The A-Z of Derbyshire Cricket - T is for Taylor: Bob Taylor

When I sat down to look at the candidates for the best player to wear Derbyshire colours whose name began with the letter T, I expected there to be more candidates than immediately came to mind.

Yet there wasn't. A triumvirate of Taylors is worthy of passing mention before we look at the top three, with Will Taylor being the first. His greatest playing claim to fame was the dismissal of Learie Constantine's father in the tour match of 1906, but he went on to become club secretary for an astonishing fifty-one years until 1959. He saw the club through some very dark financial periods that coincided with perhaps their greatest sustained period of competitiveness, certainly from the early 1930s onwards.

There was also Chris Taylor, who looked a class above most of what we had in 2006, before disappearing after the 2007 season in what appeared a case of poor man management, though there were doubtless faults on both sides. Nor should we overlook Paul Taylor, although he was discarded by the club before going on to take over 550 first-class wickets for Northamptonshire. One of the most consistent county bowlers of the 1990s, his left-arm seam eventually earned him two England caps.

It is another left arm bowler who is third in my list. Colin Tunnicliffe was a solid county professional who took over 300 wickets for the club. He had a kind of 'rolling' run up that always reminded me of a dog, out for a walk, straining to escape the leash, but he was very effective and picked up his fair share of wickets with late swing. Colin was a fan's favourite, as you knew you were going to get total commitment from him, irrespective of the match situation.

He was also a hearty tail end batsman, capable of powerful blows, with his starring role coming in the Nat West final of 1981. His 'clumping' of Northamptonshire's Sarfraz Nawaz enabled us to get past the post when it looked like the game had been thrown away. Few will forget the last ball drama and Geoff Miller's headlong dive to make his ground, but 'Tunners' had bowled steadily and played a vital late hand. His contribution to the club will never be forgotten, that's for sure.

Second has to be all-rounder Les Townsend, who was a very powerful all-rounder through the 1930s after a lengthy apprenticeship in the previous decade. County leg-spinner Tom Mitchell recalled that when he bowled to him in the nets he used to run quickly out of the way, as the ball often came back at a rate of knots! Although the batting of that side could be inconsistent, Townsend's arrival at the crease was always of interest, as he was generally aggressive and hit ferociously once set. From 1932 to 1938 he breezed past a thousand runs each summer, his golden year being 1933, when 2268 runs flowed from his bat, a tally that included six centuries and ten fifties. His 'arc' was generally between long on and long off and spectators were often kept on their toes in that area of grounds.

Aside from his batting in 1933, he also took one hundred wickets at just eighteen with his off-spin. Considering that he usually only came on when Bill Copson, the Pope brothers and Tommy Mitchell had been tried, he took an astonishing 1088 wickets in his career at just over 21, taking five in an innings on fifty-one occasions. In most other categories he would deservedly have been number one, but this is no ordinary category.

Because in first place is the greatest wicket-keeper I ever expect to see, Bob Taylor.

In a side that lacked real stars, the standout players in the first Derbyshire side I saw were Harold Rhodes and Bob Taylor. Rhodes bowled quickly, though near the end of his career when I saw him, but Taylor was neat, unobtrusive and remarkably consistent.

One of my earliest cricket lessons was my Dad telling me to 'listen' to Taylor taking the ball, whether the bowling or throws from the field. I wondered what he meant, but soon understood, as there was barely a sound. The ball always seemed to be taken cleanly, no matter how wide the delivery or erratic the throw. His footwork was exemplary one rarely saw him diving for balls down the leg side, his quick feet getting him into position for a more conventional 'take'.

When he had to dive, for thick edges, the ball usually stuck, and keep in mind that this was before the advent of modern gloves with webbing between thumb and forefinger that at times in the intervening period has approached the size of a baseball mitt.His reflexes were impressive too, as can be seen in this clip of a catch from Australia's Kim Hughes off the bowling of our own Geoff Miller

Indeed, the greatest surprise was when he conceded byes, as evidenced by the murmur that went around the ground on such occasions. We assumed that the ball must have hit something the umpire hadn't seen, or spun viciously from the rough. It was hard to accept that our hero was a mere mortal.

