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

178 the batsman. Johnny realised that Don’s height and flight were assets not failings and was very insistent that Don should not be at all discouraged by obvious frustrations on this score – and realise that any ball which went above the batsman’s eye-line before eventually landing in the right place, on a length – was something to be strongly encouraged in a bowler as it would present difficulties for the best of batsmen. Don was a character in the field often pretending to misfield the ball at mid-wicket before hurling the ball in to the keeper. Don Wilson is one of the many great characters in Yorkshire cricket (who sadly passed away since the interview with this author) and in Stephen Chalke’s book The Way It Was we have a wonderful description of Don taking centre stage in the less likely role of batsman in what Chalke describes as a ‘fairy tale’ situation. To summarise this: once upon a time, at New Road, Worcester (actually on June 6, 1961) an injured Don, his arm in plaster from an event earlier in the match, was told he would not be allowed to bat. He pleaded with his captain (his namesake Vic Wilson) to be allowed to do so and as there was only half an hour to go and a draw not out of the question he was reluctantly allowed to go in as last man when Worcestershire wondered if they had already won the match. Bob Platt already had his eye in, blocking at one end. Don with some lusty one-handed swipes defied both logic and some esteemed Worcester bowlers and turned an unlikely draw into a seemingly impossible win for Yorkshire. Don Wilson went on to become head coach at the MCC from 1977 to 1990 and this was a period of great improvements and development in the structure and effectiveness of MCC coaching. Don regarded his own ability to coach as coming largely from his mentor, Johnny Lawrence. Jack Birkenshaw Growing up less than a stone throw from the school – literally yards away on the same street – Jackie Birkenshaw A few of his proteges