Chris Old
Encyclopedia
Chris Old is an English
former cricket
er, who played in forty six Tests
and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981.
Old played first-class cricket
for twenty years between 1966 and 1985, and was a regular member of the England side for a decade. A skillful and accurate right arm swing bowler and powerful late order left-handed hitter, he was once described by his England captain
Mike Brearley
as a talent to rival Ian Botham
. He won his Yorkshire
cap in 1969, and was named as the Cricket Writer's Club Young Cricketer of the Year in 1970. Despite being a fine natural athlete, standing 6 feet 3 inches and possessing a natural sideways on action, his career was hampered by regular injury problems, and had a tendency to fall prey to 'niggles' in his back and legs, to such an extent that the first bowling machine
installed at Lord's
was nicknamed Chris Old, due to a propensity for breaking down so often.
, making his debut at the age of seventeen, and captained the county in 1981 and 1982, before moving on to Warwickshire
towards the end of his illustrious career, when he also appeared for Northern Transvaal in South Africa
.
In 1970 and 1971, in the days prior to Old gaining international honours, he had surgery on both of his knees. His departure from the field later in his career to the physiotherapist's table became part of cricket folklore. He never completed any of the ten series that he played abroad, and his only ever-present home series was against India and Pakistan in 1974, when in six Tests he took twenty five wickets at twenty two apiece emphasising what might have been.
Old hit the third fastest century of all time at Edgbaston
in 1977, with 100 runs from 72 balls in 37 minutes, with the second 50 taking just nine minutes. This feat won him the Walter Lawrence Trophy
for the fastest century of the year. In 379 first-class matches he took 1,070 first class wickets at the average of 23.48 and scored 7,756 first class runs with six centuries.
He is noted for having taken four wickets in five balls on the opening day of the Test Match
against Pakistan at Edgbaston in June 1978, the wicketless third ball being a no ball
. Bowling at pace from the City End, the second ball of his nineteenth over was top edged by Wasim Raja
to wicket-keeper
Bob Taylor
before his third ball nipped back though the gate to remove Wasim Bari
's off stump. Old's fourth ball, the no-ball, was edged by Iqbal Qasim
into the ground but Qasim nicked a late outswinger to the keeper off the next legitimate delivery, before Sikander Bakht
found the safe hands of Graham Roope
at second slip. Old thus equalled the record of four wickets in five balls set by Maurice Allom
on his Test debut at Lancaster Park, Christchurch
in 1929-30, a feat which has since been repeated by Pakistan's Wasim Akram
.
Often remembered as one of Ian Botham
's partners at the wicket during the Headingley Ashes
game of 1981, he also took the key wicket of Allan Border
for a duck
in the Australian second innings. He was the only England cricketer to play in both Centenary Test
Matches against Australia and was one of Wisden
's five cricketers of the year in 1979. Old turned down an invitation from Tony Greig
to play in Kerry Packer
's rebel World Series Cricket
, fearing the withdrawal of the traditional benefit season
offered by Yorkshire.
'Chilly' took the Yorkshire captaincy in 1981, but it was not a happy period. The next season, suffering from personal problems, he was ousted from the role to allow the, then 50 year old, Ray Illingworth
, to take charge on the field. By this point, Old had joined the first rebel tour
to South Africa
in 1982, thus incurring a three year ban from international matches. Realistically by then, his run in the England Test side had already finished.
After struggling to cope with retirement for several years, Old now runs his 'Clipper Restaurant' in Praa Sands
, Cornwall
, with his second wife, Letitia. In addition to his successful business, he coaches a local cricket club in Falmouth
, tutors cricket coaching courses and took charge of Cornwall U-17s in 2001.
His brother, Alan Old
, is a former England
rugby union
international, who briefly played alongside Chris Old for Warwickshire CCC.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
former cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, who played in forty six Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981.
Old played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for twenty years between 1966 and 1985, and was a regular member of the England side for a decade. A skillful and accurate right arm swing bowler and powerful late order left-handed hitter, he was once described by his England captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
Mike Brearley
Mike Brearley
John Michael Brearley OBE is a former cricketer who captained the England cricket team in 31 of his 39 Test matches, winning 17 and losing only 4. He was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2007–08.-Early life:...
as a talent to rival Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
. He won his Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
cap in 1969, and was named as the Cricket Writer's Club Young Cricketer of the Year in 1970. Despite being a fine natural athlete, standing 6 feet 3 inches and possessing a natural sideways on action, his career was hampered by regular injury problems, and had a tendency to fall prey to 'niggles' in his back and legs, to such an extent that the first bowling machine
Bowling machine
In cricket a bowling machine is a device which enables a batsman to practice and to hone specific skills through repetition of the ball being bowled at a certain length, line and speed...
installed at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
was nicknamed Chris Old, due to a propensity for breaking down so often.
Life and career
Old played county cricket for his native YorkshireYorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
, making his debut at the age of seventeen, and captained the county in 1981 and 1982, before moving on to Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
towards the end of his illustrious career, when he also appeared for Northern Transvaal in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
In 1970 and 1971, in the days prior to Old gaining international honours, he had surgery on both of his knees. His departure from the field later in his career to the physiotherapist's table became part of cricket folklore. He never completed any of the ten series that he played abroad, and his only ever-present home series was against India and Pakistan in 1974, when in six Tests he took twenty five wickets at twenty two apiece emphasising what might have been.
