Varied success in Athey’s cricket

Press, 27 January 1988, Page 30

Varied success in Athey’s cricket

After Bill Athey, of Gloucester, England, was hailed, at the age of 19, as England’s brightest cricket batting prospect since Sir Len Hutton, the fiery Fred Trueman gave a chilling note of warning. “I am always wary about young players getting too much publicity — it often gives them too big a reputation to live up to.” Three years and a number of first-class centuries and fifties later, Athey was given his chance — he was selected for the centenary match at Lords against Australia. The great things expected of him failed to materialise and his scores of nine and one seemed to indicate that greatness had indeed been thrust on him too soon.

Nevertheless, the selectors showed faith in the young hopeful and sent him to the West Indies the following year. In the end, greatness, delayed by a series of batting hiccups, came in full measure and Athey burgeoned into a batsman of the first order.

Charles William Jeffrey Athey was born in 1957 into a Middlesborough cricketing family. His father, Peter, played for 29 years in the North Yorkshire and South Durham League and one of his brothers-in-law played for Middlesex and another for Thames Valley League.

Small wonder then, that the age of 12 he was playing for Teeside County Schools. His progress to the big time came by way of North Yorkshire and South Durham League, Yorkshire Colts and North of Eng-

land Young Cricketers XI.

He made his debut for Yorkshire in 1976 when he was taken under the wing of coach D. Padgett and was soon among the runs, scoring his maiden first class century in his first season.

That same year he went to Australia under an exchange scheme sponsored by a brewery. With him went a couple of other young hopefuls — lan Botham and Mike Gatting. The idea was to give them vital experience that could enhance their test prospects. His test appearances have been an extraordinary mixture of abysmal failure and triumphant success. Failure came in the 1981 series against the West Indies — total score in two tests was seven.

His test average after three matches was 2.83 and his exile from the England side lasted five years. Then came success. After a brilliant 142 not out against New Zealand in a one-day international in 1986 he was recalled

for the tour of Australia. Before he left he was worried sufficiently about an ache in his right shoulder to undergo an exploratory operation which revealed a tendon was shredding against the bone. The stitches were removed in Brisbane and the injury did not inhibit his batting as the Australians found to their cost.

It is a matter of history now how England walked off with the Ashes, the World Cup and the Perth Challenge Cup and Athey’s contribution of 96 in the second test was a marvel of aggressive stroke play. On his return to England Athey had another operation to put the shoulder trouble right and was then called up for the series against Pakistan. In the second test he made a magnificant 123, but in the third his figures were four and 26 and in the fourth nil and 14 not out.

England’s failure in this match was blamed on Athey. He made 14 in seven overs despite instructions to speed up the scoring and was involved in three costly run-outs. It cost him his place in the fifth and final test. As for Fred Trueman’s reference to young cricketers and being compared to Sir Len Hutton, he says, “If I thought I could achieve anything like Sir Len has I would be very pleased with life,” he confesses. “But it has been a little unfair having that label stuck on me and then go out in front of people and be expected to live up to it every time. It is just impossible.” DUO copyright.