Test Match Special - #40from40: Max Boyce MBE

Episode Date: July 2, 2020

Singer and comedian Max Boyce enjoys the first Test match in Cardiff during the memorable Ashes series of 2009. Look out for some wonderful stories of Sir Ian Botham in pantomime!

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Bring more gear, carry more passengers, face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. Classic View from the Boundary Hello, I'm Jonathan Agnew, welcome along to Classic View from the Boundary from Test Match Special.

Well, the 2009 Ash's Test Match at Cardiff is just one of those games that just stays in the memory forever. Who can forget, Jimmy Anderson and Montepanus are blocking England to that memorable draw in front of a jubilant crowd. Well, 24 hours before the tailenders were doing their thing,

we were joined by a Welsh entertainment legend. Max Boyce has sold over two million records in a career that spanned four decades regularly featuring alongside his great sporting love, which is Welsh rugby. Of course, it was a different sport for Max to enjoy at Sapphire Gardens in 2009 as he joined me for a memorable chat. I love this one at the start of that thrilling Ashes series. I began by asking who, as a proud Welshman, he was supporting in the game.

England. No, you've got to. You hate something to say that. No, no, it is unusual, I will say. But, no, you've got to. I mean, I wouldn't have it been great as Simon Jones. and maybe Croftier had been playing as well

that would have been... Yes, but that would have been special but I know what you're being special No, I mean, people forget it's England and Wales cricket It's England and Wales cricket board and we deserve a test I think and we've shown the world

We've shown certainly England and Australia But we can't stage it I mean, Cardiff in the last What, five or six years I've staged, you know Effick Cup finals Rugby League finals Three Grand Slams

We've got the Ryder Cup come in The Ashes I mean it's it's It would have believed it And Cardiff has shown that we can do it. And I think a lot of people have changed in mind about seeing this test match in Cardiff. Yeah.

What has happened, though, to this area? Why this... I mean, you've always loved rugby, obviously, and of course, Glamorgan have been reasonably successful at cricket over the years, the one county, of course, first-class county was. But what has happened to produce... It's the stadium, really.

It is absolutely magnificent. It's like rugby in the round. It's just a theatre. And, of course, the legend of the singing to hear of Cardiff. When that roof is closed at Cardiff, it is something to behold. And it was just recently voted in New Zealand, the rugby ground in the world. And it is phenomenal. In recent years, we've had two grand slams.

But it's the actual place itself. It's a legendary place, atmospheric place. And there is nowhere quite like the Millennium. I never thought it would surpass the old Cardiff Ames Park. it has, it's a magnificent place and it's becoming a fortress for Welsh rugby. I was going to ask her that because I was lucky I went to the Cardiff's Park a couple of times. I mean the atmosphere there was absolutely unbelievable before those rugby games. So you were a little bit torn, were you when they talked about this, you know,

lovely new gleaming thing that we can see this down the road. Absolutely, everybody was and I was one, I was an old, being an old romantic and old traditionalist, I think, that we maybe should move because something is lost, invariably lost when you move away because of economics or whatever, financial pressures. Something is lost and in certain grounds they have lost but actually it gained and it's

obviously success has helped. But where they designed it they designed it, they didn't try make an athletic stadium as well. So it's very intrinsically a rugby stadium that can be used for other sports but they resist that temptation to make it much bigger.

But it's the location that makes it. It's right smack in the middle of the capital. And I think when people from the FA KEP come down or the supporters of Liverpool and Man United, the supporters couldn't get over the location of it because, you know, Twickenham is a long way out and Muddyfield is a long way out, lands a road is a long way out, and Wembley, you know, devilishly difficult place to get from. Cardiff, you know, you're nine yards of a pub. Is that all it is?

Yeah. It's a brilliant place. as he's walking back to the hotel from here. Yes, he is, yes. It's beautiful up the river as well. But this ground, of course, Sapphire Gardens, I saw quite quite bring myself to call it the other one, but Sapphire Gardens, I mean, I played here many, many times,

and it was a scruffy old place. You never have thought, Max, that there was going to be a test match. No, it's remarkable. It's absolutely remarkable. And, you know, I've watched these early days with great trepidation because I, worried. I was dead worried for the picture.

