As I grew to love the game of cricket my team was Yorkshire. It was the 1960s and the county always started the season at Settle CC, my local club in the Ribblesdale League. For one tantalising afternoon in April we could rub shoulders with our heroes. There was local lad Don Wilson, Fiery Fred Trueman, obdurate Dougie Padgett, Phil Sharpe, Raymond Illingworth. These guys were truly heroes to me and their autographs are all in my autograph book, kept safely as if containing the Crown Jewels. Geoffrey Boycott was my favourite of all and I remember racing each evening to get the ‘Telegraph and Argus’ from the newsagent to find out the latest from Headingley, Bradford Park Avenue or Scarborough, with an extra spring in my stride if I knew he was batting.
They were the best in the land year after year, everyone a household name and at the very heart of the team was the fearless, lionhearted DB Close. This man was the stuff of legends, willing to put his body on the line for his team. No helmet required just sheer courage and talent. A supreme competitor who took blows to the body as a batsman and as a close fielder at short leg. Brian Close endeared himself to many when he walked down the Lords pitch to Charlie Griffith and Wes Hall in 1963. Televised coverage was just taking off in black and white and here was this courageous left-handed batsmen meeting danger head on. Scary enough but nothing compared to the Old Trafford Test of 1976 when England opted for age in the form of John Edrich and Brian Close as opening batsmen. Close had been reinstated that series for the first time in nine years, at the age of 45. This was the dawn of the era of great West Indian quick bowling and on the third evening Edrich and Close met it head on. My Yorkshire hero faced Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and co with a pair of gloves and a bat. There was no limit as to the number of bouncers in those days and no protection of the kind afforded today. Would he have used it if there was?At the close, after an hour’s play, Close was one not out. He did not shy away, all the bruises being down the side of his body facing the bowlers.
Watching this unfold was heart in the mouth stuff and will be the episode remembered most clearly by his many admirers. There was much more to Brian Close’s career, though. He was, for instance, the youngest test cricketer to represent England, he captained Yorkshire to three consecutive championships. He possessed enough innate sporting talent to make it as a professional footballer and play single handicap golf left and right-handed. He was outspoken, controversial and forthright. The masses of praise heaped on him since the sad news of his death to cancer shows the massive respect that he has garnered throughout his career.
