Book Review: Yorkshire Grit - The Life of Ray Illingworth by Mark Peel

I was always likely to enjoy a book on Ray Illingworth.

He never played for Derbyshire, of course, but he was an established part of the county cricket landscape when I first started watching the game in 1967. Indeed, when I bowled my early off spin, it was from a run up modelled on his, even if the results didn't bear comparison! 

In the opinion of many he was the brains of the great Yorkshire side that dominated that decade, the right-hand man to Brian Close, whose attention could sometimes wander, a solid middle order bat and an outstanding off spin bowler.

When Yorkshire astonishingly declined to give him the contract he wanted, he opted to move to Leicestershire, where he led them to the county championship and the highest levels the club has ever seen. Then he went back to Yorkshire, at a time when the club was in chaos and when he was 46, first as manager and then as captain, as the Boycott years caused strife on an unprecedented scale, even in that county.

He was England captain through a very successful period and won the Ashes in Australia in 1970-71. He is still regarded as one of the great captains and I will always remember him being one of the England successes in the unofficial but wonderfully entertaining tour by the Rest of the World in 1970, when the tour, originally scheduled by South Africa fell by the wayside.

He was a regular voice on the airwaves and his sage comments on the cricket commentary always added to the understanding and enjoyment of the viewer.

He later, of course, became Chairman of Selectors for the England national side. His manner could be brusque and abrupt, which didn't go down well with players of the time. Certainly the famous fall out with Devon Malcolm could have been avoided with a little more tact and consideration.

The book makes for a terrific read, given its subject and that the author is the prolific and consistent Mark Peel. It is the latest in a long line from Pitch Publishing, whose contribution to the genre is worthy of special note.

I would have liked a little more detail on the 1950s Yorkshire side - and there cannot be a county with greater discord over its history - but this is a minor point in an excellent read.

What was really nice to see was that Illingworth, after scaling the heights of the game as a player, captain, analyst and administrator was prepared to return to his roots and work as groundsman for his beloved Farsley club for many years. Few cricketers can have given back to the game as he did.

His knowledge of the game was such that I expect time spent in his company would have been memorable and result in your knowledge heightened by the end of it. His manner may not have been to all tastes, but his contribution to the game cannot be denied.

This is definitely one I would recommend.

Yorkshire Grit: The Ray Illingworth Story is written by Mark Peel and published by Pitch Publishing