I have a faint memory of an International Cavaliers match on television that may predate it, but the first time I can remember being aware of cricket was England's 1967/8 of the West Indies.
And even then the things that impressed me were the crowd riots and (look away now if you are squeamish) Fred Titmus losing several toes to a boat's propellor.
Apparently, as long as you keep your big toe, you don't much miss them because your balance is not affected. Sure enough, Titmus was to play on for years.
So the first test series I can remember watching is the 1968 Ashes series in England. And the first action I recall is Colin Milburn hitting Australia all round Lord's on the second morning of the second test.
Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, you can see some of the action here.
Milburn was to lose an eye in car accident the following year. He attempted a comeback for Northamptonshire, but eventually had to accept that his cricket career was over.
In a sad echo of Milburn's misfortune, the other England batsman I can remember hitting Australis around Lord's like this is Ben Hollioake, who was to die in another accident aged only 24.
I recall one of Milburn’s innings when he was, as usual, hitting the ball to all parts and, if I remember correctly, had got into three figures. And the incomparable John Arlott remarked “And this Milburn, I would remind you, was the player they said shouldn’t play for England because he wasn’t a player of claaarse”. The amount of dripping contempt Arlott managed to get into that single word was remarkable
ReplyDeleteAs a Northampton schoolboy in the early 60s "Tub" Milburn was our hero. He had an extraordinary ability to time a cricket ball. Those huge shots captured in your great You Tube film were not slogs but the sweetest of pulls and hooks. His ability to square cut anything outside off stump was unmatched at the time. I think my favourite memory is Tub putting a Wes Hall rocket delivery out of the ground at the Scarborough Festival in ?1963.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that clip - good to see Graham Mackenzie in action. Always a favourite at Grace Road.
ReplyDelete(Sorry, McKenzie!)
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