When I saw that divert coming up in the first, oh, I said, oh, no, no, no, no. But it's held and I'm so glad. Because all whales were waiting with bated breath. As with the wicket, turn too much. And, yeah, my friend there. He's waving. Well, yes. I was going to mention your association with Ian Botham,

who I think has rumbled you, Matt, because he's staring through the window, inevitably on his mobile phone. You know him rather well, don't you? Yeah, unfortunately. Now, he's a great, a great, good friend. He's dangerous company. He's dangerous company, yeah.

And I had the misfortune to spend three years in pantomime with Ian, and it's the most tired I've ever been in my whole life. It was Jack and the Beanstalk, was it? Jack and the Beanstalk, yeah. There was some incredulity, I have to be honest with you, on the cricket circuit when it was announced that Ian Botham was going to go into pantomime. And it was with you, isn't it? It was you and him together, Jack and the Beanstalk.

I resisted, I knew that the press would crucify him. So I made sure that he, because I wrote it and directed it, and I made sure that no, there was no mention of cricket. I didn't give him a silly bat in the sand and knocking balls into the audience. He just came on as a regal king. And the first, he was, by the end, you know, he was really, really good.

The first Revere winner, the Alambra Theatre in Bradford, and it said the princess was wonderful, wonderful voice. and the dame was wonderfully sinister and Max Boyce excelled in the role of Jack and I said about Ian and the only thing more wooden than the beanstalk was Ian Botham and we stuck it up

and we're trying to hide it from him we stuck it up with a dressing wall and then he got picked for England out of the blue to go to Australia and New Zealand and he was supposed to be playing and then somebody got injured And they picked him out of the blue

And he was in pantomime with me Playing the King in Bournemouth And the headlines Because he was contracted to me And the headlines in the Bournemouth trumpet said King or country Because he was playing the king

And I had to release him From the contract From Jack the Beanstalk To play for England All I remember at the time Max There was some discussion about Well actually a beanstalk He was growing at the back

But it definitely wasn't really beanstalk He was a terrible, terrible person The last scene was Jack Jack, fighted the giant. And he'd been thrown, the king and the princess, and they'd been thrown in this jail behind, behind where I was fighting the giant in the flats, the back flats of the thing.

And they were in there for about 10 minutes when this fight was gone. And, of course, he was bored stiff in this jail. You've been lethal in that, but he built a bar behind the flats of a stage. And when I was fighting the giant, he was going to go, oh, champagne, cocks, and beer being pulled.

And that would be to fight the giant. He was hopeless. Hopeless and never forgive him. And how long did this ordeal last? I mean, we... 94 shows of first. Yeah. Good grief.

I killed, like... Well, I was killing two giants a day for two and a half months. And he was in the jail in Chateaubriot. But, I mean... He is a terrible, terrible man. Yes, yes. But he's got amazing stamina, because he wouldn't have bothered him, would it?

But the great... story. He hates the story. He's not here. Don't look around. He's not coming in. Don't worry. We're guests out in the Masters in Augusta of Ian. Who's not? Big Dutchman, a great golfer, a friend of mine. So he had tickets now for

beefy and myself and this guy called Stan Thomas, Stan the Pyes. So, but just before... I've heard about Stan the Pyes before. Sir, Sir Stanley Thomas now. Right. And a big mate of beefy, big bit of me. Anyway, so was he got his tickets? But a couple of days before the master started, a

relative, close relative of Ian Wisdom's wife, died. So we actually had now the family tickets and the immediate family could actually go into the clubhouse, right? In the club, was Magnolia Drive, sat next to Jack Nicholas and Tiger Woods. It's incredible. But we had these credit tickets, right, with Wuzzi's family on. So we, down Magnolly Drive, we got up and this big, big sheriff said, name sir, on Czech Ian name, sir.

And I said, Glenrith, which is Glenrith, which is, Ian Woodson's wife. That's a strange name, sir. Yes, I said, it's kind of dick, I said, it's kind of dick. And then Stan Thomas comes, name, sir, Amy. Amy, sir, that's another girl. Yeah, Amy, we wanted a girl, Amy was numb. Of course, beefies weight in. He comes at last in, and this big shed says, name sir, Rebecca. And we're shouting, come on, Becky, do hurry, do hurry.

And he's going, and he's, I can't say what he said. I can't. But the sheriff said, that's not very ladylike, sir. And Rebecca both of him. I can't see. You've cleared him out of his pocket. Oh, no, that's lovely. But you have to be admired Max for spending time with him.

