Ray Illingworth - Yorkshire Personified

[fredfertang]

Ray Illingworth - Yorkshire Personified

Still the last England captain to win back the Ashes on Australian soil, Martin looks back at the life and career of Ray Illingworth

 

[Black_Warrior]

This Martin is an amazing writer

 

[Lillian Thomson]

A slight inaccuracy in the line "The following summer the bubble burst somewhat as England lost a home Test and indeed series to India for the first time and were given a good deal to think about by Pakistan before securing a narrow win in the second part of the summer." The Pakistan series was the first half of the summer.

I remember when Illingworth didn't get the captaincy for the West Indies trip. Before the decision was made he said "There'll be no hard feelings if I don't get the captaincy for the tour." After the decision was made the Daily Mirror carried the headline "Sacked and I'm sick."

 

[The Battlers Prince]

A wonderful piece Martin. "Illy" does seam indeed a Yorkie of ol'. He and to me the guy who was Yorkshire Personified (Wilfred Rhodes) had such similar careers. Both men all rounders. Both spinners. Both would do what the team needed in terms of batting doggedly or bowling extra overs. And both fought like hell for their respective sides to get the win.