This successful career – in Tests/ODIs for England, plus domestic honours for Lancashire – perfectly epitomised the power YCCC had at their disposal at the time. When the Ossett born opener had to leave the County after only seven games in order to find a regular berth, their close rivals took full advantage. His explanation brooks no argument: “When I left Yorkshire they had ten Internationals in the side. The one who wasn’t, Tony Nicholson, definitely should have been – he could make me play and miss even when I was playing defensively.”
We were treated to stories which exemplified the nature of blunt characters from both counties, with Wood the victim in two cases. “When Lancashire signed me, skipper Brian Statham told me, ‘I didn’t want you here’. Why? It helped to motivate me to try even harder! Then, when we played Yorkshire, Fred Truman said to David Lloyd, about me, ‘I hope the little bugger is insured!’ Typical Fred!”
But the successes were plentiful, including against his idol Garfield Sobers who he regarded as, “the greatest cricket ever, without a doubt”. Wood removed the legend on no less than five occasions with “virtually the same ball each time as he heaved away at it!”
He was grateful to Sobers’ response when a headline purporting to quote Barry claimed ‘Garfield is my bunny.’ “When I contacted him to deny it, he didn’t take any offence, he just knew I hadn’t.”
Barry was accompanied on the night by the Rev Malcolm Lorimer