Clarke - Last-Wicket Stand: Searching for Redemption, Revival and a Reason to Persevere in English County Cricket

First published by Pitch Publishing, 2020

Pitch Publishing

A2 Yeoman Gate

Yeoman Way

Durrington

BN13 3QZ

www.pitchpublishing.co.uk

Richard Clarke, 2020

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Publisher.

A CIP catalogue record is available for this book from the British Library

Print ISBN 9781785317217

eBook ISBN 9781785317125

--

Ebook Conversion by www.eBookPartnership.com

For DW Clarke (c)
and WS Clarke (+)

THE 2019 cricket season will live with me forever. Captaining Essex to the County Championship title and being a part of the side that won the Vitality Blast competition for the first time was a dream come true. After so many failures at the knockout phase, we were desperate to get our hands on the latter trophy. Meanwhile, for our medium- to long-term vision, it was critical to win the Championship again so quickly after 2017. It reaffirmed our ambition to be a fixture in Division One and to be a club that puts a big emphasis on four-day cricket.

It is important to remember these successes but, deep down, we all know that life is change. We are all in perpetual transformation, either consciously moving towards a new self or subconsciously shifting with the times and circumstance. As I approached 40, I started to notice journalists increasingly wanted me to reflect and look back on my career. Im not ready to sum it all up yet. However, these requests have forced me to take a step back and finally put some proper thought into assessing the gifts the cricketing gods have showered on me. It is surreal to look back on my own transformation. In the summer of 2003, I was in South Africa, had just graduated from university and was half-heartedly applying myself to a career in finance and accounting. I was still clinging on to the smallest hope that I would get a break in cricket but, to be honest, I was starting to feel I had missed the last train for that particular life. Then came my sliding doors moment. I had been away on a golf weekend and was about to fly out to Holland to play club cricket and pursue a career in something finance-related. But, after some convincing, I reluctantly agreed to play for a representative team against Essex at Newlands. At the time, I was not much more than a steady club cricketer, but Graham Gooch spotted something. My journey had begun. I would go on to have the honour of captaining Essex CCC and help to recreate some of the historic heights that the club had enjoyed back in the day.

While this book is about cricket, it is also about redefining yourself. On a professional level, I am adjusting to stepping down from the captaincy in the winter of 2019, and from being an all-rounder to a batter and a very part-time bowler. To be honest, this is childs play for me. Remember, Essex had signed me as a medium-pacer back in 2003. It did not take too long to figure out that I would not cut it as a bowler. Still, I am also dealing with the fact that I am in the twilight years of my career; my very own last-wicket stand if you like. I have a group of young batters who are ready (or very close to ready) to take my spot. Then there is a major personal change. I became a dad for the first time at the end of 2019, so my life away from the cricket pitch has altered dramatically too. Passing on the captaincy and the timing of my impending fatherhood was entirely coincidental. My desire to step down was mainly influenced by the teams natural progression to a new identity of its own. This metamorphosis always transcends the individual.

Cricket, and more specifically county cricket, is continually evolving too. Right now, the sport is approaching a watershed moment; even an existential crisis in the eyes of some. The Hundred is an attempt to grow the sport and, most importantly, its coffers. It is pitched to attract new audiences and recycle the proceeds back into all levels of the game. As a player, I understand the desire for a new competition but even its staunchest supporters must acknowledge the potential downside for those counties who have been excluded from hosting a franchise.

Personally, I believe this new direction does not need to be seen as a zero-sum game and will not end up that way. But that means at the very least, as much effort should be directed to ensure that this progress does not work to the detriment of the established structure. Paraphrasing Sir Isaac Newton, to improve the future, one stands on the shoulders of giants. If county cricket is not the proverbial giant, it is the pillared legs that have supported and sustained the game in this country for well over a hundred years. Much of that strength has come from the very people who have championed the established first-class game. Lets not forget them.

It is vital that players care and recognise their positions as short-term custodians of the game and the clubs they represent. There is an obligation to the loyal fans and the history of the individual counties. A mercenary approach is morally wrong and an attack on the very integrity of the game. The myriad of new global tournaments can detract from a players attachment to their team. A modern-day cricketer can easily play for seven different sides in a year. But there is scope for travelling the world, fulfilling short-term contracts and maintaining genuine care for the teams and communities you represent. I tried really hard to reinvigorate that sort of passion at Essex and the players were fantastic at buying in. We could not have had two better head coaches in Chris Silverwood and Anthony McGrath to lead this change. I do not think its a coincidence that they are both Yorkshiremen. The purpose, the search for meaning, the reason for caring and committing is complex and Ive always thought it a chicken and egg scenario winning teams are happy rather than happy teams are winners.

Despite all this, many fear that the County Championship format is at risk of losing its relevance and may suffer a slow death. While this may be considered alarmist, many have mooted at least a partial demise via the loss of some of our counties. I am a huge fan of county cricket and would be bitterly disappointed to see it phased out. It has no peers in domestic first-class competition around the world and still enjoys a decent following. The shorter formats are more exciting and, as attendance figures show, blatantly more popular. But, for players, I truly believe that the Championship is still the most coveted title in the domestic game.

Being fortunate enough to have won two titles with Essex, I know just how tough and strenuous it can be at the top of Division One. Draws have become a rarity and nine wins seems to be the new magic formula for lifting the Championship. This does not leave much room for slip-ups. From July till the end of the 2019 season, we knew we could only afford one or two poor days if we wanted to keep our title challenge alive. The elation and satisfaction that this produced exceeds anything I have experienced in playing cricket around the world.