Lives in Cricket No 52 - Schooled in Cricket (2nd edition)

174 on “the same Atkinson who used to stoke the fire at Johnny Lawrence’s icy indoor school”. After that innings he then played for MCC against the very strong West Indian attack of the day and though out to Sobers for two in the first innings, top scored in the second innings with 63 surviving Hall, Sobers and Griffiths who went on to destroy England. He was out to the more unlikely bowling of Joey Solomon. The selectors must have debated long and hard at that moment and Atkinson must have been ever so close to a call up but they decided not to have two young men being tried at the same time so the opener spots went to the young John Edrich and his older Surrey partner Mickey Stewart. Many in the north (and perhaps in the south-west as well) would say the selection of Stewart was ‘southern or south-eastern bias’! The moment passed. Edrich became a highly successful opener and Stewart was soon followed by Brian Bolus and a recall for Peter Richardson and then a year later against the Australians by Geoffrey Boycott and – with the flowering of Colin Milburn and a rejuvenated Bob Barber – there were to be no future vacancies. Atkinson eventually moved to Lancashire but was less successful in his time there. Despite the fact that Atkinson almost made it to the pinnacle of cricket stardom, Johnny was to tell his friend and tutee Jimmy Walker that Atkinson had a better technique when he was 16 than later on as he became slightly less sideways in his stance. Who knows – but imperfections which creep into a player’s game are subtle – and maybe this may have stopped him reaching the dizziest of heights. (John) Miles Lawrence Miles Lawrence was a natural stylish batsman who oozed talent. Even the young Boycott once was heard to say “I wish I could bat like Miles.” He played for Somerset from 1959 to 1961 as a very young man but he was a nervous character whose general health was poor. He had been A few of his proteges