Fire still burning for hero Napier
Francis Kelly looks at the impact of Essex’s departing all-rounder, Graham Napier
Across three decades Graham Napier has unassumingly gone about his cricket at Essex. But as the one-club man moves closer to retirement from the professional game, there are no plans to bow out quietly before he hangs up his boots come the end of the season.
The county he’s represented for over 25 years – rising through the junior ranks before becoming a first team member – is on the cusp of returning to Division One in the Championship, and Napier, a local lad, wants to ensure they achieve that goal before he departs.
Six seasons have passed since Essex last competed with the best in the top tier, and Napier believes that there would be no greater leaving gift than helping them secure the sole promotion spot.
“To see the guys up in the top division would be the ultimate send off,” said the 36-year-old.
“That would be great personally but more for the club, taking it forward, and the next generation coming through. For the likes of Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence, trying to get the attention of the selectors, it is important to be in the first division scoring runs.
“So if it gets a few of the players’ recognition higher up and the lads go on to do well in the first division, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
If Essex do go up, the team that gets them there will likely need strengthening, with only six of the side to play in their most recent fixture against Worcestershire having represented the county in Division One before. That included Alastair Cook, who will miss most of next season on England duty, and the retiring Napier. Essex have made one signing in recognition of this, former opener Varun Chopra returns to the club where he started his career, when he departs Warwickshire at the end of the season.
But Napier is adamant if Essex are promoted they can hold their own, and maybe even pull off a surprise or two in the following years.
“Having not played any first division cricket for a while, it’s difficult to judge ourselves against them.
“But the sides that have come down like Sussex, we’ve been able to compete with. I think the style we’re playing at the moment is that of a first division team.
“It might be a process where we work our way up, or it might be an overnight success.
“You are competing with some big clubs, however I’d love to see the club near the top next year and potentially a couple of years after that winning the Championship.”
It’s been a tale of nearly men for Essex in recent years in their hunt for Division One cricket, finishing third on three consecutive occasions, even scoring the highest points tally without achieving promotion.
But after a change in coaching personnel over the winter that saw bowling coach Chris Silverwood replace Paul Grayson as head coach, and their youthful contingent mature after debut seasons, Essex are gunning for top spot.
A renewed steeliness to the side as well as Napier’s sparkling form with the ball – taking 50-plus Championship wickets for the first time in his career – has crucially made them tough to beat.
“A couple of years ago we might have flagged in a few of these close games, like Sussex at Colchester (where they held out for a draw). We could’ve lost that game and been back in the pack again.
“We’ve stayed strong in those situations and, as you saw at Leicester when we were 68-5, we managed to get a big score on the board and win the match. I don’t think that would’ve happened in the past.”
Despite the possible proposition of first division cricket next year, Napier has not been tempted to carry on for one more season, and is looking forward to his ‘second career’ as director of the cricket academy named after him at the Royal Hospital School in Ipswich. Although, he hasn’t ruled out returning to the club in some capacity one day.
“If you saw me in the morning coming down the stairs, it’s a little nudge why I’m retiring. Constantly sitting in an ice bath, or icing ankles, knees, whatever part hurts. It’s a constant reminder,” he said.
“There’s no way I could do another season after the amount I’ve put into this one. It’s worn me out. I wanted to make it as good a summer as possible; it would be pretty difficult to beat it a year older.
“But who knows, one day I could come back here as coach...”
If you saw me in the morning coming down the stairs, it’s a little nudge why I’m retiring Graham Napier