I liked MCJ as a batsman and a captain, needed to be at a fashionable county

to kick on to England, as did David Turner before him.

I watched Richards and Greenidge a lot and it was a real privilege. I was a schoolboy and watching live doesn't give you as much insight as eg watching Root on TV, but they were magnificent. Towards the end of his career you would get the impression Richards performance would depend on his mood, some days he didn't seem interested, others he would command the arena. Oddly, I don't remember them having all that many big stands together (though there was one in the B&H where one of them retried hurt and between them and David Turner they put on a huge 3 way partnership.

A few years ago Richards was interviewed on local radio during a match and said he hoped he had entertained people - I could assure him he did.

Richards could be a bit moody and I particularly remember a wet day at Northlands Rd when a bunch of us were hanging around near the dressing room for autographs. He went past to go into the offices and refused to sign, saying come back at 5, several hours later. To his credit, he did turn up and sign.

I also saw IVA Richards and Greenidge absolutely destroy England at Lords, think it might have been my first test match.

I watched both Roberts and Marshall. Roberts was big and powerful and no surprise he hit a lot of players (including one I was with at UEA), he spent a season playing 2nd XI and local club cricket while qualifying, and club cricket down here is not the same standard as the Lancashire League etc. What a prospect for an amateur batsman on a Tuesday evening!

Marshall was a different proposition, all controlled power even at the end of his career. I remember Gareth Bale in his Spurs heyday rampaging down the wing, menacing and seemingly unstoppable, I got the same impression from Marshall pretty much every time I saw him. He had a reputation of being a really nice bloke, too, and when he was out for 99 at Lords in a Championship match you got the impression that the only happy person in the ground was the bowler, even the rest of the Middlesex team seemed disappointed.

Excuse the long post, I am in my anecdotage.

Posted By: watfordcanary, Jul 22, 16:16:23