Ray Illingworth - As Player

As Player

He made his first-class debut at 19, was capped in 1955 and became a stalwart of the Yorkshire team in the sixties. He made his Test début as early as 1958 but struggled on his first tour, in the West Indies in 1959-60, taking just five wickets in five Test matches. After failing to make an impact in four Tests against South Africa he found himself struggling for a place. A good series against India in 1967 established him in the team. He joined Leicestershire in 1968 after a contract dispute with Yorkshire, Illingworth played 787 first-class matches over nearly 33 years and was a prolific wicket-taker in county cricket, taking 2072 scalps, he sent down 408 balls without reward in the three Tests against New Zealand in 1973 but conceded only 1.91 runs an over in his Test career. He was not a sharp spinner of the ball, relying on accuracy and subtle variations of flight, but his arm ball was particularly effective with many of his victims being caught at slip, playing for spin that was not there. His middle-order batting was based around stern defence; a fifth of his innings, mostly from number 6 or 7 in the order, finished not out. He scored 24,134 first-class runs in all, with a best of 162, at an average of 28.06. Against the Rest of the World in 1970 Illingworth topped the England averages with 476 runs (52.89) and six half-centuries, a testament to his grit and determination against the best in the world.