His England call came late, after Kent's Alan Knott opted for the Packer money that revolutionised the game. Knott was another outstanding 'keeper, though not quite as good as 'Brilliant Bob' behind the stumps, in the eyes of others less parochial than most of us, who would allow no argument. Where Knott scored was as an impish, innovative, pugnacious batsman who often steered a failing England innings to a competitive total. Bob couldn't compete on that playing field, generally being a dogged battler who sold his wicket dearly but ended his career with an average of sixteen, around half that of the Kent man.

When he made the Test side, he made fifty-seven appearances and confirmed what Derbyshire folk had known for around a decade. There were just three half-centuries, but glove work of such a high standard that it barely mattered. Bob didn't need to play catch up, having given lives to opposition batsmen. Catches were held with the minimum of fuss and the fielding generally seemed tidier because Taylor made it so. Watching keepers since has been like having a Rolls Royce for your first car. Everything afterwards will do the job, but its not quite the same thing...

In 1986, having spent the afternoon in the hospitality tent at Lords during a Test Match against New Zealand, Bob was called up from a two-year retirement with the agreement of Jeremy Coney, the Kiwi skipper, after Bruce French was hit on the head by Richard Hadlee. He kept without blemish for much of the final session at the age of 45, wearing borrowed kit.

He did have his wicket-keeping gloves in the car, though. He was always prepared, Bob Taylor and here's my summation, as a bloke not overly renowned for hyperbole.

He was a fantastic player... a true great.

Eddie Barlow - a 35th anniversary tribute - Part Three

P - Eddie then signed up for World Series Cricket and Kerry Packer. Presumably he did that without Derbyshire’s knowledge? Was there any awkwardness?

Dave Griffin - My recollection of him signing for WSC was that it was great for him and Derbyshire. He was outlawed from Test cricket because of South Africa’s isolation, so most Derbyshire people saw it as a rare opportunity for him to play top class cricket.

Bob Taylor – We were playing Somerset at Chesterfield in 1976 and batting on a hot day. In the dressing room Eddie suddenly exclaimed “There's going to be a revolution in cricket.” That's all he said but it was the first we heard about what became World Series Cricket.

P - How did he find WSC?

C – He got on a plane and turned right at Mauritius - only kidding!

The beginning was not auspicious at all with all the writs flying around, but the Boards had met their match with Kerry Packer and sanity prevailed. Eddie absolutely adored Australia and once thought of emigrating there. He did not play in the World Series proper, but his main job was captain of the Cavaliers side, which was mainly made up of injured players coming back to their best. 

Eddie went to Kerry once and told him that the players were getting too many injuries. He replied "The spectators want blood, I want blood and so does Channel 9." That was the end of that! There were a few incidents where Eddie dropped a couple of West Indian players because of bad timekeeping. They accused him of racism but Kerry soon sorted that one out.

P - The 1977 and 1978 seasons were two of my favourites as a Derbyshire fan, as Eddie led the team with panache and the players responded. Did he have any favourite players from that era?

C - Eddie didn't do favourites and the players he held in the highest regard would probably have got the sternest criticism, because he wanted them to do well. I remember a youngster he was coaching many years later saying to me "Why is the Coach always riding me"? My reply was "Because he respects your talent and wants you to do the same."

P - Who were the characters of that side?

Dave Griffin – They were all characters – just ask Geoff Miller!

(Around this time Miller and Hendrick did a brilliant comedy double act of two Derbyshire miners discussing the cricket club. 'Eric Bartlett' or 'Laszlo Baslow' was often discussed, as were 'Cliff Gladstone and Les Jackman' The former used to 'baarl big benders...')

Bob Taylor- It was a very happy dressing room and there was a homely and friendly atmosphere around the club. Eddie made us more competitive but we still had a lot of fun!

P - Did many of the players keep in touch later?

C - Like most walks of life, while you are with a group of people you are great buddies, but when you part your life changes. When their paths crossed it was as if they had met yesterday and I think most of them would say they would never forget what Eddie did for them.

Mike Hendrick - Eddie's arrival at Derbyshire gave my career the kick up the backside that it needed. He gave me the understanding of the strength and fitness needed to push on to achieve a flourishing career at Test level. His encouragement was a major factor in my development. He was a great bloke, on and off the pitch.

P - What sort of a captain was he? Would he have been quiet and authoritative, or prepared to give an Alex Ferguson-style hair dryer treatment to anyone who messed him about?

