Pictures from some of my David Gower cricket
cards. From l. to r.: (1) Golden Wonder Ltd. "All Stars" Card, 1979; (2) "Card
Phone Australia" phone card, undated; (3) Texaco Trade Card, 1984; (4) Scanlens (Aus.)
"The Clashes for the Ashes," no. 34 of 66, 1986. |
|
|
For those who've just joined us, I'll lay my cards on the table: I was a cricket fan for almost
two years before I ever saw international- class cricket played. I'd eagerly listened to broadcasts of
it, avidly read books and articles on it, endlessly talked to knowledgeable people about it, and pretty
much filled my imagination with it... all without seeing a proper game (or even one batsman's innings)
played from start to finish. Indeed, until I was able to view some of those "cricket's greatest moments"
-type compilation videotapes, I could barely begin to guess what others were going on about when they
conferred on some talented batsman what was obviously intended as the high compliment of comparing his
strokeplay to that of David Gower, the English left-hander (and sometime England
captain) from the 1980's who ranks 10th on the all-time runs list for Test
cricket, but who is celebrated more for his elegant batting style than for the number he scored
(8,231, in case you're curious).
After seeing enough of those comments, though, I was moved to do some reading up on Mr. Gower-- a task
made easier by the fact that he himself wrote six books during the course of his
cricketing career, and one made pleasant by the fact that he writes, as he played, with more grace than
the average sportsman. I enjoyed reading his take on his own game and on the playing of other top
cricketers of his day, as well as on the ins and outs of touring and the ups and downs (mostly downs,
alas) of captaincy.
Oh, all right, and I guess all those pictures of him in his white flannels didn't hurt, either! :-)
Anyhow, I was right captivated, and I think it would be fair to say that the Gower I read about came
to embody my notion of the "ideal cricketer." He has since gone on to a career in broadcasting,
and thanks to the magic of the Internet, I actually had the chance to hear his commentary during the
England-India one-day series in January of 2002. As I expected, he delivered it with intelligence and
charm. Illusions intact! :-)
|
More pix from my Gower cards. From l. to r.:
(1) Scanlens World Series of Cricket, no. 64 of 84, 1981; (2) Venorlandus "World of
Sport" Flik-Card, no. 36 in "Our Heroes" series, 1979; (3) Panini (Italy)
"Supersport" series of album stickers, no. 161, undated (post-1986?); (4) "The
World's Great Cricketers," Hobbypress, 1984. |
|
|
And about those books... These are the six titles by Gower that made
me a fan even before I (finally) saw videos of him batting. I've only put brief descriptions here on this
page; to read more about these titles, you can look them up in my
"Reviews" section.
Anyone for Cricket?-- A tour diary jointly written by veteran
wicketkeeper Bob Taylor and then- new boy Gower, it covers England's successful 1977-78 tour of
Australia and offers an interesting look back at cricket in the days of Kerry Packer, rebel South
African tours, and the introduction of batting helmets. And for the Gower fan it provides a fun
glimpse at the beginnings of what (20-20 hindsight tells us) even then promised to be a great career. With Time to Spare-- By 1980, it was clear that the young batsman
was a bona fide star, and so it was time to give him the standard "up close and personal"
treatment for the fans. This book by Gower and journalist Alan Lee reads rather like a 120-page
"Life magazine" profile, and it's interesting to compare its uniformly sunny tone with the
mood of DG's later autobiographical books. Heroes and Contemporaries-- In 1983 David Gower, well established
in the England side himself, was asked to write about the other then-current players he most admired.
The result is this book, which comprises eighteen 5-10 page profiles of such greats as Ian Botham,
Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan, Viv Richards, and more. It's also nice to see Gower's first two captains,
Ray Illingworth and Mike Brearly, included. And as a treat for the reader, there's an epilogue with a
6-page rhapsody on Gower by collaborator Derek Hodgson.
Batting in Pakistan in 1984.
A Right Ambition-- Three years later, a David Gower at the height
of his powers turned his attention to some of the more technical aspects of the game. This book's four
sections consider the arts of batting, pace bowling, spin bowling, and captaincy (the last by implication,
really, as Part IV is an account of England's 1985 Ashes victory). Of all DG's books, I think, this one's
the most "serious" in tone. On the Rack-- And if A Right Ambition is the most serious,
then On the Rack must count as the bravest of Gower's literary efforts. In 1989, the superstar
batsman had accepted a second stint as England captain, with frankly disastrous results; this 1990
volume is a forthright account of that difficult year. But it's a surprising book, when one thinks
about it. For one thing, it anticipates and, to a certain extent, takes the edge off the inevitable
autobiography. For another, it's rather daring: here was DG, who hoped to continue playing Test cricket
even after being deposed again as captain, writing with some candor about the very people on whose
good side he'd surely want to remain... Gower: the Autobiography-- It was 1992, and David Gower had not
yet retired from cricket. But someone-- his agent? his publishers? the man himself?-- evidently deemed it
time to write that autobiography. The result was this literate and entertaining book that nevertheless
has an "unfinished" feel about it (though a subsequent edition remedies that). It is also
tinged with bittersweetness, as it suggests a sporting system unwilling, in the end, to allow a great
talent to flourish to the extent that it might have done. (I also have the Autobiography on audio cassette,
with Mr. Gower himself reading, and it's a very enjoyable listen.)
I can also recommend Rob Steen's 1995 biography David Gower: A Man Out of Time (again, see
my Reviews). Though overwhelmingly partisan in its
admiration of its subject, the book offered new perspectives on a figure whom I otherwise knew only
through his own words.
|
More pix from my Gower cards. From l. to r.:
(1) from David Coleman's "A Question Of Sport" English Set, 1987; (2) no. 48 from
Scanlens 1989/90 cricket set ("1989 Aussie vs. England Ashes Action" subset); (3)
"The England Cricket Team 1990-91," no. 6 of 16.; (4) Topps "American (?)
Sports" Set, 1992. |
|
|
And here are a few David Gower links (each set to open in a new
window):
Player Page:
Here's DG's page in the CricInfo database. Includes basic stats, a player profile, and links to
several CricInfo articles about him (all of which are worth reading: there's a nice interview done
in May 2000, plus three glowing tributes written right after Gower's retirement from the game). BBC Q&A:
DG answered a few questions for BBC Sport Online in December 2001. He's enjoyably candid and--
dare I say it?-- laid-back as he fields queries about the controversial end of his career and
about his celebrated batting style. The Rediff Interview, pt. I:
In this January 2002 interview for Rediff.com, occasioned by England's tour of India, DG answers
questions about playing in India and about the current captains of the two sides. The Rediff Interview, pt. II:
In the continuation of his January 2002 interview for Rediff.com, DG talks about English cricket,
the ICC, and that Tiger Moth.
Batting against India in 1990 (I think).
DG Speaks:
This multi-part, audio-visual interview with DG at CricInfo's "Cricket Carnival" covers
all the bases of his career, and shows him to be a generous and personable fellow. Unfortunately,
I'm not sure of the precise year it was done. And Speaks Again:
In December 2000, Stephen Lamb interviewed Gower during the lunch interval of an England-Pakistan
Test being broadcast by CricInfo. Inevitably overlaps some of the content of the above-linked,
longer interview, but still worth a listen. DG at the IMDb:
Well, what do you know? David Gower has a page at the Internet Movie Database! I can't speak to
whether the listing is complete, but it does include various of his television credits.
(last updated 11 July 2003)
|
|
