luxury itself to see
the ball caressed to the boundary by this most languorous of batsmen. Mars
would be enough to get the juices flowing.
5. Brian Davison: Pugnacious and determined, the Rhodesian-born Davison
was a key component of the Seventies Leicestershire unit and compiled more
than 18,000 runs in the Foxes cause. (Not to mention his useful bowling,
which on more than one occasion realised important wickets.) He was a
powerful batsman who could accelerate if the cause demanded it – and he gave
no quarter, either.
6. Willie Watson: Although Watson is more commonly associated with
Yorkshire, he enjoyed five highly productive seasons at Grace Road at the
end of his career, when he scored heavily and led the team with distinction.
He was also, in an era when fielding was something to be endured rather than
worked on, an athletic and capable fielder. He would add plenty of
experience to the middle order and acumen to back up Illingworth.
7. Paul Nixon: While the claims of Roger Tolchard were examined here,
the wicketkeeping berth has to go to Nixon because of his sheer enthusiasm
for the game. Never short of a word or two, Nixon has worked and worked at
both batting and wicketkeeping all his career, finally winning
richly-deserved selection for the England one-day side in January. He would
cause the Mars attack some problems with his unorthodox approach – and get
in their faces in the field throughout their innings.
8. Ray Illingworth (captain): When Illingworth left Yorkshire and
arrived at Grace Road in 1969, it was a coup for Leicestershire. An England
all-rounder with a finely-honed cricket brain, it seemed to presage
(finally) great things for the club. And so it proved, with two Benson &
Hedges Cups (in 1972 and 1975) and the first, much cherished, championship
triumph in 1975. Illingworth was nearly 37 when he arrived but he galvanised
the club in every way.
9. Andy Roberts: While his best days might have been behind him when he
started a four-season stint with Leicestershire, Roberts was one of the most
hostile fast bowlers of his generation. Moreover, his record while at Grace
Road stands comparison with any, taking 141 wickets at 21.75. The menace of
Roberts would be a wonderful foil for the poise of McKenzie.
10. Graham McKenzie: Not Australia’s most famous bowler, but certainly
one of its better ones. “Garth” McKenzie served Leicestershire durably over
six years, culminating in being a vital part of the team that won the
championship for the first time in 1975. McKenzie hit the deck hard and his
accuracy was much respected, deriving as it no doubt did from an easy,
well-grooved action.
11. Tony Lock: Another player who is not usually considered as a
Leicestershire man, Lock was an outstanding acquisition in the mid-Sixties,
leading the side to their (then) best finish of equal second in 1967. He
also captured a stack of wickets over three seasons, despite being towards
the end of his career, underlining the durability of spinners. An aggressive
left-arm bowler, Lock would work well with Illingworth and would also add
his sensational close-in fielding skills to the team.
My favourite XI
Unsurprisingly, as a thirtysomething, my team of personal favourites doesn’t
look back farther than the Eighties, and includes one of England’s strangest
selections from that decade in Les Taylor. But hopefully time will have
mended the disagreements between Jonathan Agnew and Phillip DeFreitas,
otherwise dressing-room harmony will be threatened before the captains toss
up!
1. Darren Maddy: Even though he is now enjoying a revival in
Warwickshire colours, Maddy was at the heart of Leicestershire’s Twenty20
victories. Athletic and determined, his batting at its best was close to
Test class and his fielding undoubtedly was of the highest calibre. Perhaps
he should have been given the captaincy at Grace Road and his later years
with the club would have been more productive with the bat. And his bowling
was often very handy.
2. Phil Simmons: Simmons never seemed to fit the bill as an archetypal
West Indies cricketer of the late Eighties and early Nineties, but that may
have been because he lacked that indeterminate edge which the likes of
Richards, Greenidge and Lloyd brought to their game. But for Leicestershire
in the mid-Nineties, he was sensational. Some key innings, some brilliant
catches and some crucial wickets – he was more than a match for many on the
county circuit. And what a team man.
3. Vince Wells: In my opinion, Wells was the unsung hero of the double
championship-winning side of a decade ago. Flashy, no. Outrageously
talented, no. Memorable, no. But he had a good temperament and he often
chipped in with valuable contributions where supposedly more gifted players
failed. It was a big loss when he left to go to Durham (of all places).
4. David Gower: My childhood hero. I loved watching Gower bat and was
always tremendously disappointed when he got out, whether having compiled a
fabulous century or a single-figure offering. He may not always have tried
too hard for the county, but when the mood took him, it was sublime. And he
was a great fielder in his early years, before shoulder problems rendered
his throw something of a joke.
5. James Whitaker (captain): The man who delivered two County
Championship titles within three years must have a special place in any
Foxes fan’s heart. Never the most watchable of batsmen, his devotion to the
Leicestershire cause over 22 years as player and manager marks him out. His
batting waned as the Nineties wore on, but he was dependable and
forward-thinking.
6. Peter Willey: The strong man of the team, figuratively as well as
literally. England always called him up when West Indies were to be the
opponents, and there was logic there, because Willey never flinched a
challenge. He joined Leicestershire when his Test career’s course was nearly
run, but gave excellent service with bat and ball even though he was never
an international-class all-rounder. And that stance! Coaches could never
justify it…
7. Paul Nixon: You can’t look beyond this man for sheer cricketing
exuberance. Constantly talking, always trying to improve. Now well into his
thirties but still a serious asset to the county as his performances this
year have shown; he is arguably batting better now than a decade ago. His
wicketkeeping may not always be flawless, but I don’t think Leicestershire
have ever had a truly outstanding wicketkeeper.
8. Phillip DeFreitas: We all thought “Daffy” was going to be the heir
to Ian Botham after that tour to Australia in 1986-87. Sadly,he wasn’t, but
he was a terrific professional in his second stint with the club, in the
twilight of his career. But even then he could turn games with a bit of
calculated hitting or a key wicket. An unfulfilled talent but you always
felt something was possible if he was around.
9. Nick Cook: There was something slightly hypnotic about Nick Cook’s
bowling action that hooked me as a young fan – and I still can’t place
precisely what it was. It is not as if Cook was a better cricketer than,
say, Phil Edmonds (indeed he only made his England debut in 1983 because
Edmonds was injured), but the looping stride and apparently unflappable
demeanour did him much credit.
10. Jonathan Agnew: More famous now as a broadcaster, “Aggers” served
Leicestershire well until the BBC came calling. He was just one of those
bowlers whom you always felt was trying his damnedest, even if sometimes he
lacked that extra veneer of talent that would have catapulted him into the
“genuine Test class” category. And I wanted him and DeFreitas reunited, just
for light entertainment.
11. Les Taylor: Even devoted Grace Road-goers (and they were few in
number in the Eighties) were more than a little surprised to hear of
Taylor’s call-up to the national colours for the fifth Test against
Australia in 1985. But pleased, because Les was a salt-of-the-earth
cricketer (nearly literally, as a former miner) who was a dreadful batsman
but an accurate bowler who achieved movement off the seam. Injuries dogged
him throughout his career but he would add character to this team in spades.
