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Graham Barlow's few Tests in the mid-1970s created an England side
rarely seen - a side that was predatory in the field. With Barlow on one
side of the wicket and Derek Randall on the other it was almost
impossible for a batsman to move. Randall ran out plenty of unsuspecting
batsmen on his own. Imagine the effect if his equal had been on the
other side of the wicket on a regular basis. Sadly, it only happened in a
few Tests and a handful of One Day Internationals. Barlow, a prolific
scorer for Middlesex, could not get past 7 in his three Test matches. He
had made an auspicious start for England in the One Day Series against
the West Indies in 1976, when he, Randall and Ian Botham were put
forward as the Test players of the future.
He was the first of them to
succeed, scoring 80 not out in the first match at Scarborough. As well
as a lot of crisp drives that match contained a freak incident when he
might have been run out. A throw from Michael Holding hit both wickets,
one after the other, and Barlow was out of his ground. However, the
umpires could not work out what the laws meant and called dead ball.
Barlow went to India with Tony Greig in 1976-77, batting at number three
in the first Test but being caught off Bedi for 0. In the second Test
he opened with Dennis Amiss and scored 4 and 7 not out. Mike Brearley
had him back in the Test side at Lord's in 1977, but he made just 1 and
5. It was a sad end to an international career that had seemed to beckon
since his schooldays, when he formed a prolific opening partnership for
England Schools with Yorkshire's Richard Lumb. (Bob Harragan)
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