You know those bits of awards ceremonies - Oscars, Baftas, Sports Review of the Year, etc - when the presenter puts on his straight face and introduces a montage of famous faces who have died during the year? Often the bit I look forward to the most because the passing of talent means so much more than some over-tearful acceptance speech for "Best Soap Actor in an emotional pub scene after discovering your other half is playing away and the child you thought was yours is actually your brother's" or some such!
Well, once the hullaballoo over who won what title has faded, I enjoy reminiscing about the county cricketers who decided to retire from playing. As ever, 2011 has witnessed numerous retirements, not only by former international heroes but also the less famous stalwarts who have contributed so much to their teams and players around them for so long.
Dominic Cork had just passed 40 when he made his last hurrah for Hampshire in the T20 semis just a year after leading them to success in the same competition. A shame he no longer had the fitness to feature in more games this summer because he retired with a career record tantalisingly just eleven short of the increasingly rare milestone of 1000 first-class wickets. At least he did just about make it to 10,000 runs. It seems incredible to think it was 16 years ago when he destroyed the West Indies second innings with 7-43 on his Test debut. He went on to take 131 wickets in 37 Tests at under 30 apiece but his batting at that level never quite confirmed his status as a genuine Test match all-rounder. However, for many years his energetic performances and personality kept Derbyshire ticking over, before backstage troubles led to his leaving for Lancashire, then Hampshire. One of the county greats of recent times.
I could never quite feel so fond of Paul Nixon. Another mouthy so-and-so, his love of sledging from behind the stumps didn't endear him to me. However, twenty-two seasons in county cricket, all but three with Leicestershire, demonstrated his skill and fitness as wicketkeeper-batsman. Stewart and Russell kept him out of the Test team when in his prime but he payed 19 ODIs, all within a four-month period including the 2007 World Cup. He also became an impressive T20 pinch-hitter and his final matches for the Foxes came in that format, including the domestic cup triumph against Somerset (blast him!) and the less successful foray into the T20 Champions League.
I cannot let the occasion pass without mentioning other retirees. Mark Chilton scored more than 14000 runs for Lancashire over 15 seasons, most as a solid opener. He finished with a poor run of scores but at least he ended as a winner of sorts, with his county winning the Championship. Birmingham-born Mark Wagh was probably a better batsman, and included a triple-century amongst the 12,455 first-class runs at an average of 39 he amassed for Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire. He announced early this year that he would retire to pursue a career in law, but a dreadful start to his season prompted him to declare at the end of May, aged 34.
Matt Mason may be Australian but in the last ten years he became synonymous with Worcestershire. At 6 foot 6, he was a fearsome sight approaching the delivery stride, but claimed his 400+ wickets with clever fast-medium variation and seam. Injuries restricted his appearances, and ultimately led to a mid-season farewell, but he was an extremely economical bowler in the McGrath mould. Their batting records were similar, too! He remains at Worcestershire on the coaching staff so more will benefit from his experience. Steffan Jones also quit aged 37, having played for four different counties at the top level, plus Glamorgan Seconds in his native Wales. One of the hairier seamers on the circuit, he was unfairly implicated in the sad episode of Marcus Trescothick's breakdown in India. He should best be remembered as a very capable fast-medium bowler, especially for Somerset, although he finished his playing career in limited-over games for Derbyshire. Hopefully he, like Mason, will continue to coach.
Finally, I must go misty-eyed over red-headed Ali Brown. Like Nixon, his England appearances were limited to a number of ODIs (16 in all) but his reputation as a fierce hitter, notably as an opener, didn't follow him onto the international stage. However, he aggregated almost 30,000 runs in all formats, with a career-best score of 295 not out amongst 47 first-class centuries. Nevertheless it is for one-day batting that he remains in the record books. His 268 for Surrey against Glamorgan in 1996 has never been surpassed anywhere in the world! AD Brown will have plenty to tell his grandchildren about in the future when he, like the others, looks back on a rich playing career. In whatever they do off the pitch, I wish them all well.
