Certainly it prompted instant recall in the soon-to-be-40 cricketers I spoke to none with such bitter-sweetness as Graeme Fowler I watched all of it
Certainly it prompted instant recall in the soon-to-be-40 cricketers I spoke to, none with such bitter-sweetness as Graeme Fowler "I watched all of it apart from the final," he said. We remember the young Geoff Boycott because he wore glasses.But the most blissful sporting moment of our childhoods had to be the 1966 World Cup It was the year of our ninth birthdays We could not have been at a more impressionable age. And by 1968 some of us were actually helping clear the water off the outfield at the Oval before Derek Underwood routed the Australians in that incredible fifth Test. I can still see Colin Bland uprooting one stump after another with direct hits in a fielding demonstration he gave during South Africa's tour in 1965. We were in awe of the run-ups of Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith. It was obviously no coincidence that 1957 was when Buddy Holly and the Crickets burst on to the pop scene.The generation that turns 40 this year can bring to mind some powerful images of the cricket we first became aware of. But the supporting cast is also impressive: Bill Athey (27 September), Chris Broad (29 September), Chris Cowdrey (20 October), Paul Downton (4 April) and Graeme Fowler (20 April) Three England captains and a total of 301 Test caps.
There are notable cricketers born every year, of course, but in those 12 months (between the death of Humphrey Bogart and the Queen's first Christmas broadcast on television) the births columns sparkled with names that would become the stars of a later era.Two in particular stand out - David Gower (born 1 April) and Mike Gatting (6 June). Surrey won the county championship for the sixth year running, with one more still to go. The atmosphere was blithe, and somehow it must have found its way into the genes, because 1957 was a vintage year for cricket in another way. England could put out a side that included Peter May, Tom Graveney, Colin Cowdrey, Godfrey Evans behind the stumps, and one of their finest bowling attacks ever in Fred Trueman, Brian Statham, Trevor Bailey, Jim Laker and Tony Lock. The West Indies, including the three Ws, came to play a five-Test series, lost three by an innings, and could only draw the other two. English cricket, meanwhile, was enjoying one of its golden ages. Juan Manuel Fangio won his fifth motor racing world championship, Althea Gibson became Wimbledon's first black champion, and a 17-year-old footballer called Jimmy Greaves made his debut for Chelsea. The Bridge on the River Kwai was awarded seven Oscars, Elvis Presley was No 1 in the charts with "All Shook Up", and Jack Kerouac published On the Road.
It was the year that Harold Macmillan became Prime Minister, the Common Market was created, and the space age began with the launch of Sputnik. That, too, is Steve Claridge.*Tales from the Boot Camps by Steve Claridge with Ian Ridley (Victor Gollancz, pounds 16.99).. "You cheeky little monkey," he replied, before his winning smile lit up his face. "You're really scruffy on the pitch, aren't you?" said my son, his initial awe turning to cockiness. Teddy Sheringham's last-minute equaliser made it the perfect night for him, though Steve had got us tickets for the players' lounge. "Never did that for me at Luton, did you?" he said to Claridge in the dressing-room afterwards.His last one to date came against Tottenham 10 days ago (last Saturday's against Southampton was an own goal, he admits privately, though he is claiming it publicly) and almost broke my Spurs-daft six-year-old's heart.