The talk in cricket

14 April 2012
Hard tales from a Close encounter

Michael Vaughan may have been born in Manchester but Yorkshire folk regard him as one of their own.

England's new Test captain will do well to match the bravery displayed by one of the White Rose county's toughest sons.

Alan Hill's hugely entertaining biography of Brian Close, titled Cricket's Lionheart, is now being published in paperback.

His most famous tale concerns the 1963 Lord's Test against the West Indies. Close stood up to the ferocious pace of Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith, with minimum protection, and finished with more than 20 bruises. The next day, against Glamorgan, Close bowled 41 overs, picked up 10 wickets and scored 61.

Move with Grace

Alec Stewart has been around a long time, but he's not often mentioned in the same sentence as WG Grace. Well, he can be now.

In recognition of Stewart's last Test appearance at Lord's, the MCC moved his portrait from the cricket museum to the Long Room. Consequently, they reckon that when he walked out to bat against South Africa he was the first player to be looked down on by his own portrait since Grace more than a century ago.

Ashes urn in new set of safe hands

Speaking of the Lord's museum, another highly prized 'fixture' will be moving out soon. But for good.

Stephen Green, curator for the past 35 years, is retiring in September and all those treasures - including, of course, the Ashes urn - will pass into the safe keeping of Adam Chadwick, 32.

Chadwick's impressive track record includes seven years spent at Christie's and, perhaps equally important to some, his love of cricket extends to playing the game himself as an opening bat and occasional slow bowler.

Sounds like Michael Vaughan.

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