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The 'Old Bald Blighter' they called him, but there was a time when Brian
Close was neither bald nor old. In 1949, aged 18, he was the youngest
ever to play for England. In 1976, recalled against the West Indies, he
was the oldest ever to play in a Test match. That was the pattern of his
career. He never established himself as a regular Test batsman, but
whenever England ran into trouble, the cry rang out 'Send for Close'.
The first emergency call went out in 1955, when he opened the batting
after the selectors had spent the summer looking for someone to replace
Len Hutton. He stood up to fast bowlers Heine and Adcock, then was
dropped until 1957 when Wes Hall was firing down thunderbolts.
Back to
the wilderness he went until 1961, when he got blamed for England's
collapse against Richie Benaud at Old Trafford. In 1963 he was again
facing the West Indian fast bowler, pushing Hall bouncers away with his
chest. In 1966 they even gave him the captaincy in the last Test, when
he went in at silly point and got Sobers out for a duck. "What if you'
re hit on the head?", they asked him in those pre-helmet days. "He'd be
caught at cover off the rebound", he said. Successful series against
India and Pakistan should have guaranteed him a long run as England
captain, but a silly row over Yorkshire's over rate cost him the job.
That looked to be the end of Brian Close as an international, until his
recall to face Holding and Roberts in 1976. He did well, with 60 and 46
at Lord's, but it came to an end on a gloomy evening at Old Trafford
when Michael Holding unleashed a bouncer barrage at Edrich and Close.
Again the old man chested the ball away, but once he buckled at the
knees and people became frightened for him. He played on into his 60s,
captaining the Yorkshire Academy side. (Bob Harragan)
Brian played for Yorkshire between 1946 and 1970 and Somerset between 1971 and 1977. His first class average was 33.26 in 786 matches. He scored 34,994 runs.
His highest score was 198 and he made 52 centuries.
As a bowler he took 1,171 wickets at an average of 26.42, with a best of 8-41.
He also made 813 catches.
Close played 536 first-class matches for Yorkshire between 1949 and 1970, scoring 22,650 runs - including 33 centuries - and taking 967 wickets.
He spent seven years at their captain, leading them to the County Championship in 1963, 1966, 1967 and 1968.
In 1970, he left Yorkshire and played seven seasons for Somerset, where he helped to nurture the talents of Ian Botham and Viv Richards.
He died on Sunday 13th. September 2015 of lung caner. At the time of his death he lived in Baildon, West Yorkshire,
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