Bob Taylor – I was fortunate to play under two outstanding captains in Eddie and Mike Brearley. They were both very competitive and both commanded respect. You had total belief in them and in what they did. Eddie would always confer with you and listen to your thoughts.

Eddie was a fine batsman and his bowling was always dangerous. He bowled a good line, moved it a bit either way and he had a really quick ball that caught people out. He was outstanding as a skipper and rarely missed a trick.

Harry Cartwright – Eddie treated all the players as individuals and knew exactly how to get the best out of them -which player needed and arm around the shoulder and which one might need a much sterner approach. He was, quite simply, the best captain that I ever played under.

C - He would never ask a player to do anything he was not prepared to do himself. He led by example. I never knew him give a rollicking to anyone in his team in front of another player. I only once saw him go for a member of another team and he richly deserved what he would have got if Eddie had been a little quicker!

P – What was he like in defeat?

C - If the team had played badly he would walk off the field, go into the dressing room, get changed and go home. The next day he would call a meeting and in the cool light of day they would discuss what had gone wrong. Occasionally there would be a young whipper-snapper who thought he knew better than the captain. Eddie would send him to third man and then fine leg to get him out from under his feet!

Geoff Miller – On a personal level, Eddie transformed my career and was my most important mentor in county cricket. On a team level he transformed the whole of the thinking of Derbyshire County Cricket Club from a negative to a positive approach to the game.

P - What was his secret with young players? He seems to have had a knack of turning ordinary players into good county professionals. Was that force of personality, coaching tips or something else?

C - He never talked down to youngsters, always praised their endeavours, had a fund of stories for them, was always willing to listen to them and joined in their fun, even latterly from his mobility scooter. He also had their respect, which was probably why he did so well with the young county professionals.

Alan Hill - Eddie was ahead of his time in County cricket. He instigated a fitness regime and we were the first County to do track suited pre match warm ups. He was a man of high principles and standards and a shrewd reader of people which enabled him to get the very best out of his players with outstanding man-management skills. He was beyond the level of a captain-he was a General-and that's what we called him!!!!

Eddie Barlow - a 35th anniversary tribute - Part Two

Peakfan - Eddie was a big name in world cricket circles from around 1960 and county sides were recruiting overseas stars from the mid-1960s. I once read that he’d never been asked to join the county circuit before Derbyshire’s approach?

Cally Barlow - Yes that's right.

P - I still find it extraordinary that one of the top all-rounders in the world has to wait until he’s 36 for a county deal. How did that come about?

Dave Griffin - During the winter of 1975, George Hughes, Derbyshire’s chairman, who was a road haulage businessman from Loughborough, made enquiries about bringing a top world name to the club. Graeme Pollock was mentioned as well as Eddie and Derbyshire had to break the bank to sign him. At the time Garfield Sobers was earning £5,000 per season at Nottinghamshire and Barlow's £10,000 per season (around £85,000 today – P) sent serious shock waves through the cricket world. Hughes paid Barlow's salary, on the proviso that Derbyshire paid his tax. When the tax man came calling in the early 1980s, it became clear that Derbyshire hadn’t made good their promise on the tax!!

Bob Taylor – As far as the players were concerned, Eddie's reputation spoke for itself and there was no resentment about his salary. There was the odd comment around the circuit, but it wasn't an issue.

C - Eddie had so many things going on in South Africa. Cricketers had to earn a living in those days, as well as play cricket.

P - What were his first impressions of county cricket?

C - Mostly unprintable! He was always a player's man, which did not sit well with most administrators, but they were probably so desperate to get Derbyshire out of the doldrums that they would have agreed to anything he said and did. And he did a lot!. He had enjoyed his time in the Lancashire Leagues, where it was real blood and guts, but he found county cricket had very little direction. Some players were content to just play out the season, possibly due to no one really giving a damn, having just written them off.

Bob Taylor – Eddie took over from me as skipper part way through that first season. I wanted to concentrate on my wicket-keeping and believed that captaincy is something you have a natural aptitude for. Eddie had that, and as the senior player with international experience was the obvious choice to take over.

