Great piece, but just to point out
PETER HAYTER’S lively piece
(TCP, December 2) was perceptive in capturing the characters of England captains Graham Gooch, Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain.
Hayter’s memory is normally sound, but Atherton’s famous match-saving unbeaten 185 against South Africa in Johannesburg was not chanceless.
On 99, he flicked an Allan Donald ball of his body into and out of the hands of Gary Kirsten at short-leg. It was a tough chance and one that sticks or does not, and fortunately for Atherton and England, it did not.
Next ball, Atherton was ready for the Donald short ball and hooked it to bring up his ninth Test century.
Hayter stated that Hussain was in charge for two of England’s bad failings in 1999 – the disastrous World Cup campaign and then the Test series defeat against New Zealand, which put them at the bottom of the unofficial World Test Championship.
Hussain played in the 1999 World Cup, but he was not captain. Alec Stewart was, and he was sacked after England did not progress beyond the group stage, which also saw coach David Lloyd depart his role.
However, Hussain was the captain (apart from one game) for just the second half of that summer, which was one to forget for English followers.
He skippered the side to a win over the Kiwis in the first Test, but then picked up an injury during the second Test which meant he could not bat in the second innings before England slipped to a heavy defeat.
Mark Butcher skippered for the only time in the third Test that was drawn before Hussain came back from injury for the final Test that England lost.
However, Hussain went out on a high five years later with an unbeaten 103 (not 103 and out) as England went 1-0 up against New Zealand.