Another Yorkshireman from Teesside

Posted by Tony Hutton

Brian Sanderson's interesting blogs on two cricketers from Teesside, Alan Ramage and Chris Old, made me think about a third player from that area. Bill Athey started his career with Yorkshire in 1976 as an eighteen year old. He had a very correct technique and certainly looked destined for a long and successful career from the word go. Yorkshire brought him gradually into the team with the regular openers still Geoff Boycott and Richard Lumb at that time. He was kept well clear of the John Player Sunday league in that first season and really blossomed with an innings I remember well against Sussex at Headingley.

Bill Athey playing for Yorkshire.

In the first innings he had been out for nought, caught Greig bowled Snow. In the second innings it was a very different story when opening together with Richard Lumb the pair put on 132 for the first wicket. Athey really took the Sussex bowlers to the cleaners and was particularly severe on England's then number one bowler, John Snow. I remember him hitting a straight six over the bowler's head much to his surprise. Snow was not a happy man and finished with figures of 0-72. Athey went on to pass the century mark and was 131 not out when Yorkshire declared.

He continued to develop with Yorkshire and made his England debut in 1980 in the centenary test match at Lord's. He was never really a regular for England at that stage, but it came as something of a surprise when he moved on to Gloucestershire in 1980. The highlight of his test career came on the 1986-87 tour of Australia when he opened in all five tests alongside Chris Broad. England, after being written off, managed to win the series 2-1 under Mike Gatting's captaincy.

England's squad to Australia in 1986-7. Some unlikely names including Jack Richards, Surrey wicket keeper, James Whittaker of Leicestershire and Wilf Slack of Middlesex. Athey is second from the right on the back row.

After making his only test century at Lord's against Pakistan, Athey captained Gloucestershire for one season but moved on again to Sussex in 1993 for four seasons before moving on again as coach of Worcestershire in 1998. Now in his sixties he is still involved in the game as coach at Dulwich College.

One interesting story related to Athey's well known support of the Conservative Party. Gloucestershire were playing in Yorkshire at the time of the 1987 general election. Athey and his more left wing team mate Jack Russell decided to travel back to Bristol to vote. As their journey neared it's conclusion they suddenly realised that their two votes would cancel each other out, so their journey was not really necessary.