Nowadays, If you want to watch the world’s best players slugging it out for fame and fortune, look no further than the IPL, where Tendulkar and Warne saw out their final playing days; Gayle, AB DeVilliers and Kholi spent their prime; and Bumrah made his name. In the 1980s and 1990s, the cricket scene was somewhat different: test cricket was king, but played rather infrequently, and years before the advent of T20 and million-dollar salaries, players had to find somewhere to play, earn some dough and hone their skills. Frequently, like Warne himself in 1991, they chose club cricket in England.
Read about World Cup-winning superstar Wasim Akram’s time in the Birmingham League here or Viv Richards playing for Rishton here. In fact, Lancashire was known as a hotspot for West Indian giants, with Learie Constantine (Nelson), Charlie Griffith (Burnley), Wes Hall (Accrington), and even Sir Garfield Sobers (Radcliffe) all playing in the red rose county. So when captain of the West Indies Richie Richardson signed up as Blackpool CC’s professional for the 1992 season, it wasn’t as outlandish as it may seem now. At the time, WI had the game’s outstanding Test side, with players such as Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose to call on. Not only was Richie a great leader, but he was no slouch with the bat either – watch him thrash a century against Warne and McGrath.
Unsurprisingly, he was an unqualified success in the Northern League, scoring 1,056 runs at an average of 88. But he was also a hit off the pitch: no-one had a bad word to say about him, charming team-mates, opposition players, juniors, and cricket mums and dads alike. Training with the first team involved net sessions in one corner of the ground. While bowlers tried their utmost to get him out, Richie would have fun trying to hit them over the square, over the other side of the ground, over the car park and into Stanley Park beyond: a feat of hitting I could scarcely believe. He also took time to help out with the junior teams too, spending time bowling his medium pace dibbley-dobbleys at rather owerawed teenagers, of which I was one. I remember to this day being complimented on my forward defensive shot. In retrospect, maybe he wasn’t the best of coaches: perhaps he should’ve demanded I try to whack the ball a bit harder! Having said that, his back foot, all-bottom-hand-and-flashing-blade style would’ve been hard for a whimpy schoolboy to ape.
Today’s teenagers can see their heroes 24 hours a day on cable sports channels and regular social media interactions reinforce players’ personal brands.
Back then, although access wasn’t so easy or commonplace, when you did mix with the stars, it was up close and personal.
Written by: Douglas Berryman