Maybe he walked with him. He's done his charity walk. Yeah, I've done all the walks with him, yes. And, you know, the biggest thing he's ever done is, you know, if it hadn't been for Ian Botham, we wouldn't have a children's hospital in Wales. And I know he's got a great cricket in a legacy, but in Wales, his greatest legacy is the money he raised for our children's hospital.

Is that right? Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean, it is remarkable. And he goes just a pace on those things, too, isn't he? He runs. I did the first one was from Gloucester, Bristol Airport, and they actually wheeled me into Bristol Airport on a Graveney. Right. wheeled me in on the bling airport trolley and I was 10 days for 10 days I was on crutches

after that first walk and we did her bourgeois new day of all days which didn't help but yeah he runs he doesn't walk he runs I was running alongside him and it was yeah I was he nearly killed me what's about music in this part of the world max I mean we've had I really enjoyed doing so everybody here all this wonder what is about Wales and singing why are you all so happy people well we're not all happy but i mean it's it's it's part of our culture yeah so yeah but it's part of our culture part of our heritage and and uh it's passed on from generation generation we take great faith in our singing and our poetry and it's it's why it hasn't why it is so i don't know but it's i'm glad that it does it was part of the opening ceremony here

yeah and still now i mean even youngsters coming up they they they'll be singing at A Welsh choir just won the big talent competition, the last choir standing. And the two finalists, it was all from Britain, I think some like 400 choirs. And the two choirs and the final were two Welsh choirs. And the South Wales Choir won the final of all the choirs in Britain. So it's still very strong. There's nothing more passionate than being at the Cardiff's Arms Park and listening to a rugby crowd.

You sang. I had a privilege of singing at the opening. ceremony of the World Cup and then I sang it before and after the Grand Slam game against Ireland and that was something I'll never forget because I do know I was going to sing they just got me back on at the end of the game we just won the first Grand Slam for 27 years and to sing and come around the bread of heaven and a noble Welsh name called Carlin to sing that and the all the Irish lads stayed and he got like 75,000 people and singing one of my song I'd written myself to hear that I mean nobody went home you know people didn't want they want to say by that

forever. People, people, some people are still there now. They sent out for powder, milk and blankets, so they live the moment forever. And I think this will be the similar occasion here that's why I hope so. I know that you're still writing, aren't you? And you've sat down to write, I was what's an ode? Is it about this occasion? It's to mark the occasion of the first test here in Wales. I thought it needed something and I researched the history of the ashes. and now the first one is at the oval, down Lambeth's leafy ways. And people said, oh, it'll be over in two days in Cardiff. It was, the first test was over in two days. So I've run a little... The very bad result? Yes, I've run a little parallel, and I call it richest test.

Way back in 1882, down lambeth, leafy ways, when Hornbury's feet at English side were beaten in two days. A venting spleen in the sporting time, the road scornful of the failure. of her cremated body's ashes will be taken to Australia. Then Captain Ivo Blye, proud stood and took a lordly stand and vowed the ashes would return to this green and pleasant land.

But that summer found him wanting, and still mournful of his loss, some ashes with respect bequeathed beneath the southern cross. The outer casing of a ball, a broken stump or bale, a splintered hopes of English dreams, or an aging mother's veil. The questions without answer,

And may we never learn the secret of the ashes in that terracore to earn. And now a hundred years have passed, and I'm weary of the dross that's written in some papers about English cricket's loss. The first test on a turning pitch. It'll be over in two days, just like it was in 82, down lumbus leafy ways. So if England wind at Cardiff will cremate the stumps and bales, and the richest dust in England will forever be in Wales. Yes!

Well, Matt, fantastic. Very published. No, I haven't. I did. Set it to music? I could do. It's sitting to a metre that can sing it. But it would be nice.

It would be great if we did win here. Maybe put the last two lines on a plaque it, it'd be lovely. And then maybe... And give it to the museum here in Safoy Gardens. And, yeah. If England win the Cardiff will cremate the stumps and veils, and the richest dust in England will forever be in Wales. be in Wales.

No, lovely. I mean, sport does it, doesn't it? Sport brings out passions with people. Yeah, it's, it's, people, this has a remarkable effect on Welsh cricket, and that can only be good. And I think people will go away from here, glad that they gave us this occasion

to show ourselves to the world, as it were. Will it bring us all closer together? Absolutely. You think so? For Welsh people, shouting for England, that's a one-off. We've put our tribalism away for five days. But is it difficult?

