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

180 Malcolm Naylor Future England bowlers Wilson and Birkenshaw would at their time at Rothwell see Malcolm Naylor as a bowling protege of Johnny of more obvious promise than themselves. He had a very different style. He was a leg spinner who bowled his spinners quickly in those early days. When he went to the Headingley nets however he was encouraged to bowl slower – which – as Jackie Birkenshaw saw it – just wasn’t his forte, and he lost all that promise and after a number of games for Yorkshire second team (and two matches before that for Somerset seconds when he was down there in the RAF) never made the higher grade expected. His own explanation is more that when he bowled to top batsmen like Ted Lester and Frank Lowson he was surprised by just how good they were – and his bowling fell away. He may have lacked a little confidence and self-belief when he got to that level having previously believed he could conquer all worlds. Malcolm tells the story of when he played against Johnny and son Miles when Castleford played Leeds in a Yorkshire League match. It was Malcolm’s lucky day! Like most or perhaps all players he enjoyed the rivalry against people he knew well but he was fearful that Johnny and Miles knew his bowling so well that they would “marmalise” it. Johnny came in and attempted to hit a straight six and at first sight appeared to have succeeded. The long-off fielder was Billy Roberts who ran round the boundary edge and took an absolutely great catch. Miles came in and hit an almost identical shot – and again Billy Roberts caught a very similar brilliant catch. Naylor was an all rounder and it amused many at the time that he had learnt the batting style so well that a shuffling into position as he played his shot seemed just like a replica of his tutor. Though I have to say that it came as news to him that people thought this when I put it to him! He had a long and illustrious league career having two spells at both Castleford and Scarborough among other clubs – and he had one season playing with Johnny and Miles at Honley and was with the Lawrences at Bilton. A few of his proteges