County Championship Season 2021
Re: County Championship Season 2021
Jack Russell the last one. Also the last to make a test match 100. Also a Wicketkeeper Batsman.
Re: County Championship Season 2021
ShedOrDead wrote:Jack Russell the last one. Also the last to make a test match 100. Also a Wicketkeeper Batsman.
It's been too long SoD. Jack was actually a much better batsman than he was given credit for by the selectors and, of course, fabulous with the gloves. I remember, as a callow young sports reporter, trying to interview him after a Sunday league match at the County Ground in Swindon (it backed onto the main football stand). Can't remember if it was because he'd been selected or dropped again (for not being Alex Stewart). He didn't actually say anything terribly interesting but he could certainly walk very fast to his car (or certainly too fast for a young reporter desperately trying to make a shorthand note!).
Re: County Championship Season 2021
A lovely story Tim, thank you! Can't really blame him for running back to his car if he's had to park it in Swindon, though.
I agree that he was a better batsman than people remember. The whole nonsense about Alec Stewart annoyed my young self even at the time and in retrospect, was clearly a case of the Old Farts trying to get The Right Sort Of Chap into the team to take the reigns after Atherton. Say what you want about Russell's batting, he'd have never penned some of those sycophantic articles that Stewart did before the Ashes about the Aussies.
Re: County Championship Season 2021
Stewart was a test class bat who could keep a bit. When they dropped Jack his average was worse because he was more knackered. Jack was a keeper first who could bat, they complemented each other. Unfortunately the selectors didn't always see it that way.
Re: County Championship Season 2021
The Shire have had remarkable longevity from some fantastic keepers over the years. Basically we got through the 20th century with six men behind the stumps.
Jack Board (who started in 1891 and went through to the outbreak of WW1)
Harry Smith (1912-35)
Andy Wilson (1936-55)
Barry Meyer (1957-71)
Andy Stovold (mixed in with quite a lot of Andy Brassington) - 1973-90.
Jack Russell (1981-2004)
Between them they rattled up something in the region of 2,300 CC matches for the county. I'm obviously far too young to have seen them all play 
but basically from all accounts all were glove men first (with the exception of Stov).
Young Bracey seems to combine excellent glove work with the ability to be a threat at the top of the order. Hope he's with the Shire for many years to come.
Re: County Championship Season 2021
lovejoy wrote:Bill Athey?
Think he only played very few games behind the stumps, there were a few others as well, but those six basically saw us through the 20th century. Of course Bill could have asked for middle and leg in May 1901 and still been 16 not out in September 1999
Joking aside, he was, of course, a very fine batsman and did the Shire proud.
Re: County Championship Season 2021
I was responding to the post about the last Glos batsman to represent England.
Re: County Championship Season 2021
lovejoy wrote:I was responding to the post about the last Glos batsman to represent England.
Apologies Lovejoy.
Re: County Championship Season 2021
lovejoy wrote:Bill Athey?
Good shout, I'd forgotten (fallen asleep! thinking ) about him.