I remember he called a meeting soon afterwards and talked about professionalism, using me as an example. I used to have an hour's drive to the ground from my home. Eddie told the rest of the team that even when it was raining I did this with the expectation of playing cricket. He said too many cricketers were happy to sit in the pavilion in a negative state of mind when it rained. Eddie wanted us to stay positive, expecting to be on the pitch every day.

P - In that first season, Eddie’s batting form was the subject of a few moans from supporters. Did that bother him, or was he confident that it would come good in the end?

C - Eddie was always confident and I think he saw his job first and foremost as getting Derbyshire right, but he was at his best when he was getting either runs or wickets.

P - When he returned to form, it was with a career-best 217 against Surrey at Ilkeston. That was typically Eddie?

Dave Griffin – I saw the double hundred. There was real consternation among the members during the morning session as Eddie scratched around at the crease. The same members were giving him a standing ovation several hours later. One of the best innings I’ve ever seen.

C - Eddie never did anything by halves, but on the other hand he never revisited failure. He was always about tomorrow, never yesterday.

Gerald Mortimer - Eddie was an eternal optimist in his approach and in 1976 he lifted a bedraggled Derbyshire side, giving hope and belief to both players and supporters.

P - At the end of the first season, as referred to by John Wright in his autobiography, there were a couple of high profile departures from the county in ex-England players Phil Sharpe and Alan Ward. Wright suggests they did not subscribe to Eddie’s theories on physical fitness?

C - At that time it was most unusual for county players to even think about fitness of any kind. If you could bend your right arm, smoke coffin nails and party all night you were generally OK. It was a long way from Eddie's ethos for getting a team to peak performance and if players were not willing to go with what he wanted they got short shrift. Nor did he tolerate divisiveness in the dressing room.

Tony Borrington – Wardy had become very injury prone by 1976 and Bunter just could not see him lasting a season, when he was operating on a low budget with a small staff. He went to Leicestershire but was still plagued by injuries and it turned out to be a shrewd decision. However, I remember Wardy knocked Eddie's middle stump out at Grace Road (I was at the other end) and Bunter could see the irony in it!

Sharpey was a lovely man – greatly liked and respected. However, although a great slip catcher he was not the fittest at that stage of his career and the new fitness regime was always going to be a challenge. I don't recall it being controversial – I just think at that stage he was ready to move on to other things in his life.

P - So what did Eddie say to the players at the end of that first season? Looking at the difference between 1976 and 1977 it appears to have worked!

Tony Borrington – His training methods were innovative – specific training regimes for each player to be tested on the first day of pre-season. Also we did sprints fully kitted out in net sessions. He would call out 'run two' three times running so there was no complacency in the approach. He was very much ahead of his time.

Bob Taylor – He had us running around the County Ground and Queens Park even when it was raining. There was no room for complacency! You could always be fitter and Eddie used to stress the importance of concentration. People who maintain focus perform better and that's what separates international from county players. He helped us all, without question.

C - He was delighted for the players that fortunes improved and always quick to put his hand in his pocket when the occasion arose. He probably overstepped the mark when he took them all to a strip club. The wives found out and were furious...

P - Eddie then signed up for World Series Cricket and Kerry Packer. Presumably he did that without Derbyshire’s knowledge? Was there any awkwardness?

Dave Griffin - My recollection of him signing for WSC was that it was great for him and Derbyshire. He was outlawed from Test cricket because of South Africa’s isolation, so most Derbyshire people saw it as a rare opportunity for him to play top class cricket.

Bob Taylor – We were playing Somerset at Chesterfield in 1976 and batting on a hot day. In the dressing room Eddie suddenly exclaimed “There's going to be a revolution in cricket.” That's all he said but it was the first we heard about what became World Series Cricket.

To be continued...

Don, John and Bob

There were two especially good pieces of news came from this week's AGM at Derbyshire.

The first was that Don Amott has been voted in as Chairman. The highly successful local businessman has been a huge asset to both Derbyshire cricket and to Derby County over the past few years. He was one of the consortium that restored a degree of sanity at Pride Park when the club looked set to go down the plughole, but his role at the County Ground has been even more valuable.

Besides appearing to be a voice of reason behind the scenes, the Amott era has restored a level of equilibrium to the club that seemed unlikely a few years back. We came to dread the winter months when there'd be the usual in-fighting and blood letting, usually ending with someone resigning in a fit of pique over (usually) playing matters and often the role of Messrs Cork or Barnett in the club.