No, no. I don't know. I've come into play and you come and play Glamorgan and you are playing in Wales. No doubt about it and it was very patriotic. So it is actually quite a big thing. I mean people who haven't been across over here perhaps not quite understand the fact that actually you are a proud, separate country and it is possibly, I don't know, you explain it,

but quite a difficult position to be, or an unusual place to find yourself actually here cheering on Freddie Flintoff. He's a huge favour, I don't know, I think the Cardiff crowd and the Welsh cricket crowd because, you know, the South Wales leagues are very powerful cricket leagues and they are so thrilled that the ashes will come here, that England are playing a test here. So thrilled and it's been infectious walking around the ground. And it was a lovely moment when I got into the ground today. I sat down and this chap in front of me said, oh, he said, don't sit by there.

I said, why? He said, he said, the sky cameras are about. be on you and I'm not, I'm supposed to be in work. So I had to move. I had to move. Just to touch, let me talk about cricket and everything else, but touch on what you, how you started. I was quite fascinated by it, really,

because it's quite an unorthodox route to doing what you have spent your life doing, wasn't it? I mean, I was really somewhere that actually. Someone put a guitar on your hand and you couldn't play. Yeah, I started off. I started by the folk clubs, as in fact, Jasper Carrad did and Billy Connolly and Mike Harding and we became over a period of time became storytellers and and with the songs occasion a song

along the way and I'd always loved folk music but gradually the comedy took over and I wrote about any occasion like I wrote the richest dust I wrote whatever was happening in in and at the time there was a big movement you know folks on moving at the time and and people sing the Vietnam and I couldn't sing with any credence of Vietnam. So I wrote that I knew about. I wrote about the pits closing and and it just struck a chord and it, you know, it just, you know, I had five gold albums in like seven years. It was, and it, but a complete of the accident. I never, ever, ever intended to become an entertainer at all. I was, you know, I did a, you know, I did a mining, a coal mining

apprenticeship for like seven years and I worked on the ground for 10 years. I never, My father was killed underground a month before I was born. He was killed in August the 27th and I was born on September the 27th. And you still went down the pit? Well, there was no other work, you know. It was the last place in the world. My mother wanted to go and she just asked me, Underground today?

No, no, not today, you know, but I was on the ground. But it gave me, I look back, you know, cherished memories of those times working at the cold face because it enabled me to write songs of first-hand experience rather than, you can only write of your own, you can only write well of personal experience. And those songs, my best songs, I've written like Ronda Gray, DeWitt Sard, close the coal house door, and the Mindless Strike song,

they had my finest work. I know I'm better known for the comedy, but my finest work of personal experience working in the ground, and it's something I'll always cherish, and I'd have the opportunity to meet and work with those old coal mine, were absolute characters and salt of the earth. Yeah. What was it like down there?

What was it like going to work? It was terrible, yeah, it was terrible. We worked in some places, it worked in sometimes two foot six, you know, of height. And that was pretty terrifying and you couldn't see, you know, a lamp in front of you was, and then the six feet seemed so dusty, you couldn't see anything. I mean, it wouldn't be allowed today, the conditions, you wouldn't be allowed to work. Talk about health and safety today, you know. You know, but the rubber bottoms of ladders.

Ridiculous, they were terrible places, but wonderful, wonderful, wonderful experience, and I wouldn't change if the world. And the community around it, presumably, was all about the pit? Totally. The whole workforce was the village, because there was,

there was a odd maybe teacher and preacher, but every work, whether they were, you know, they were craftsmen or blacksmiths, but whole villages worked in the local pit, you know, and to see, and that's, it's fractured now the whole work force is fractured. But those communities, with an inherent warmth and passion and sadness and humour,

they were the seams that I could write about. And the remarkable place is much change now, but the tradition still dies hard. So off you went onto the club circuit. So you'd have a whole evening to yourself? No, not then. No, I mean, difficult times to start with. And then I gladly just did the work in my club scene.

and then gradually then I got better known I could do the theatres and the records I brought out date and then I had television series and then of course it just went on and on I'm fascinated by how it started because it's 1973 Opportunity Knox and it didn't get terribly well no I because you see three minutes

I'd still find it difficult today to do something in three minutes because I'm you know I'm a lengthy long storyteller so I'm not sort of don't one, sort of one-line joke. So, literally, stopwatch, three minutes, and that's all you have? Yeah, so I found that very difficult. Pewy Green and everything.

