Just before my recent departure to France I learned of the death of Brian Close and soon after my return I was reading about the death of Frank Tyson. Two famous players whose careers have been written about at some length in the well documented obituaries.
However I have some brief memories of coming into contact with both of them and would like to share these with you. I saw Brian Close on three occasions during his wonderful double season of 1949 when he was only 18 years old. The Roses match at Headingley, against Hampshire at Hull and the most memorable against Gloucestershire at Fartown, Huddersfield.
This was well into August and he must have been within sight of the double. For some reason in Gloucester's second innings he opened the bowling and carried on for 41 overs, bowling a mixture of seam and spin, to take six wickets for over 100 runs in what was a fairly low scoring game.
Brian Close leading out Yorkshire at Scarboroough.
(The more observant of you might recognize the attractive young lady)
Many years later I remember him captaining the Yorkshire Academy side of youngsters in the first few Yorkshire League games at Headingley. They could not have had a better leader to set the example.
That may have been after I came across him at Harrogate cricket club during one of the Tilcon Trophy competitions. He was scheduled to award the man of the match trophy, but it was noticeable that he hardly watched any of the cricket and spent the day studying the racing papers and phoning his bookmaker, which was quite usual for him.
As the game neared its conclusion he came out onto the pavilion balcony where I was sitting and said to me 'Hey lad, you've been watching the match. Who should I give the man of the match award to?'
Fortunately I had been paying attention and was able to say that Mike Haysman, the Australian turned South African, who was playing for Leicester, had scored the only fifty of the match and should get it, which he duly did. He now of course commentates on cricket in South Africa.
I can only remember seeing Frank Tyson in action once, but again met him long after he had retired. It was my first visit to Lord's, still just a schoolboy in 1954. Northants batted almost all day and scored 400, with Tyson unusually making 60 not out.
Middlesex then had an uncomfortable half hour or so to bat before the close.
Tyson marked out his run, and seemed to be winding himself up, pawing at the ground with his feet, before he set off and hurled his first ball down at such pace that it crashed against the pavilion railings for four byes, before anyone could blink. I had never seen pace like it and soon afterwards he poleaxed Bill Edrich, the England batsman who could not resist the hook shot. Edrich was carried off and a young amateur from Oxford came in as a night watchman and somehow survived. Fortunately Edrich was not seriously injured and returned to bat the next day.
Frank Tyson
It was thought at the time that this incident got Tyson selected for the Australian tour on which he was so successful. Many years after his retirement he came to England with school touring sides and spent a couple of seasons coaching at Woodhouse Grove School. I was introduced to him by a mutual friend, Chris Turner, who had been at Durham University with Frank and acted as his agent in this country to arrange tour fixtures and speaking engagements.
Anyway Chris arranged for me to interview Frank for Leeds Hospitals Radio, which I remember doing at Whitkirk cricket club. We spoke for about half an hour with my tape recorder on and I reminded him of the game at Lord's and showed him the scorecard which I still have. Strangely he did not want to talk about his bowling but was overjoyed to see that he made 60 not out with the bat. He signed my scorecard which is reproduced below.
So two remarkable players who I came across only briefly, but for many cricket followers their achievements will live for ever. May they both rest in peace.
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