A HERO UNTIL
Ashes legend Ray played huge
RAY ILLINGWORTH was arguably the greatest England captain of them all. Half a century ago, he regained the Ashes in Australia despite home umpires not upholding a single lbw decision in the England bowlers’ favour during the entire series.
He rightly regarded that raiding party as his greatest achievement.
Illingworth, whose death at the age of 89 was announced on Christmas Day, was cricket royalty – a dogged batsman and resourceful off-spinner but, above all, a master tactician.
It remains a mystery that he was never knighted for his services to English cricket.
Chaired off by jubilant team-mates – who trusted him like a general – at the Sydney Cricket Ground when the urn had been repatriated in 1970-71, he was bold enough to take his players off the pitch when they were pelted with bottles.
Fast bowler John Snow had been warned for intimidatory bowling after he struck Aussie tailender Terry Jenner, and when England’s spearhead was accosted by an aggressive spectator leaning over the picket fence on the boundary, Illingworth led his team off.
Umpire Lou Rowan threatened to abandon the match and award Australia victory by forfeit if England did not resume promptly – which would have handed the home side the Ashes.
“I said we would only go back if the outfield was cleared and we were able to play the game unhindered,” said Illingworth.
“Our tour manager, David Clark, wasn’t happy with us and leaned on us to get back on the field, but what I did was right. I asked him whose side he was on.
“In the second innings, Snowy broke his hand trying to take a catch on the boundary, but we still managed to win the Test by 62 runs and take the series
2-0.
“That was the only home series of five matches or more where the Aussies had never won a single match.we should make that kind of history more often.”
That was also the tour on which the first-ever one-day international was played – to make up for a Test match being wiped out by incessant rain in Melbourne.
Years later, when Lord’s procured replica shirts for ex-players with the numbers in serial order, Illingworth and Geoffrey Boycott argued about No.001.
“As captain in our inaugural limitedovers international, I argued I should be No.001 in one-day cricket, but Boycs was adamant. ‘No, no, I opened the batting, I faced the first ball, I should have No.1,’ he insisted.
“Then I realised I went in at fifth wicket down, which would make me No.007. I don’t know if Sean Connery or Daniel Craig would agree, but it’s not a bad way to be remembered.”
The last time I saw Illy was at his home in Farsley to discuss England’s prospects of glory in the 2019World Cup.
Illingworth won three consecutive county championship titles with Yorkshire in the 1960s and returned to lead them to the Sunday League title in 1983, at the age of 51.
One of their games was a 10-wicket romp against Northamptonshire in my home town, and I told him I was there.
Illy reeled off the names and figures as if it had happened yesterday. He never forgot anything.
And we should never forget his contribution to English cricket.