How many ‘pinch yourself’ moments can one person have in a lifetime? Umpire Richard Illingworth seems to have collected countless. Fresh from officiating the ICC T20 World Cup final in India, he joined us for the traditional pie & pea supper at Lees Hall Golf Club, still carrying the quiet aura of a man who had just walked off cricket’s biggest stage.
“I was doing a game in Ahmedabad – India versus New Zealand,” Illingworth said casually, as if it were a county fixture. “New Zealand didn’t turn up,” he added dryly, sending the room into fits of laughter.
Illingworth had always wanted to stay in the game longer. Maybe that’s why he took his father’s advice and transformed from pacer to spinner – trading the short-sharp bursts for long, patient spells in cricketing life.
While recalling his Worcestershire days, he made us laugh about being run out on 97. “Bloody umpires,” Illingworth quipped over his alleged ‘dodgy’ dismissal, to trigger more laughter. Mind you, he made three centuries as a nightwatchman – no mean feat by any stretch, right?
Playing alongside the legendary Ian Botham, Illingworth painted a vivid picture of “Both” – ever larger than life. When rain washed out play, Botham once invited Eric Clapton to play poker inside a Ferrari. In that same era, Elton John, Jeff Lynne and Ringo Starr drifted through his circle.
“Pinch yourself moments,” Illingworth mused. “We would never have met those guys otherwise. “ But nobody took their towel off when Elton was in the room.” he added with a cheeky smile
Siddharth Thakur