Don Amott has led the club with great skill, copious amounts of charm and a rare affability. I've met him a couple of times and been impressed by his outgoing personality and his unending courtesy and willingness to talk to people. The latter is essential for such a role and Mr Amott has it and then some. At the same time he has not been afraid to make decisions when required, with the departure of David Houghton mid-season being a fine example of this. Both he and his wife have experienced illness in the past year although both appear on the road to recovery. I'm sure that I'm not alone in wishing them both better health for the future and in thanking Don for his work at the club.

He has sponsored various things throughout his tenure, with the electronic scoreboard being a fine example of his munificence. Then there's been kit sponsorship, match balls and more. The club and its supporters owe him a debt of gratitude and I hope that his involvement in the club continues for many years to come.

The other good news was the election of Bob Taylor as President for two years. "Brilliant Bob" we used to call him, back in the days when one of the highlights (sometimes the only one) of watching Derbyshire was trying to hear any noise from the ball hitting his gloves when he took returns from the outfield. So well did he take the ball that there rarely was. He seemed to suffer less than most keepers from broken fingers and it was an education watching him. I always fancied keeping wicket when I was young and it was all down to watching Bob. Sadly, natural talent was somewhat lacking (although byes were not) in my case so I contented myself with what might have been...

Like Don Amott, Bob was always aware of the role model aspect of being a public figure and he was always happy to talk and sign autographs. Curiously, having said that I never did manage to get his so there's something I need to address if possible in the near future.

With people like Don Amott and Bob Taylor behind the scenes, Derbyshire are as well equipped as any side in the country. I'm also still firmly in the pro-Morris camp for what its worth. His investment in Messrs Clarke and Doshi last season failed to produce anything worthwhile, but he should still be applauded for his work in attracting them here in the first instance. Similarly, selling Derbyshire to Charl Langeveldt and Wavell Hinds was good business, as was appointing Chris Rogers as skipper.

This winter has been relatively quiet, but Morris has put together a sound, youthful squad of talent and promise and his winter recruits have added versatility and talent. I'm convinced the signing of Garry Park will be a masterstroke - why else would Durham have wanted to keep him? Tim Groenewald has more to prove but he may well enjoy life after Edgbaston (who wouldn't...)

As for Stuart Law, we have signed a 40 year old who has played first class cricket for 20 years and averaged over 50 per innings. You cannot argue with those statistics and if he produces some of his best form we're going to enjoy this summer - big time.

Favourite cricketers 9 - Bob Taylor

There was a time, before the arrival on the scene of overseas players, when the best aspect of Derbyshire cricket was watching Bob Taylor catch the ball.

Note I said "watch". There was no sound as the ball was taken by the most consummately professional wicket keeper I ever expect to see. We are now in an era when wicket -keepers are changed by the series, but in the 1960's and 70's there were two who were light years ahead of what was a very good pack.

John Murray, Jim Parks, Brian Taylor, Eifion Jones, Roger Tolchard, Ron Swetman - there were some fine keepers and several got England call ups for their batting ability as much as their glovework. Nothing changes huh?

Alan Knott was the daddy of them all. Puck-like, agile, fast on his feet and fastidious, Knott was an outstanding wicket-keeper, one of the best ever. He had to be to keep "brilliant Bob" out of the England side.

Bob could bat, no doubt about it, but a career average of around 17 didn't suggest a mercurial batting talent. He saved many a match with a dogged innings, however, and won a few one day games with a quick 20 or 30. One of only two men to pass 10,000 first class runs without scoring a century, he always battled. But with his gloves on, behind the stumps, he was an artiste. While he dropped an occasional catch, it was occasional, and his agility standing back was astonishing. To be fair, he used it rarely, as his footwork got him into the right position for all but the most wayward bowling. Up to the stumps he was sensational, and a batsman went down the track at his peril. He eventually won over 50 England caps and a reputation as one of the nicest men in the game.

The selection of a Derbyshire greats side is always fascinating, with choice of seam bowlers a real headache. Despite the option of fine players like Harry Elliott, George Dawkes and Karl Krikken, no one - absolutely no one - would go past Bob Taylor as wicket keeper. He was THAT good.