Lives in Cricket No 30 - MJK Smith

129 Chapter Sixteen Triumphs and tribulations as Chairman Laying down his bat did not signal an end to Mike’s involvement with cricket. Far from it – the years ahead saw himmanage England tours, act briefly as an international match referee and become embroiled in more controversy than he would have wished at Warwickshire. On the Committee from the end of his playing days, Mike saw Warwickshire enjoy little success on the field in his early years. When Alan Smith retired to become Assistant Secretary, David Brown captained the side for three years, to be followed for two by John Whitehouse. By 1979, Whitehouse’s second year, the county had sunk to fifteenth in the Championship, were bottom of the John Player League and for some years had had nothing to show from the knock-out competitions. At the root of the problems was a weak bowling attack. McVicker had joined Leicestershire in 1974, Brown’s effectiveness was in gradual decline, while Willis’ appearances became limited by international duties and, as the years passed, his tank was often low when he returned to county cricket. ‘Bob Willis would really have benefited from central contracts,’ says Mike. ‘He just couldn’t stand up to the workload of England cricket and spearheading a county attack.’ Steve Rouse was plagued by injury and other quicker men failed to live up to initial high hopes. With spinners so often in short supply at Edgbaston, another blow came in 1979 when Eddie Hemmings moved to Nottinghamshire, where he was destined to earn 16 Test caps. On the batting front Mike’s retirement in 1975 began the gradual disintegration of an outstanding line-up that had been the bedrock of the team’s earlier success. Jameson’s last season came the year after Mike’s, and twelve months later Kanhai too was gone. By 1978 only Kallicharran remained of the West Indies quartet, while the team’s other major batsman, Dennis Amiss, had played for Kerry Packer, and those who had chosen to do so inevitably encountered some discontent in county dressing-rooms. In 1980 Willis was appointed captain, with Brown becoming cricket manager, a new post in the club. There was a John Player title that