FLOWER REFLECTS ON HIS CAREER
Former Cheadle spinner Russell Flower can proudly claim to have taken the wickets of Boycott and Richards - and a host of others during an intriguing time spent at club, Staffs and first-class level.chris TRAVERS reports...
A GENTLEMAN sits next to the sightscreen at every Stone first-team fixture. He’s perched in his deckchair absorbing the action unfolding before him, passing the occasional comment and offering nuggets of knowledge to those who stop for a chat.
He might be 77 now, but his words of advice still resonate with players who are more than 50 years his junior.
So they should. When it comes to cricketing experience, there’s few better around than Russell Flower to impart his wisdom.
The sage of local spinners, the slow left-armer proved to be the nemesis of many a batsman at league and minor counties level.
And not even Sir Geoffrey Boycott or Sir Viv Richards could avoid being outfoxed in the middle by Flower during his season-long adventure on the first-class scene with Warwickshire under the captaincy of John Whitehouse.
The chance to add those illustrious names to his wicket-taking collection occurred because Flower was in the right place at the right time as he spent a lazy Sunday afternoon playing for Little Stoke in a club match.
“We played Nuneaton, which was John Whitehouse’s club, and I took eight wickets,” explains Flower.
“There must have been some committee men there and I was invited to play for Warwickshire seconds. They needed a spinner and I fitted the bill.
“That must have been in 1976, because in 1977 I played in Warwickshire’s seconds and then signed for the 1978 season.
“I was 35 at the time, so it was a bit of a surprise. I wasn’t glossy-eyed about going there because I knew it wasn’t going to be a long-term thing and they would be looking for someone younger.
“But it was something I had to do because otherwise I’d have regretted it.
“I did quite well in the seconds, but it was full of kids and the standard wasn’t always as good as minor counties cricket. I had a good job at Bassetts at Tittensor and they were excellent in letting me go to play.
“I thought I did myself justice when the opportunity arose, but I was then injured at Bradford, turning my ankle, midway through that 1978 season and missed three weeks.
“Warwickshire brought in Chris Cooper, an off-spinner from Yorkshire, who was younger and was ideal for their profile.
“But I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Edgbaston. We had a good team with the likes of Dennis Amiss, Bob Willis, Alvin Kallicharran and Geoff Humpage. I couldn’t go wrong with them in the side.”
Flower’s first-class career might have been limited to a single season, but despite events being 42 years ago, the memories haven’t faded.
It’s easy to see why. After dismissing Surrey’s Graham Roope for his maiden pro wicket, Flower found a way to topple Boycott’s dogged defence and Richards’ flamboyant style.
“It didn’t faze me bowling to players like that,” adds Flower. “I played with a lot of top professionals at minor counties level and was used to bowling at star names.
“I was 35, but as a spinner that’s not a problem, whereas a fast bowler’s best days might be behind him.
“I bowled 33 overs on the trot to Boycott (who made 115) and he just kept patting me back. I started my spell just before lunch and finished at tea.
“Bob Willis was actually stood too deep at slip and I kept telling him to come forward. He didn’t, but I found the edge of Boycott’s bat and Bob caught it at ankle height.”
Other top names including Mike Proctor also succumbed to Flower, but arguably the greatest wicket of them all was taken at Nuneaton.
Somerset were the visitors and Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards was part of a stellar batting unit.
The Caribbean king had taken an early liking to Flower’s left-arm repertoire, but the spinner would soon exact revenge.
“John Whitehouse was at mid-on and Neal Abberley was at mid-off,” recalls Flower. “They were giving me instructions to bowl straight and told me that Richards played like no-one else.
“They told me just to bowl straight. Viv knocked the first few back and then I’ve bowled another straight one and he’s stepped away and hit me over extra cover for six.
“John and Abbo turned to me and said: ‘Was that straight?.’ I replied: ‘Of course it was straight!”
A couple of overs later, Viv stepped across to the other side and stuck me in some allotments for six. Once again they’ve turned to me and said: ‘Was that straight?.’ ‘Of course it was straight’ I said.
“An umpire from India called Badami Satyaji Rao was officiating.
He was learning his trade, if you like, but was actually quite good.
“I’ve bowled again and it’s hit Viv on the pad, bang in front. I’ve leapt up in the air appealing and Rao’s finger goes up.
“I turned to Whitehouse and Abbo and said: ‘Before you ask, yes it was straight!.’ I can’t tell you the expletive I actually used!
“Viv just trudged off and didn’t moan, I think he knew it was out.”
Bowling wasn’t an issue for Flower, but batting wasn’t a forte for the bespectacled tweaker on the big stage.
And the prospect of a continued barrage from Middlesex’s Wayne Daniel at Edgbaston didn’t sit easy with him.
“I was batting with Eddie Hemmings. Daniel, or Diamond as they called him, was bowling quick,” recalls Flower.
“All the fielders were behind me. I’ve pushed the ball back past Diamond and he’s had to chase it to long on.
“We ran two, there was an easy third there, but Eddie didn’t want it. He didn’t fancy facing him again, so left me at that end. It was bloody cowardice!
