Famous Cricketers No 62 - Ken Barrington

Ken Barrington Kenneth Frank Barrington was born on 24th November 1930 in Reading, the eldest son of a private soldier based in barracks in the town. He left school at the age of 14 to take up an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic, but a year later was offered a job as a groundboy at Reading C.C. which he gratefully accepted. He acted as an assistant to the Groundsman, Charlie Brockway, a Minor Counties player with Dorset and Berkshire. In those days he was primarily a bowler and was recommended to Surrey. On 27th May, 1947, he was invited to play for Surrey Colts at Hook and Southborough, Bernard Constable was also in the team; he took 5 wickets for 43 and scored 4 not out. In 1948 he joined the Surrey groundstaff and during the season had a game with Surrey 2nd XI against Norfolk when Peter May was in the same team. Barrington was called up for National Service in 1949 where he served with the Wiltshire Regiment in Germany. At the time he was called up Barrington was 5ft 4in in height but by the time he was demobilised he had grown to 5ft 8in. His progress at Surrey was slow and he was fortunate to be retained on the staff but under the fatherly eye of Andy Sandham his batting steadily improved. His first match for Surrey 1st XI was in 1953 but he had a poor season despite scoring 81 against Worcestershire. His form improved in 1954 averaging over 40 with the bat in the season and sharing in a large stand of 198 with J.C.Laker for the eighth wicket against Gloucestershire. He made his Test debut in 1955 against South Africa and was dismissed for nought in his first innings. He was retained for the next match at Lord’s but then dropped and did not play international cricket again until 1959. During the late 1950s Surrey dropped him on occasions and in 1958 he made a serious analysis of his batting technique to eliminate errors, which caused him to be often caught in the leg trap. With great help from his colleagues, he decided to get his head down and graft, which eliminated some of his more attractive strokes but had a major improvement in his run acquisition. In 1959, after scoring two centuries in one match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, he won back his place in the England team against India and joining Peter May at the crease, he scored an excellent 80. On the 1959/60 tour to the West Indies, he scored his first Test century in a series won by England. He was named as one of the “Five Cricketers of the Year” in Wisden in 1960. Quoted in this article describing his early years at Surrey - “For a time Barrington remained static as a batsman. Indeed, after all his promise he had two comparatively lean years in 1956 and 1958, but in 1957 his runs numbered 1642 and he hit six centuries, yet one felt that the best of him had not been seen. It should be borne in mind that during these formative years for Barrington, Surrey were winning the Championship regularly on pitches that encouraged the bowlers. Under Surridge and May, the batsmen were expected to make their runs in reasonable time and many people were of the opinion that Barrington did not show the enterprise that his ability warranted. Barrington, on the other hand, considers that his first five or six years in the Surrey team provided the sound education he needed to perfect his defence, as well as the experience required to get to the top of the cricketing world. He admits he also learnt much from being able to watch great players, particularly Peter May.” Continuing the article observed “Built on solid lines with a mop of dark hair, Barrington has always possessed a powerful square cut and brilliant cover drives. Nowadays he is equipped with a wide range of strokes and when he is master of the situation he provides plenty of entertainment for the onlookers. The straight uplift of his bat is a model for anyone to copy.” With the visit of the Australians in 1961, Barrington made changes to his stance to counter the left arm fast bowling of Alan Davidson. For all his keenness in the field and the pride he felt from wicket taking, batting was always his main priority and the focus of his energy and concentration. Apart from his smartly groomed appearance, his gear would be in perfect condition. His bats, normally a light 2lb 3oz size, were carefully chosen, clearly marked and lovingly tended. Always a stickler for practice he preferred to have a net or at least hold a bat in his hand before the start of play each morning. More than most, he was a nervous starter because he placed such high stakes on the eventual outcome and his friends used to play on them in County matches. In his autobiography, Alf Gover, the Surrey fast 4