Lives in Cricket No 40 - Edwin Smith

114 An impossible task two off spinners, with Fred Swarbrook bowling at what was seen as the least responsive end. Geoff got on after Venkat, but Bob Swindell lacked opportunity and drifted out of the first-class game. The signing didn’t work as I expected and I admit that. He took wickets but often at a cost that we could ill-afford. Had I played on, I would probably have got those wickets and it would have saved the club a fair bit of money. He certainly got paid more than I did! Swindell was unlucky. In 1972 he had taken 26 wickets at 31 runs each, getting good turn and bowling with a nice loop, but the following year bowled only 173 overs and finished in 1974, when he played only one match. He is philosophical about his county career. I had opportunities after Venkat’s arrival but failed to take advantage. I had my moments, but was simply too inconsistent to become an established county player. Geoff was developing fast as an all-rounder and with the financial state of the club, I quickly realised there would be no place for three off spinners on the staff. In many ways it did me a favour to be released in my mid-twenties, as I still had time to seek a career after sport. I obtained a professional teaching qualification and used my degree to join the police force. I had a 30-year career, finishing as a detective inspector. To the casual observer, signing the Chesterfield-born Miller was an obvious thing to do, but it very nearly didn’t happen, according to Edwin. Denis Smith didn’t rate Geoff when he was coach and saw him in the nets. He wasn’t going to sign him, but I told him that I thought he could make it and pushed Geoff’s case. Mind you, I thought he would become a batsman who bowled a bit, whereas his stronger suit became his bowling. It took him much longer than it should have done to record a century and he never scored the runs that his talent suggested, but he was a very good cricketer. Brian Bolus came in as captain for 1973. He had held that role at Nottinghamshire the previous year and was a sound, if cautious leader and solid, if not spectacular batsman. Derbyshire’s East Midlands neighbours had finished only just above them in 1972, also winning one match, and a more innovative approach might have been beneficial. Edwin thought so. Brian had scored a lot of runs with Yorkshire before moving to Nottinghamshire. He was past his prime, but had a good technique and gave important experience to the batting. Brian took the first team practice sessions and got a decent team spirit together, despite results, but what we needed at the club only arrived with Eddie Barlow a few years later. The ill-fated ‘Trueman experiment’ was repeated with the signing of Clive Inman, for one-day cricket only, in 1973. The Ceylonese had been a prolific batsman for Leicestershire from 1961 to 1971, but had retired at the end of that season. After a season out of the first-class game, it was unrealistic