Raymond Illingworth CBE (8 June 1932 – 25 December 2021) was an English cricketer, cricket commentator and administrator. He is one of only nine players to have taken 2,000 wickets and made 20,000 runs in first-class cricket. He played for Yorkshire (1951–1968 and 1982–1983), Leicestershire (1969–1978) and England (1958–1973) and was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1960.

Early years

Illingworth was born in Pudsey, West Riding of Yorkshire on 8 June 1932. As a teenager he played at Farsley Cricket Club.

As a teenager he had assisted his local club ground, Bradford League Club for domestic club matches by preparing grounds. His father was a cabinet-maker and joiner. His father also worked shifts at a munitions factory during the World War II. His father then returned to the business of cabinet making and Ray often helped his father with repairs, upholstery and French polishing.

He left school at the age of 14 and started playing for Farsley Cricket Club main XI shortly after the end of World War II in 1945. He turned out for Farsley First XI at the age of 13. He was known for his knock of an unbeaten 148 in a Priestley Cup final which was contested as part of Bradford Premier League. He was called up for national service at the age of 18 when he was on the verge of potentially being selected to county cricket level. He also went on to ply his trade playing for the RAF and for the Combined Services during the time when he was on national service.

Playing style

Illingworth was a keen student of the game. He had a realistic approach, and "only liked to gamble on certainties."

As a bowler, he was not a sharp spinner of the ball, relying on accuracy and subtle variations of flight, but his arm ball was particularly effective, many of his victims being caught at slip, playing for spin that was not there. In county cricket, he took 2072 wickets. He bowled 408 balls without reward in three Tests against New Zealand in 1973 but conceded only 1.91 runs an over in his Test career.

His middle-order batting was based around stern defence; a fifth of his innings, mostly at number 6 or 7 in the order, finished not out. He scored 24,134 first-class runs in all, with a best of 162, at an average of 28.06. Against the Rest of the World in 1970, Illingworth topped the England averages with 476 runs (52.89) and six half-centuries.

Captaincy style

The Yorkshireman was 'tough, combative, grudging, shrewd, and an instinctive reader of the game', He managed 'difficult' players like Geoff Boycott and John Snow well, and they responded with their best Test form. 'Most of all, because he insisted on his "own side", he was able to get the best out of his players, both mentally and physically. He built up a tremendous team spirit which stood us in good stead on numerous occasions', and they tended to close ranks and treat the opposition, umpires, press and public as the enemy, an attitude that became prevalent amongst Test teams in the 1970s.

Illingworth captained England in 31 Test matches, winning 12, losing 5 and drawing 14.

Record

Player

Illingworth played 787 first-class matches over nearly 33 years.

County level

Illingworth made his first-class debut at 19, was capped in 1955 and became a stalwart of the Yorkshire team thereafter. In 1957, he completed a seasonal "double", with more than 1,000 runs and 100 wickets, a feat he repeated five times over the next seven years. As captain his experience and knowledge of the game were widely believed to have helped Yorkshire to their County Championship victories in 1966, 1967 and 1968. In 1968 he joined Leicestershire after a contract dispute with Yorkshire, and was made captain.

Test level

Illingworth made his Test début for England in 1958 but struggled on his first tour, in the West Indies in 1959–60, taking just four wickets in five Test matches. After failing to make an impact in four Tests against South Africa he found himself struggling for a place. A good series against India in 1967 established him in the team.

The selectors had long regarded Colin Cowdrey as England's natural cricket captain, but he ruptured an Achilles tendon early in the season and Illingworth was his replacement after only a month as county captain. Illingworth had been in and out of the national side for years, but had taken 20 wickets (13.30) against India in 1967 and 13 more (22.39) against Australia in 1968. He was originally chosen over his rivals like Brian Close as he was not a threat to Cowdrey's long-term captaincy due to his age and inability to establish a regular spot in the Test team.

Australia

(See Main Article English cricket team in Australia in 1970–71)

Illingworth led England to a 2–0 Ashes victory in 1970–71, the only time a touring team has played a full Test series in Australia without defeat. The future Australian captain, Greg Chappell, later wrote:

<blockquote>Ray Illingworth's England side in 1970–71 were mentally the toughest English side I played against, and the experience of playing against them first up in my Test career reinforced what I had learnt in the backyard. Test cricket was not for the faint of heart. Illingworth subjected us to a mental intimidation by aggressive field placings, and physical intimidation by constant use of his pace attack, ably led by one of the best fast bowlers of my experience, John Snow. Winning to Illingworth was something he expected of himself and demanded of his team.

</blockquote>

Trouble with the M.C.C.

The M.C.C. tour manager was D. G. Clark. Bernard Thomas of Warwickshire was the assistant manager and physiotherapist, and there were soon divisions between him and the players. After the Second Test Clark criticised both captains for cautious play, England for their short-pitched bowling and indicated that he would prefer to see Australia win 3–1 than see four more draws. Illingworth only discovered this when he was asked for a comment by a journalist in the morning and the rest of the team when they read the newspapers at the airport. but this did not happen.

Later captaincy

Series wins over New Zealand and Pakistan followed, and a despite a loss against India in 1971, he scored his second Test century and enjoyed bowling success. He revealed, in an interview with Shyam Bhatia, 30 years after the loss, that he regretted not bowling Brian Luckhurst's occasional left arm spin against the Indians on a sluggish pitch which had blunted Derek Underwood. He retained the Ashes at home in 1972 against Ian Chappell's powerful young side with an exciting 2–2 series draw. In 1972–73 he declined to tour India, Tony Lewis leading the team instead, and when he took back the reins in 1973 he beat New Zealand 2–0, but lost 2–0 to the West Indies and Illingworth was dropped as England captain in the middle of the final test at Lord's. After his retirement, he remained a pivotal figure in English cricket, first as an uncompromising pundit in TV coverage of BBC before being elevated to the status of national supremo in the mid-1990s in which he served as coach and national selector.

Eventually he became the chairman of England's Board of Test Selectors (1993–1996) and the England cricket coach (1995–1996). He often clashed with England captain Mike Atherton over team selection. Mike Atherton launched a scathing attack on Illingworth accusing him of playing double standards, making unproductive public announcements and for abandoning the youth policy during team selections which was in place during the appointment of Atherton as captain in 1993. Atherton also revealed that Illingworth wanted him to be replaced by Alec Stewart as England test captain after England's disastrous Ashes performances in 1995.

He still continued preparing pitches at Farsley until the age of 78 and finally gave up his job as a groundsman in 2010 citing back problems.

Recognition

Illingworth was one of Wisden's 5 Cricketers of the Year in 1959.

Illingworth was one of ten members of Leicestershire's first County Championship winning team in 1975 to have a road in Leicester named after him by the city council. Chris Balderstone, Peter Booth, Brian Davison, Barry Dudleston, Ken Higgs, David Humphries, Norman McVicker, John Steele and Roger Tolchard were the others. Jack Birkenshaw, Graham McKenzie and Mick Norman missed out as there were already roads using their surnames.

Personal life and death

Illingworth was married to Shirley Milnes from 1958 until her death in March 2021. They had two daughters, Diane and Vicky. He also lent his support to the Assisted Dying Bill which he wanted to be legalised in the UK. The bill received its second reading at the House of Lords in October 2021. He had insisted that he believed in assisted dying and he said that he did not want to "live the way his wife had suffered" from the disease for the past twelve months prior to her death and instead he would "leave the world peacefully".

He died on 25 December 2021, at the age of 89, and was survived by his daughters.

References

  • Ray Illingworth interview 2006
  • India Interview