ILLINGWORTH ON BEING OUR VERY FIRST ONE-DAY CAPTAIN AND BAGGING AN ICONIC SHIRT
THE name’s Illingworth. Raymond Illingworth. On Her Majesty’s sacred service – winning the Ashes in Australia.
Illingworth was England’s captain in the first ever one-day international in January 1971 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and 48 years later he barely recognises the game where Eoin Morgan’s heavy artillery are World Cup favourites.
Look closely at the serial numbers on Illy’s commemorative shirt, representing the chronological order in which he appeared in Tests and limited-overs bashes, and you can see why he is so proud of it.
The tale of ‘Raymond Illingworth 007’ is a fitting epitaph to the fine career of a Yorkshire legend who did it all: Captain, leader, chairman of selectors and groundsman at his beloved village club, Farsley.
Illingworth (right) will be 87 next month but his recall of events – down to his Sunday league bowling figures and the batsmen he dismissed – remains as sharp as his tactical nous.
“The third Test in Melbourne had been washed out by four days of torrential rain, and there was no point in starting from scratch on the fifth day,” he said. “It was decided we would play a one-day international as a crowd-pleasing gesture and an extra (seventh) Test would be added to the schedule – but as captain I wasn’t consulted and the players weren’t happy.
“Our tour manager, David Clark, told us we were getting a £25 match fee and the boys weren’t having it: Twenty-five quid to play another Test match? Even in those days, that didn’t pay many bills.
“I’m not saying we didn’t try to win but we didn’t throw ourselves around in the outfield. Australia won the one-day match but in the end we got what we came for: We regained the Ashes.”
Illingworth was chaired off in Sydney after England won 2-0, and years later he was almost as pleased with his 007 souvenir after a stand-off with Geoffrey Boycott when Lord’s procured a set of replica shirts for former players.
“As captain, I argued I should be 001 in one-day cricket but Boycs was adamant, ‘No, no, I opened the batting, I faced the first ball, I should be No.1 in the order’,” said Illingworth.
“Then I remembered I came in at fifth wicket down – which would make me 007. I don’t know if Sean Connery or Daniel Craig would agree but it’s not a bad way to be remembered. I’m sure Boycs doesn’t mind.”
Since Illingworth’s pioneers took the field at the MCG (and lost by five wickets despite man-ofthe-match John Edrich’s 82 off 119 balls), England have won 367 of their 732 ODIs, barely half, and in 11 attempts have never won the World Cup.
He gives Morgan’s big hitters a “fighting chance” this time but fears 50-over cricket has become tilted too far in favour of batsmen. “Bats are bigger, boundaries are shorter and even mis-hits go for six,” he said. “I enjoy watching Jos Buttler because he can invent shots, and Jonny Bairstow hits it a long way.
“England don’t seem bothered about chasing 350 when it’s a flat deck and everyone can tee off but if the pitch is doing a bit and the ball is swinging, can they hold their nerve if it’s nip-and-tuck?
“I hope so – but there’s also a skill to winning tight finishes in lower-scoring matches. It’s not just a matter of hitting sixes into the crowd.”
Before the audience with a legend is over, Illy points to a present on the wall marking his diamond wedding anniversary – a copy of his marriage certificate framed next to a letter of congratulations from the Queen.
Raymond Illingworth 007, on Her Majesty’s sacred service indeed.