“When I was at Warwickshire it was myself and Steve Perryman who were 10 and 11 usually. Although Steve used to call us 11A and 11B...”
There were no tears shed by Flower when, at the end of that season, his brief sojourn in to the world of firstclass cricket came to an end with a record of 10 wickets in nine County Championship appearances.
Instead, Flower merely returned to the grounds where he had carved out his reputation and which had brought him to the attention of the big wigs in the first place.
And that meant rekindling his Staffordshire career, which had
My finest Staffordshire memory was winning at Durham. That was a huge achievement at the time.
started in 1964, but had been put on the back burner because of his Warwickshire adventure.
It was the ideal time. Nasim Ul Ghani had ended his Staffordshire career, so Flower seemlessly slotted back in to the fold - and stayed there until he drew stumps on county duty in 1988.
“I had made my debut against Norfolk and managed to get Bill Edrich out. I also took a couple of catches at short leg off Peter Harvey. God knows what I was doing fielding there,” says Flower.
“I always wanted to play for Staffordshire and it was an honour to do so. I always tried my best.
“After Warwickshire, Lawrence Hancock (Staffs secretary) wrote to me and asked if I’d like to come back and play.
“Of course I did. The standard was a lot stronger in those days, not to rubbish the players of today.
“There were some good players in my time. Durham, crikey, they were a more than useful side.
“But we also had some fine players. The likes of Peter Gill, David Hancock, Peter Timmis, Keith Stride and Mike Ikin - all excellent cricketers who were also good company afterwards.”
Silverware eluded Flower during his Staffordshire career, although they came close to being crowned Eastern Division champions in 1987.
They finished level on points with Cambridgeshire, but the title went to the Fenmen by virtue of a runs per wicket method.
Staffs won their final match against Cumberland at Kendal, but not by a big enough margin. However, that contest is remembered for an injury to opening batsman Steve Dean, rather than the action itself.
“We needed to win by eight wickets to take the title,” recalls Flower.
“We didn’t play on the first day because of rain.
“There was that much water around and Dave Banks started chasing Deany around the field with a pitchfork.
“It had two prongs on it and Banksy threw it at Deany and it went straight through his foot. There was blood everywhere.
“Deany went to hospital and we had to call Nigel Davies to come up for the second day. We won by three wickets, but it wasn’t enough.”
There were happier memories, though, most notably defeating allconquering Durham in their own back yard.
Staffs, as part of their northern tour, had played Northumberland on the previous two days before venturing to Stockton to take on Durham.
“The best time was winning at Durham in 1982 under Peter Gill,” says Flower. “They were 65 games unbeaten. We’d been in Jesmond the previous couple of days so we weren’t at our freshest.
“Durham had some star players, so to beat them up there was an achievement. Some of the lads stayed over another night to celebrate, that’s how famous the win was.”
Trophy success may not have fallen Flower’s way at minor counties level, but he managed to take an incredible 318 Championship wickets for the county.
And the victims kept mounting up at his clubs as well... as did the silverware.
As a 16-year-old he started playing at Little Stoke, before embarking on spells with Cheadle and Stone, where he is now president.
“I was with Cheadle for five or six years and we won the North Staffs and District League three times and finished second twice,” says Flower.
“I then got offered the pro’s job at Stone in 1976, which I was delighted about. The first year there we won the North Staffs and South Cheshire League - the same season Noel Banks collapsed and died playing in a game.
“We also won the Talbot Cup that year and in 1981 won the first-ever Staffordshire Cup, beating West Bromwich Dartmouth in the final.”
Flower’s career was winding down in the 1990s, but there was still time for one last trophy triumph at the end of the 1997 season.
The lack of a frontline spinner meant Flower, at the age of 54, was called in to action to play neighbours Little Stoke in the Staffordshire Cup final.
“I had been playing in the seconds at Stone, but Murtaza Lodghar, who was the professional from India, had gone home,” adds Flower.
“They wheeled me out for the Staffs Cup final and I managed to get fivefor and we won”
Flower was 57 when he bowled his final competitive delivery. Typically self-effacing, it takes a former teammate - and rival - to reveal Flower’s true quality.
Dave Cartledge lined up alongside Flower for Staffordshire, but also had the tricky task of negating the spinner’s threat with his Leek side.
“Russ was a high-class spinner,” says Cartledge. “You get spinners who you can’t solve because the ball is never where you think it is - he was one of those.
“Whether it was the loop or the revs he put on the ball, he was a massive problem. He gave it a big rip. He had a lovely action and spun it past you.
“You always knew it was going to spin at Stone because Russ did the wicket! He’d have Sid Owen behind the stumps and then two or three catchers.
“You had to come up with a plan against him and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t.
“I managed to get a few runs against him, but he also got me out in the first over a few times as well.”
Cartledge says it was no surprise to see Flower given his chance on the first-class scene.
And he says it was a far better proposition having him on your side, rather than bowling at you.
“Russ had class by the bucketload and he never said anything derogatory to you. He didn’t need to, he let the ball do the talking,” adds Cartledge.
“He’s a gentleman as well and it was a privilege to play with and against him.
“Standing at slip for Staffordshire, it was a treat to see other people struggle against him!”