Book Review: Deadly - Derek Underwood, The Life of an English International Cricketer by Mark Peel

A combination of one of the more reliable cricket writers and a cricketer who rarely let anyone down was always likely to produce a worthy tome.

So it follows that Mark Peel's biography of Derek Underwood is an outstanding read.

There was nothing flashy about the former Kent and England man. He went about his work with a familiar, trudging gait and was close to being a captain's dream. On any pitch offering help - and there were plenty in the 1960s, as tired old outgrounds were starting to slip below an acceptable standard - he was, as his nickname suggested, 'Deadly'. When conditions were less in his favour, his innate accuracy enabled him to slow down the scoring rate, giving little away to the greats of the game, many of who were playing county cricket at the time.

In that attitude he should have been a Derbyshire player and it was interesting to read that, when his involvement in World Series Cricket saw him initially sacked by Kent, he was approached by then Derbyshire captain, Eddie Barlow about a move to the County Ground.

It never happened, of course and Underwood remained a man of Kent until the end of his playing career. 

What a career it was. Almost 2,500 wickets at a shade over 20, with 297 at 25 in international cricket. The astonishing thing is that he was not always an automatic pick for his country. He wasn't strictly speaking a spin bowler and there were no real similarities between him and Norman Gifford, a fine but lesser bowler who was sometimes preferred. 

Critics said he bowled too quickly and was afraid to give the ball air, which was valid on a perfect pitch. Yet it also meant he was hard to get away and he could be relied upon to keep one end quiet, at least. 

His 7-50 against Australia on a rain-affected pitch at The Oval in 1968 earned England a draw in the series and set him off on an international career that saw him respected around the world. 

He appears to have been an admirable man too and those consulted in the excellent research for this book all bear testimony to a life well-lived. His friendly persona made him a popular host on cricket tours in later years and his passing last year was mourned throughout the game. 

This is an outstanding read, the latest in a long line from the publisher. My only grouse is that a career so spectacular was worthy of a statistical breakdown at the end. That apart, it is a book well worth the time and follows in a rich sequence of excellent volumes from the author. 

Recommended. 

Deadly: Derek Underwood, the Life of an English International Cricketer is written by Mark Peel and published by Pitch Publishing