Brian Close

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Yorkshire captaincy

At the end of 1962, Wilson retired, and the Yorkshire committee appointed Close captain. According to Bowes "almost overnight it seemed that Brian Close matured". He wrote, "Close's field placings were as intelligent and antagonistic as any seen in the county for 25 years".

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Close's attitude, in his own words was that "I've always believed that the team is more important than the individual", and that credo stood Yorkshire in good stead. Ray Illingworth noted that when he went to Leicestershire, the players there were surprised that, while Yorkshire were perennial Championship winners, the batting averages of the lead batsmen tended to languish in the 20s. The answer was that Close had honed them to play the innings required at the right time: when quick runs were required, players did not play for their averages, they played for quick runs.

Related Topics:
Ray Illingworth - Leicestershire - Batting average

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Close was recalled to the Test squad in 1963, and played his first full series, against the West Indies.http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1963/WI_IN_ENG/ His innings in the second Test at Lord's remains his best known.http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1963/WI_IN_ENG/WI_ENG_T2_20-25JUN1963.html Against Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith, two of the West Indies' quickest bowlers. In need of quick runs, Close took the battle to the West Indian fast bowlers, daring to advance down the wicket to them. This was an age before body protection and helmets, and time and again the ball struck Close firmly on his body. But he persevered. His 70 very nearly won the game for England, and with no other English player other than Ken Barrington scoring above 20, he saved the game. Set 234 to win, England ended on 228 for 9, with Colin Cowdrey famously coming in to bat (for two balls at the non-striker's end) with his broken arm in plaster.

Related Topics:
West Indies - Lord's - Wes Hall - Charlie Griffith - Ken Barrington - Colin Cowdrey

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Although he was dismissed going for runs to win the game at the end, his courage earned him many plaudits, and his shirtless torso, black and blue with where he had been hit, made the front pages of the newspapers the next day.http://www.gr8s.com/product_detail.asp?id=3709&Callingpage=product_listing Len Hutton wrote him a congratulatory letter on his innings, and he returned to county cricket the hero. Overall in the series he made 300 runs, but Close did not get selected for the next series.

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Close also had immediate success as Yorkshire captain, winning the County Championship in 1963. His success in 1963 saw him named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1964, as one of the five players to make the biggest impact in the English 1963 season. Close went on to captain Yorkshire to the county championship in 1966, 1967 and 1969.

Related Topics:
1963 - Wisden - Cricketer of the Year - 1964 - 1966 - 1967 - 1969

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Brian first met his wife Vivienne, an air stewardess with BOAC in Bermuda whilst touring with Yorkshire in 1964, when she was engaged to someone else. He pursued her relentlessly, even though initially she considered him not to be her type. Brian gambled with his love life too: on New Year's Day 1965 he told her that if she didn't agree to marry him, he would never see her again. They married the following March. They went on to have one daughter, Lynn, and a son, Lance.

Related Topics:
BOAC - Bermuda - 1964 - 1965

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