Yeah, I did all that. And then... And what happened? I came second. Okay, it wasn't a complete... A second, Bobby Crush! Oh, no! With frilly shirts, yeah!

Bobby Crush! Just play a song on a piano, easy in three minutes. What did he... Oh, good. I can't wait for a lady, I can't remember. But comedy in three minutes is very difficult. Well, I think to be beaten by Bobby Crush. It's nothing to be ashamed of that.

No, it's not. I broke my heart at the time. because we're so fiercely sort of competitive in Wales and proud, oh, I felt I'd left the nation down, you know, and so it took a while to recover from that. And I was, a guy called Royster Mayer was the director, and he'd heard they did it, you know, and within three years of doing it,

I was the subject of, This is Your Life, and he was the same director, you know, and it was a remarkable turnaround. But you have to go through those troughs and those sad times, And you do, I know, it's often said, but you are stronger. You've become out of failure, much stronger. Yes, that's what's a good point. I mean, it is often better to have to struggle first.

Yeah, yeah, I wasn't ready either. I wasn't ready for television. I mean, oh, no, no me. No. You know, I was still working at the time. I was still working on the ground, you know, and suddenly, so these people that on the talent shows, I got utmost admiration of the way they handle the pressures

with no experience whatsoever. sit and watch X-Factor in these things. I do, yeah. I mean, it's almost like a modern-day opportunity not. It is, and I'm fascinating how well they do. But again, you know, it's where they go from there, the ones just come second or third, they just, you know, cast aside and they have a year and a sun at most. Yeah, I was, again, just really up a little bit. And your, the record label came down to here, is that right? They booked a rugby club somewhere for your, for your concert. No one, no one No one paid 50 P.O. tickets and they were on in free.

Yeah, no one had heard of me. I made the decision to go to someone that I'd never sang before, so the songs would be fresh. So I went to a similar village of my own. But of course, no one heard of me, couldn't sell the tickets. So we'd have to go around the pubs and ask people to come and see this lad from Greece. Drag them out? And we dragged them out, yeah.

But because it was fresh, it really worked. And what sells that album, it sold like nearly a million albums, you know, which is unheard of in those. days and what makes it is the audience, the freshness of the audience, hearing those songs for the first time. And of course, those songs, that audience, will always be hearing the songs for the first time. And the magic of the album is the audience, because hearing those songs the first time. You're still singing them now? One of two of them, yeah. That wasn't the cue, Max. I promise it. I'll promise you, everybody.

Don't panic. I don't sing before lunch. Another thing, I mean, an elephant polo, I was bringing. Yeah, yeah. Before we go to that, my abiding cricket memory was and for me to come on this programme, a legendary programme. I remember when I was on it last,

in 1991, the Dior old genres, I was so wrapped up in the ball-to-ball comedies. I felt I wouldn't miss a ball. And I even found, because I was on tour at the time, and I devised a route map of Britain where you couldn't miss a ball

without going through a tunnel. Ah! So I built a tunnel Network of Britain or I wouldn't miss a ball on TMS. So if I only wants that map where you can carry a listen to this program without going through a tunnel right to me. It could be nine hours of mine,

but still I'm going to say, my greatest moment cricket came was we're playing at Burgess I use a P.E. Teacher down at Monmouth Public School, not frathing here. And he had this game against Somerset

and they're all playing Denning, Brian Rose, Joel Garner, Botham, Victor Richards. The Victor played? Yes, he played, Victor played. And I used to open the bowling. Anyway, I got Denning out, sadly died two, three years ago, and got him out.

I wrote him into band. I. V.A. Richards. I'm going to get a striker of the ball I've ever seen. And this man, for me, the privilege of boy this great man, I, V.A. Richards. And they kept me out the attack initially.

very wise but I looked around the ground and I thought these people have come to see Viv not me so I thought I'll just give him one to get off the mark well they never did find it well that's not strictly true they found parts of it but most of it had burnt out on reentry but the seventh ball of my fourth over I did him on my chair children's life I got the great man out. As people who keep mementals of this great occasion you're in a car. I've got that schoolbook

now in the house. Phil Bennett Cortive in Long Light Boundary. It's there forever. I. VA Richards, Court Bennett, Bowle Boys. 378. Oh, Max. It's been great having you on. I think they're coming back on. They are. They are. The on-field entertainment. But what

off-field. Thank you so much for coming in. to be part of this legendary program and I've listened to it ever since I was a young boy and so there's power to elbow I never thought I'd heard the program coming from here in the capital Wales well I'm not going to go next door and call anybody Rebecca you can have a go we feel I've got sat tonight so you get me back for that max boys everybody thanks for coming in great fun there we go great this table a big thanks to Samantha Nelson for getting in touch to request we get that interview out of the archives. Well, on Samantha, I love that one. If you've got any favourites you'd like to hear, do email tms at BBC.com.

