Brian Close was a boyhood hero of your correspondent. The phrase 'Yorkshire Tyke' was probably invented to describe him. He was almost certainly the bravest player ever to represent England at cricket, although many would prefer the term 'foolhardy' to describe him.
'Hard' does not even start to describe his attitude to cricket. Remember that this was in the 60s and 70s. No protective helmets or body armour in those days. The only protection worn was the box. "What me wear a box? Are you suggesting I'm a Jesse, you soft southern piece of shite?"
For those of a strong disposition, have a look at this clip of Closey facing up to the West Indies pace attack of a young Michael Holding at Old Trafford in 1976. In those days there was no limit as to the number of bouncers that could be bowled per over. (Warning: not to be viewed by impressionable youngsters, pregnant women or those who suffer nightmares!)
I think 'sang-froid' is the term that might be used to describe that performance. ("Sang-bloody- froid! We don't have that foreign muck in Yorkshire") Close believed that you should never show pain as it would only encourage the bowler! As he wandered down the pitch to do a bit of 'gardening' (the wicket was breaking up alarmingly with every delivery) you can imagine him saying to John Edrich "Eh lad, I'll be glad of a pint after this little lot. That basstard Holding's a bit on the fast side!" Brian was aged 45 when playing in this match, England had already lost the series and the selectors brought in older players whose careers wouldn't be ruined by the trauma of facing the Windies quickies.
This is Closey's torso at close of play;-
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| "Which of you bastards has nicked my fags?" |
Notice that all the bruises are on Brian's right hand side. As a left handed batsman Close hadn't ducked or turned his back on the ball at all! His reasoning was that if you went down the track to the quicky and took it on the body, you couldn't be given out LBW!
DBC was certainly brave, and probably certifiably mad. He specialised in fielding at short leg - the suicide position usually detailed to the most junior ( and therefore most dispensable) member of the team as a rite of passage. Not in the Yorkshire side!"Eh Doris, is that the Cathedral bells clanging? No Esmerelda, it's that Brian Close being hit in the knackers again. Our Janet had a feel of them one night and says that they're like pickled walnuts!"
The story goes that Close, fielding at short leg, was once hit on the forehead by a ferocious hook. As he went down pole-axed he shouted "catch it" and the batsman was duly caught at second slip. On being brought round Brian was asked "What would have happened if you'd been hit in the throat?" to which his reply was supposed to have been "The bugger would have been caught in the gully!"
Brian Close was also a footballer, turning out for Leeds Utd., Bradford City and, on a couple of occasions, Arsenal. He was perhaps the archetypal Yorkshireman; self-opinionated, stubborn and always willing to give his opinion. He eventually got sacked by the Yorkshire Committee (as he was by England) and went off to Somerset where he established that county as a force in the domestic game and brought on two promising youngsters named Ian Botham and Viv Richards.
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| The wit and wisdom of D.B.Close! |
I feel privileged to have seen him once playing for Yorkshire against Glamorgan.
We'll not see his like again.
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