Old hit the third fastest century of all time at Edgbaston
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
in 1977, with 100 runs from 72 balls in 37 minutes, with the second 50 taking just nine minutes. This feat won him the Walter Lawrence Trophy
Walter Lawrence Trophy
The Walter Lawrence Trophy is an annual award made to the player who has scored the fastest century in English domestic county cricket that season, in terms of balls received...
for the fastest century of the year. In 379 first-class matches he took 1,070 first class wickets at the average of 23.48 and scored 7,756 first class runs with six centuries.
He is noted for having taken four wickets in five balls on the opening day of the Test Match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
against Pakistan at Edgbaston in June 1978, the wicketless third ball being a no ball
No ball
In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
. Bowling at pace from the City End, the second ball of his nineteenth over was top edged by Wasim Raja
Wasim Raja
Wasim Hasan Raja , was a Pakistani cricketer who played in 57 Tests and 54 ODIs for the Pakistani national cricket team from 1973 to 1985. His younger brother, Rameez Raja, also represented Pakistan in Tests and ODIs, becoming captain of the national side...
to wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
Bob Taylor
Bob Taylor (cricketer)
Robert William Taylor , known as Bob Taylor, is a former English cricketer who played as wicket-keeper for Derbyshire between 1961 and 1984 and for England between 1971 and 1984. He made 57 Test, and 639 first class cricket appearances in total, taking 1,473 catches. The 2,069 victims across his...
before his third ball nipped back though the gate to remove Wasim Bari
Wasim Bari
Wasim Bari is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 81 Tests and 51 ODIs from 1967 to 1984. Bari was a wicket-keeper and right-handed batsman...
's off stump. Old's fourth ball, the no-ball, was edged by Iqbal Qasim
Iqbal Qasim
Mohammad Iqbal Qasim is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 50 Tests and 15 ODIs from 1976 to 1988.Qasim ended his career with 171 wickets in his 50 Test matches, at approximately 3.5 wickets a match. His accurate bowling saw his economy rate at a low 2.21...
into the ground but Qasim nicked a late outswinger to the keeper off the next legitimate delivery, before Sikander Bakht
Sikander Bakht (cricketer)
Sikander Bakht is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 26 Tests and 27 ODIs from 1976 to 1989. He is remembered for demolishing the Indian team for just 126 runs taking 8 wickets in the innings in the 2nd Test match of the 1979 tour of Pakistan to India.He was included in the team in place...
found the safe hands of Graham Roope
Graham Roope
Graham Richard James Roope was an English cricketer, who appeared in twenty one Tests and eight ODIs for England between 1973 and 1978....
at second slip. Old thus equalled the record of four wickets in five balls set by Maurice Allom
Maurice Allom
Maurice James Carrick Allom was an English cricketer who played in five Tests from 1930 to 1931. Along with Peter Petherick and Damien Fleming, he is one of only three players to have taken a hat-trick on Test debut...
on his Test debut at Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
in 1929-30, a feat which has since been repeated by Pakistan's Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is a former Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman in cricketer and model. who represented the Pakistan national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches....
.
Often remembered as one of Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
's partners at the wicket during the Headingley Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
game of 1981, he also took the key wicket of Allan Border
Allan Border
Allan Robert Border AO is a former Australian cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test matches in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh...
for a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
in the Australian second innings. He was the only England cricketer to play in both Centenary Test
Centenary Test
Centenary Test refers to two matches of Test cricket played between the English cricket team and the Australian cricket team, the first in 1977 and the second in 1980. These matches were played to mark the 100th anniversaries of the first Test cricket matches played in Australia and in England ...
Matches against Australia and was one of Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
's five cricketers of the year in 1979. Old turned down an invitation from Tony Greig
Tony Greig
Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...
to play in Kerry Packer
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
's rebel World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket was a break away professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network, Nine Network. The matches ran in opposition to established international cricket...
, fearing the withdrawal of the traditional benefit season
Benefit (sports)
A benefit or testimonial is a match or season of activities granted by a sporting body to a loyal sportsman to boost their income before retirement. Often this is in the form of a match for which all the ticket proceeds are given to the player in question.There have been occasions when a...
offered by Yorkshire.
'Chilly' took the Yorkshire captaincy in 1981, but it was not a happy period. The next season, suffering from personal problems, he was ousted from the role to allow the, then 50 year old, Ray Illingworth
Ray Illingworth
Raymond Illingworth, CBE is a former English cricketer, cricket commentator and cricket administrator. He was one of only nine players to have taken 2,000 wickets and made 20,000 runs in First class cricket, and the last one to do so...
, to take charge on the field. By this point, Old had joined the first rebel tour
South African rebel tours
The South African rebel tours were a series of seven cricket tours staged between 1982 and 1990. They were known as the rebel tours because South Africa was throughout this period banned from international cricket due to the apartheid regime...
to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1982, thus incurring a three year ban from international matches. Realistically by then, his run in the England Test side had already finished.
After struggling to cope with retirement for several years, Old now runs his 'Clipper Restaurant' in Praa Sands
Praa Sands
Praa Sands is a coastal village in the Parish of Breage, located off the main road between Helston and Penzance in Cornwall, England, UK...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, with his second wife, Letitia. In addition to his successful business, he coaches a local cricket club in Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
, tutors cricket coaching courses and took charge of Cornwall U-17s in 2001.
His brother, Alan Old
Alan Old
Alan Gerald Bernard Old is an English Rugby Union player who had 16 caps for England.Old made his debut for England against Wales in 1972 and made a further 15 appearances with his final one being against France in 1978. His 16 caps included only 4 wins, but these were against New Zealand, South...
, is a former England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
international, who briefly played alongside Chris Old for Warwickshire CCC.