Cook’s century celebration keeps memory of friend alive
IT WAS the simplest of gestures, but it meant the world to Sue Randall.
When Alastair Cook reached a century at the
Oval last week in his last Test match before retiring, the England captain removed his helmet, touched his ear and looked up to the heavens.
That gesture was in tribute to David Randall, a childhood teammate with whom Cook had come up through the ranks of junior cricket in Essex, but who died of cancer at the age of 27.
The pair had met at Maldon Cricket t Club, playing together in the under10s and under-16s, with Randall breaking into the first team when he was just 13, and being selected for the England Under-15 squad.
But in 2012 he fell ill with bowel cancer and died.
So when Cook touched his ear and looked skywards, it was a symbolic reminder of what Randall meant to one of England’s greatest cricket players who ended his career on such a high.
“It’s lovely that he remembers David and keeps his memory alive,” Randall’s mother Sue, a teacher, told The Sunday Telegraph. “I was at work when Ali scored his 100, so I didn’t see it, But I am thrilled that he made such a big score in his final innings and I know David would have been too. “They spent a lot of time together from when they were young, playing and learning from each other. “When David became ill, Alastair arranged for him to visit Lord’s and Wimbledon. It was a lovely thing for Ali to do.”
In an attempt to make sense of Randall’s death, his mother and a group of family friends set up a foundation in his name to help people with terminal illnesses “enjoy life to the full for as long as possible” and to provide scholarships to people who demonstrate exceptional dedication and passion in sport or music, but lack the finances to pursue it. The foundation, of which Cook is a patron and is run entirely by volunteers and helps to provide memorable days for terminally ill people and their families. Mrs Randall said Cook’s association with the foundation has proved invaluable in raising funds and support.