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“Ambrose and Walsh Charging In. I Loved That"

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Thursday 28th October, 2010 15 Been There, Done That – Robin Smith obin Smith was a hero to a genera- tion of England fans brought up on RAustralian and West Indian domi- nation at the end of the 1980s and early 1990s. His ferocious square-cut, wide- “Ambrose and Walsh eyed pre-ball routine and bravery against the quicks gave hope; the premature end to his England career broke hearts. And he regularly rescued his beloved Hampshire – both on and off the pitch. Charging In. I Loved That" What are your memories of grow- ing up in Durban? Going down to Kingsmead at the age of eight to watch the likes of Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock. Because of the Apartheid system there was no international cricket and because there was no television in South Africa we never really had any access to cricket played outside the country. They were wonderful players to watch and players that I admired and looked up to. Is it true that Richards and Mike Procter would practise at your house? Dad was a bit of an eccentric and when there was a house for sale next to ours he bought it, knocked it down and built a cricket pitch. Barry and Mike – who lived only about a mile away – would come over and bat and practise in our back garden. We also had a bowling machine and the pitch we played on was concrete with an Astroturf overlay, so when it was cranked up to 80 or 85mph it meant I was exposed to pace very early in my life. You also excelled away from crick- et ... I guess so. When I was 17 I held the South African under-17 110m hurdles and shot-put record. That was unique but again it was something that I worked incredibly hard at. I was also in the reserves for the South Africa under-19s rugby side, although I was only 16 at the time. Had I decided to pursue my rugby career, then maybe I would have gone on and played for the full under-19 side and from there, who knows? Could you have turned your back on cricket at that stage? Not really, I had just left school when I had the opportunity to go to Hampshire, again thanks to Barry Richards and Mike Procter. They had a meeting with my parents and Mike was very keen for me to go and play for Gloucestershire and Barry wanted me to go to Hampshire. As my brother (Chris) was there at the time I decided to head to Northlands Road. I was offered a two- Robin Smith avoids a nasty one from Shaun Pollock. week trial and they then offered me a four-year contract. Four years later I was English-qualified, became a local player for Hampshire and played in Perth in the Was it hard to have a smile on didn’t want to understand me and were Could you have done more to con- for not being a great player against spin close-season instead of Natal. your face when you were being pum- just too quick to knock and criticise. It form? bowling but at the end of the day there melled by the West Indians? wasn’t just me, though. It was such a Maybe I have to take a certain weren’t many players in my era who Was it your performance in the I would go out and be physically shame during that period because I amount of blame. I was brought up in the averaged near to 44 – David Gower was B&H Cup final in 1988 that won you scared facing Shane Warne but for me it played with about 74 players for England old school and I enjoyed working hard only half a run ahead of me – so, if I did England recognition? was never a case of being unsettled by in about five years – nobody knew what and also playing hard. That’s my charac- that, I must have scored some runs That was a significant innings [Smith quick bowling. I loved the challenge and the hell was going on. In my opinion they ter. I’d have a couple more beers than against spin bowling. scored 38 as Hampshire beat Derbyshire] playing in the West Indies was always the set English cricket back 10 years. everyone else in the new culture that because it was on the big stage but I best – a golden opportunity to go out Illingworth and Fletcher were trying to When you went back to county remember Micky Stewart being at the there and play on good fast, hard-bounc- When did things come to a head? create. After getting rid of Gower, Lamb, cricket you didn’t score the same vol- quarter-final against Worcestershire ing wickets and have the likes of I was in Pretoria before the start of Gatting and Emburey – I think they ume of runs. Was that a frustration? that year when I scored 70 odd not out [87 Ambrose, Walsh, Marshall and Bishop the 1995-96 tour and Ray Illingworth and wanted to get rid of that old culture and I always felt I was a better player on not out] and won the man-of-the-match come charging in at you. John Edrich [England’s batting coach at usher in a new era. the big stage than the daily grind of award. That was probably the innings I loved that. I got smacked on the body the time] reduced me to tears. I remem- county cricket. By the selectors’ criteria that got me into the England side. I made a few times but you would go back, grab ber speaking, in floods of tears, to Mark Do you think you were jettisoned I wasn’t scoring the runs I needed to get my debut at Headingley and Chris yourself a nice large rum-and-ginger, sit Nicholas in the middle at Centurion the from the England side too soon? that recall but I just wish they had looked Cowdrey was captaining the side for the under a palm tree and reflect on the day. afternoon before that Test and telling Listen, I’m not remotely bitter – I’m a little deeper into players and realised only time. We played against a fierce That for me was what made cricket spe- him that no one had any confidence in the happiest guy in the world and have a that scoring volumes of runs in the coun- West Indian side and we were clearly cial. I think the 148 I scored against them me. It was my first innings back after wonderful new life here in Perth. ty game doesn’t necessarily mean you beaten by a much better side. It was a at Lord’s in 1991 was my best England being hit by Ian Bishop [who broke Growing up in South Africa I didn’t have the temperament or fight to succeed pretty chaotic time but it didn’t really innings. Smith’s jaw in England’s fourth Test think I would ever play Test cricket, so at the top level. It takes a special type of matter who the captain was, that was a against West Indies earlier that year] and every Test I played was an absolute street fighter to score those runs. When I top West Indies side. You started your Test career with Mark – who was a tremendous mentor bonus but I just felt that at the age of 31 was dropped by England, though, it gave a bang. How much of that was down during my career and was a fantastic or 32 I was at my peak and it was unrea- me the chance to captain Hampshire and Did it help having Allan Lamb in to Micky Stewart? manager of people – told me that I had to sonable not to get another opportunity I put my heart and soul into it, especially that side? He was outstanding. Throughout my pull myself together because I was going when other players were averaging in the during the time the club made the transi- Lamby for me was one of my heroes early career Micky was a wonderful man- out there tomorrow to bat for England. late-20s. tion from Northlands Road to the Rose very early on in my life, from the time I ager. He encouraged me, he backed me And I did – because I had to. It all went Bowl. I approached Rod Bransgrove and would go down to Kingsmead and watch and I’ll always be grateful to him for that. back to a net session before that Test Do you think your problems asked whether he was interested in own- him play with Peter Kirsten. Lamby was when Graeme Hick overheard something against spin counted against you – ing a cricket club. Had it not been for Rod a very good manager of people, he under- You didn’t get the same kind of that Edrich said to Illingworth. Hicky was that reputation justified? and with a little influence from me and stood me and knew that I lacked an enor- support from his successors? ran in and got me caught bat-pad in the I thought it was a bit unfair. There Brian Ford – who was the Hampshire mous amount of self-belief and confi- I’m sitting here in Perth and I’m a net after five balls and Edrich turned to was talk of me not going to Australia for chairman at the time – then there would dence and he just pumped my tyres up.
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