England's stop-gap skippers

By Paul Grunill

It is no easy task to take over the captaincy of a Test side knowing that the job belongs to someone else.

It is something I quite enjoy now and again Marcus Trescothick on captaincy

But opportunity in cricket, like in any sport, can knock when you least expect it.

History has repeated itself with Marcus Trescothick stepping in to lead England against New Zealand after Michael Vaughan damaged his knee during net practice.

Five years ago an injury to Nasser Hussain resulted in Mark Butcher being thrust into the limelight against the same opponents at Old Trafford.

Butcher was given the job with little captaincy experience to fall back on, and although an innings of 83 not out by Alec Stewart enabled England to escape with a draw, it was not an experience Butcher was in a hurry to repeat.

Another Surrey player, Monty Bowden, found himself in the same position on England's first tour to South Africa 1889 years earlier.

A fever meant C. Aubrey Smith could not play in the second Test and Bowden became England's youngest ever skipper at 23 years and 144 days.

He led the team to victory by an innings and 202 runs as the home side, who were Test match novices, were bowled out for 47 and 43.

ENGLAND CAPTAINCY FACTS James Lillywhite was England's first skipper in the 1876-77 Ashes series Peter May is the most successful England captain with 20 wins from 41 Tests Mike Brearley recorded 18 wins and just four losses in his 31 Tests at the helm Mike Atherton was the longest-serving skipper, in charge for 54 Tests in all Marcus Trescothick will be England's 75th Test captain

Bowden's story did not end happily, however, as he died three years later after settling in Rhodesia.

South Africa was the setting for Greville Stevens' lone appearance as captain in the final Test of the 1927-28 tour.

He took over from Ronald Stanyforth, who had been hit in the face by the ball during the fourth Test, but ended on the losing side as South Africa won by eight wickets.

England were led by Welshman Cyril Walters in the second Ashes Test against Australia in 1934 after Bob Wyatt broke a thumb, but once again the outcome was a disappointment as the tourists came out on top by 238 runs.

Kenneth Cranston skippered the team in the first Test of the 1947-8 tour to the West Indies after Gubby Allen was injured on board ship, and Donald Carr took over for the fifth Test in India four years later.

Tom Graveney's chance came during the 1968 series against Australia after Colin Cowdrey pulled a hamstring in the third Test.

The next match at Headingley saw both teams led by replacement skippers, with Barry Jarman leading Australia in place of Bill Lawry.

Although Cowdrey was in Leeds with the team, Graveney did not feel constrained when deciding tactics for the match.

"I made the decisions on the field. The only time we really got down and talked about something was whether we were going to go for the runs in the final innings or not," Graveney recalled.

Out of form skipper Mike Denness dropped himself for the fourth Test of the 1974-5 series Down Under, leaving John Edrich to lead the team.

Boycott's opportunity also came as a result of an injury

The firepower of the Australians again proved too much, but Edrich emerged with great credit after batting for over two hours to make 33 not out despite having ribs broken by a ball from Dennis Lillee.

No-one coveted the England captaincy more than Geoff Boycott and his chance finally arrived in Pakistan in January 1978 after Mike Brearley was injured.

Boycott was in charge for the third Test and the three which followed in New Zealand, but he never had the satisfaction of leading the team out on home soil.

John Emburey and Chris Cowdrey are more recent one-off England captains.

Both had their chance in 1988 when the team was led by four different skippers during a series against West Indies.

Following the sacking of Mike Gatting, Emburey took over for the third match but the selectors decided not to persevere with him after England went down by an innings and 156 runs.

Their next move was to pluck Cowdrey from the county circuit, where he had proved a successful leader with Kent.

Perhaps he should have heeded the omens when he was turned away by a gateman on his arrival at Headingley.

"I didn't know he was the England captain, and he didn't tell me," the gateman said later.

Cowdrey made nought and five as England lost by 10 wickets and that proved to be the end of his Test career.

Whatever the result against New Zealand, at least that won't be Trescothick's fate.