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Tim Curtis, the Kent-born schoolteacher from Worcester Royal Grammar
School, was one of those high-scoring county batsmen who are always
talked about as Test possibles but are rarely given a chance. He had
scored impressively against both West Indies and Australia for
Worcestershire in the early part of his career, but did not get the
England call until nine years after his first-class debut. He was called
up with England in disarray against the West Indies in 1988, making his
debut in the fourth Test at Headingley when he opened with Graham
Gooch.
England were already two-nil down in the series and he had to
face Marshall, Ambrose, Walsh and Benjamin. In those circumstances his
scores of 12 and 12 were reasonable. He was retained for the last Test
at the Oval, when he scored 30 and 15, being caught by Viv Richards in
each innings. In 1989, with England again on the run, this time before
Allan Border's Australians, he was brought in to replace Chris Broad in
the third Test. Again Graham Gooch was his partner. He scored 41 in
England's only innings before he was lbw to Merv Hughes.
He even got the
chance to bowl three overs of his little-used leg breaks as the match
meandered to a draw on the last afternoon. At Old Trafford he scored 22,
bowled by Geoff Lawson, then was caught off Alderman for 0 in the
second innings. At Trent Bridge he opened with Martin Moxon and was lbw
to Alderman in both innings, for 2 and 6. Curtis scored 248 for
Worcestershire against Somerset at Worcester in 1991. He was appointed
captain of Worcestershire in 1992. (Bob Harragan)
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