Jack Birkenshaw - Breakthrough and England Recognition

Breakthrough and England Recognition

In 1967, Birkenshaw took 111 wickets - in the previous six seasons combined he had managed 102 in total - at an average of only 21.41. He took five in an innings on five occasions, including 7-86 against Sussex, and gained selection for the International XI that toured Pakistan in the winter. 1968 proved another good season for Birkenshaw, as he again took 100 wickets, and punished Sussex again: this time with the bat as he made 101 not out. He made two more centuries the following year, but surprisingly for a man who passed fifty on 57 occasions in first-class cricket, he was to reach three figures just once more in his career. The years between 1969 and 1972 saw Birkenshaw record solid statistics, taking 69, 63, 89 and 90 wickets in successive seasons, and in 1972 he achieved his career-best bowling of 8-94 against Somerset.

Such performances attracted the interest of the England selectors, who had previously stuck by Ray Illingworth as their first-choice off-spinner, and Birkenshaw was picked to go to India and Pakistan in 1972/73. He made 64 on debut in the fourth Test against India at Kanpur, and also claimed three wickets; his first victim in Test cricket was Sunil Gavaskar. Birkenshaw retained his place for the fifth Test at Bombay, and opened the batting in the second innings, but lost his place for the Pakistan series and played only in the third Test, taking 5-55 and sharing the second-innings wickets equally with Norman Gifford.

Despite another decent domestic season in 1973, Birkenshaw was omitted from the England side for both series that summer (against New Zealand and West Indies), the 41-year-old Illingworth again being the barrier to his selection. However, there was no Illingworth on the winter tour to the Caribbean, and Birkenshaw played in the last two Tests. A total return of 2-96 and 15 runs in three innings was not enough to keep his place for the summer of 1974, and that was as far as his England career lasted.