The Twelfth Man 2019

Margaret Brayshaw in Yorkshire regalia “ 10 11 Who is your favourite player and why? It’s almost impossible to say. Graham Stevenson was someone who always stood out to me. He was much under-rated, I thought. He was called ‘Moonbeam’ because he always had such a cheery face. I liked Phil Carrick - he could always tie an end up. And yes, I admired Boycott too for his technique. Today I like Tim Bresnan, he’s such an all-rounder and obviously a good man. Which is your favourite ground and why? Probably my favourite ground wouldn’t be everyone else’s. It was the Circle at Hull. I thought it was such a pretty ground and it had lovely red hawthorn trees all round it. Yorkshire played Sunday league games there. I expect it’s a housing estate now*. (* - In fact, it is the site of the K-Com Stadium serving rugby league and football.) But I always liked Abbeydale - another pretty ground. I remember one Sunday match against Essex. We needed six off the last ball and Arnie Sidebottom was facing Derek Pringle from the pavilion end. The ball sailed straight over us and we all assumed it was lost as everyone was stood up cheering or gathering their things. But when I got home, there it was in my bag. I’ve still got that ball today. What is your present-day involvement with cricket? Not as much as I would like. I still go to Barnsley. I just love the sunshine, getting ready, making some sandwiches and a flask, making sure I’m prepared for all weathers, packing the scoresheets, all that anticipation. What do you think of the present-day game? Of limited overs? Of T20? Of the Hundred? I realise that the game has to move with the times and young people today want everything to be instant. I liked the 40 over games but I’ve not been to a T20 and don’t think I’ve any particular wish to go. I can appreciate a lot of the new skills that have come in with the T20. I’m sure they have their reasons why they have to wear the coloured clothing but for me, there’s nothing like seeing the green grass and the players in whites. I remember the thrill of going to Lord’s for the first time. We went on a coach for the Benson and Hedges Final in 1987... I’d made up a straw hat and I’d been into Barnsley to buy three strands of silk in the right colours to make a hat-band to go with my Yorkshire scarf.