A look out for lots of other classics on BBC sounds, such as this memorable chat from 1987, when Brian Johnston spoke to the acting great, Sir Christopher Lee. I started to learn cricket at my prep school, which was Summerfields. No, yes, indeed. And I think that's where I was taught to play. Unfortunately, the Bursar, as I think they were called in those days, of Summerfields, who was a very good bowler, Mr. Boutel, I remember him vividly, was extremely good bowler, but he had a rather strange action, which, unfortunately, as one does at a very early age, I then proceeded to copy. And it's an action which was shared by Mike Proctor and Max Walker. In other words, it was rather like a windmill, and I bowled off the wrong foot, swinging my arms over twice. but you're six foot something six foot four so when i got going and i did open the bowling at my public school as well on occasions when i got going if i kept any kind of length they used to come

up fairly high off the pitch and i was fairly quick the demon leave oh absolutely yes you played for wellington i on occasions did yes and the highest score i ever had in my life was while i was at wellington but not playing for the college i had 149 not out and came into the pavilion and burst into tears because I didn't make 150. Marvelous, isn't it? Did you keep it up after school or not? No, I was a little thing called World War II, which inconveniently intervened in 1939. I just left school about a year before.

I was what was called, I suppose, in those days, a promising cricketer. I went in about four or five and fancied myself a lot, of course. Everybody used to say, what marvelous style when they saw me in the net. Superb elegance of stroke play. It was very different when I got in the middle. in the middle. I was so concerned in making these magnificent-looking shots that I seldom scored enough runs. What about watching? Go right back to when you...

What was your first big match? Do you remember the first one you saw? I think I can. It's very difficult because it's a long time ago. It's at least 55 years ago, I hate to tell you, but it is. And it was while I was at my prep school, and we watched a match played at Oxford. And I'm absolutely certain that Jack Hobbs was batting. Now, whether I'm right or not... I can't clearly recall, but I do know that I saw Jack Hobbs' bat and many of his great contemporaries. It might have been Surrey against Oxford or something of that kind.

And I certainly, of course, remember the pre-war Australian teams, vividly. I remember Bradman as if he was walking out in front of me now. The one thing I remember about him, and of course naturally after the war as well, the one thing I remember about Bradman was the first time I ever saw him hit the ball. and that was his famous pull shot to the boundary from outside the off stump. I'd never seen a shot played like that. When I attempted to replace it, of course, with an equally, perhaps even a better shot, I was sternly ordered by the Games Master not to try such a rubbish, but to keep a straight bat.

I know, it's rotten, and his used to go right down to sort of log on there. It was beautiful. He was very quickly getting in position. I have most wonderful footwork of any batsman I've ever seen. Well, the other great player in that, time. I was lucky enough to see two. It was Wally Hammond. You see him. Oh, yes, many, many times. Many, many times. I met him several times. Actually, I had a very great friend, a very dear friend, Bev Lyon, who was captain of Gloucester

at one time, and he and Hammond, of course, used to play together. And he told me a wonderful story once about the Gloucester scorecard. In fact, this used to happen regularly throughout every season. Frequently, when Charlie Parker was bowling, The scorecard would read Court Lion Bold Parker many, many times because Bev used to field its second slip and Wally Hammond at first. Well, as everybody who knows anything about cricket knows, Wally Hammond is one of the great slip fields of all time. He was so fast as he took the ball and literally flicked it

out of the back of his hand to Bev, who threw it up in the air, and so it always went down as caught Lion, bold park. And that full interview is available to listen to. Just subscribe to the Test Match Special podcast on BBC Sounds to make sure you don't miss a thing from BBC Cricket. Classic View from the Boundary on the TMS podcast. Alan Shearer and Ian Wright are in my kitchen. What's going on here?

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