The Derek Pringle appreciation thread

[Lillian Thomson]

Post your memories of the great man here.

 

[archie mac]

Never really looked like a Test cricketer:

Slow (bowling speed, fielding)

But always seemed to get the job done, I couldn't help but like him tbh

 

[BoyBrumby]

IIRC there are rumours that he was only selected originally because (then chairman of selectors & father of only daughters) Peter May saw him as the son he never had.

Good writer on cricket, as one would expect from a Cambridge man.

 

[archie mac]

IIRC there are rumours that he was only selected originally because (then chairman of selectors & father of only daughters) Peter May saw him as the son he never had.

Good writer on cricket, as one would expect from a Cambridge man.

Has he written any books on the game BB? Can't remember hearing of any

 

[BoyBrumby]

Has he written any books on the game BB? Can't remember hearing of any

I don't know, but he's the main cricket correspondent for The Telegraph paper over here. Talks a lot of sense for the main; of all the ex pros who earn their corn writing on cricket I'd only have Mike Selvey & (possibly) Vic Marks above him.

 

[archie mac]

I don't know, but he's the main cricket correspondent for The Telegraph paper over here. Talks a lot of sense for the main; of all the ex pros who earn their corn writing on cricket I'd only have Mike Selvey & (possibly) Vic Marks above him.

Okay, I never read any of his work. I read a book by VM, very well written

 

[Xuhaib]

Bowled really well in the 92 WC final cant remember much else.

 

[Goughy]

As a young whiper-snapper I stood in the nets to return balls he was bowling at 1stump in a pre-game warm-up for a Test against the West Indies.

I remeber thinking that he actually hit the deck quite hard and was a bit quicker than you would expect from seeing him on TV.

However, he was not Test quality.

Best memory, his cameo in 'Chariots of Fire'

 

[Burgey]

Interested in your comments on Selvey, BB.

I haven't read him exhaustively, but from what I've read he seems a tad bitter and very sarcastic about a lot of things. That may be part of his appeal I guess.

Gives some good analyses though. Has he written any books?

 

[wpdavid]

Originally appeared in 1982 to maintain an Oxbridge presence in the England side, which was still felt to be important at the time. As others have said, he wasn't test quality, but he did bat for a long time with Gooch to set up the Headingley win against WI in 1991. Before then, we'd seen an awful lot of dross from him, but all was forgiven when we registered our first home win against WI in over 20 years.

His taste in music was more interesting than his cricket. Probably the only test cricketer to include Half Man Half Biscuit amongst his list of preferred artistes.

btw Goughy - was the CoF reference serious? If so, details please ...

EDIT
I should have mentioned that his ear-ring was deemed worthy of comment at the time. Possibly the first English test cricketer to wear one.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Interested in your comments on Selvey, BB.

I haven't read him exhaustively, but from what I've read he seems a tad bitter and very sarcastic about a lot of things. That may be part of his appeal I guess.

Gives some good analyses though. Has he written any books?

I like Selvey a lot, as I alluded to. He happens to write for The Guardian, which is my daily of choice so I read him a lot more than most, so my liking may just be a familiarity with his style.

I wouldn't say he's bitter, but he does exude an occasional world-weary sardonic air which could possibly be taken for such. I think he knows he was very much a minor talent & considers himself privileged to have played with some of the greats. He wrote a rather nice & very honest piece on FST just after the great man was diagnosed with (as it turned out) terminal cancer which shows him at his best. Link here:

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/columnists/story/0,,1778542,00.html

 

[Goughy]

btw Goughy - was the CoF reference serious? If so, details please ...

Yep, when they first go to University there is the Clubs Fair (or whatever they call it) and he is one of the people at a desk recruiting for his club.

EDIT- Here it is. Good old IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1343279/

 

[wpdavid]

Yep, when they first go to University there is the Clubs Fair (or whatever they call it) and he is one of the people at a desk recruiting for his club.

EDIT- Here it is. Good old IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1343279/

Ta - I had no idea. I suppose I saw CoF before Pringle made his England debut, so I wouldn't have recognised him. But a nice piece of trivia which I shall have to use at some point.