A week after Brian Close's death, it was said to read of Frank Tyson's demise. The closeness of their respective demises belies their differences whilst alive; there wasn't much to connect them other than playing for England in the 1950s.
While Close's career spanned four decades, the 'Typhoon' played barely one! Indeed, despite starting his first-class career in 1952, he had hung up his whites before I was born in 1961 and before DB Close enjoyed his most productive seasons. Nevertheless, in that short period, he racked up 767 wickets at under 21 apiece, most of them for unfancied Northamptonshire.
He played only 17 Tests for England, claiming only 76 victims. That's way down the list of international bowlers, even in the Fifties, but he still acquired near-legendary status. His Test career was bookended by games against Pakistan (lost) and New Zealand (drawn) but defined by his performances against the top-class Australians Down Under.
Lancastrian Frank was known for his ungainly, lengthy run-up but more importantly he was simply one of the fastest bowlers of his or perhaps any generation of cricketers. No speed guns in those days but players and commentators like Richie Benaud reckoned him to be the paciest of them all. That’s something, considered he was partnering all-time England greats like Fred Trueman and Brian Statham.
He wasn’t just a raw quick; he was brave, too. In the Sydney Test of 1954-55 Tyson was flattened by a Ray Lindwall bouncer, he was eventually helped off the pitch with a massive lump on the back of his head. Soon after, he blasted through the Aussies, taking ten wickets to win the match. His 7-27 helped win again at Melbourne and the Ashes were won.
So, a great fast bowler in one series. Yet he was more than that. I like the fact that his cricket career was delayed until he did his degree in English Literature. That came in useful in sledging. No, really! While James Anderson and Stuart ‘a bit Breezy’ Broad are content with “F*!* off, you f!*k@*g !@*t”, the Typhoon would apparently quote Shakespeare at opposing batsmen!
After retiring at 30, he returned to teaching, supplemented by some cricket commentating. Like his idol, the fast bowling ace and another Ashes winner, Harold Larwood, he settled in Australia and eventually took citizenship. They obviously forgave him that brutish bowling. Pacemen are supposed to be hostile, arrogant and aggressive yet can be nice guys, too. By all accounts, Frank Tyson was definitely one of the best.
