Gladstone SMALL

Gladstone Small, Barbados born but playing much of his schools cricket in England, was originally a fast but inaccurate opening bowler who could produce enormously long overs prolonged by wides and no balls. It was as a fast man he was first chosen for England, but he was made 12th man and did not get to play Test cricket until he had reinvented himself as an accurate fast-medium bowler who moved the ball both ways. He took 3-88 on his debut at Trent Bridge against New Zealand in 1985 and toured Australia with Mike Gatting in 1985-86, bursting into the series in the fourth Test when he, with 5-48, and Ian Botham tumbled out Australia for 141 and made sure England would retain the Ashes.

He followed with 5-75 in Sydney. Small did not play against Pakistan in 1987 and had only two Tests against the West Indies in 1988, taking 4-64 at Lord's. He was not recalled until the sixth Test against Australia in 1989, taking 3-141 at the Oval and giving England a control in the field that umpteen fast bowlers chosen before him had been unable to provide. On the West Indies tour of 1989-90 he took 4-58 in the second innings of the first Test at Kingston, which England won, and had eight wickets in the Barbados Test. He also went to Australia with Graham Gooch, taking 3-34 in Brisbane. He scored 44 not out against New Zealand in 1990. Small played in the early matches of the 1987 World Cup and in 1992 took 2-29 against Pakistan in Adelaide and 2-51 against South Africa in the semi-final but did not play in the final. (Bob Harragan)