Gordon Greenidge

I would venture to suggest it was the one and only time that Darley Dale hosted a John Player League game.

It was Derbyshire's home fixture against Hampshire and possibly the two best opening batsmen in world cricket at the time, Barry Richards and Gordon Greenidge, toddled out at the club ground in Darley Dale.

I think it was Mike Hendricks' home home village team or certainly his father played at that ground I think as well so the sort of homeless surroundings of Dalydale which I think does fit fairly nicely with the the general John Player League story as well.

Outgrounds are a big part, I think, of the history of the competition.

This is the 1984 team that came to Australia and dominated in test cricket.

In rough batting order, Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, Richie Richardson, Larry Gomes, Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Jeffrey Dujon, Joel Garda, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Courtney Walsh.

12th man, Roger Harper.

It was always the 12th man who would come on the field because he was a great fielder.

Well, if you got him out, I'm starting to think whether he should be in my team as well.

But, um, in, in terms of our other opener, Simon, I've gone for Gordon Greenidge, and Mark's gone for Barry Richards.

Who's got it better out of those two?

I mean, you, you, there's no real choice between them.

It's impossible.

Uh, Gordon Greenidge w- had the most ferocious cut in world cricket.

I mean, you did not wanna field at gully to him because your hand would be removed if you tried to stop it.

Uh, absolutely fantastic.

Uh, and unfortunately, their team had to change before we could beat them.

No Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Desie Haynes.

Uh, Gus, D- Jeffrey Dujon, Malcolm Marshall, Patrick Patterson.

Um, it, the, the, all those players had to leave before we got to beat them in 1995.

[laughs]

And, you know, chest out, he's like a young Gordon Greenidge suddenly, batting beautifully in Melbourne.

It was fabulous-

Yeah

Yeah.

Mid-'70s onwards.

And they also had Gordon Greenidge, Geoff Boycott.

Yes.

Well, there's enough clues there.

Gordon Greenidge?

Gordon Greenidge.

Yeah.

Gordon Greenidge.

108 test matches at an average of 44.72.

Uh, in 1984, playing for Hampshire, he had the p- the highest batting average of any player during an English season, 82.23, 1,069 runs in 16 innings.

... of Viv Richards and Mark Waugh.

Um, Desmond Haynes a little bit ... stood up.

But Gordon Greenidge, they had the bat on the ground, right?

Mm.

And then- Bradman, all of them, and even Darren Lehmann, you watch him at the back of the...

And I think that I'm probably more understanding of, oh yeah, but seven years of some of the greatest cricket of all time, whether you be Hashim Amla, Ricky Ponting, Virat Kohli, um, I'm trying to think of some others.

Gordon Greenidge, whoever else it might be.

Maybe, um, those sorts of guys, like, deserves to be respected.

So, but having said that, a lot of those guys are still respected.