The talented Turners of cricket

The pundits branded Australias Sunday 359run pursuit against India as their greatest run chase in the history of oneday cricket Few will argue with that For Ashton Turner just barged into Indias confectionary store in Mohali like a bully and took all the sweets awayAshtons surname rang a bell and immediately I thought of another A Turner who played for Australia ndash Alan the lefthanded opening batsman mdash under Ian and Greg Chappell The New South Welshman made his Test debut in the 1975 series in England without making a significant contribution but scored a hundred against Sri Lanka at the first World Cup in the same year The game is better known for Jeff Thomson sending two Sri Lankan batsmen ndash Sunil Wettimuny and Duleep Mendis ndash to hospitalIn the final against West Indies at Lords Alan was first of the three Australian batsmen to be run out by the quicksilver Viv Richards for 40 off 54 ballsThe next time he faced the West Indies he scored a vital 81 in the first innings of the 197576 opening Test at Brisbane where Australia kicked off their 51 annihilation of Clive Lloyds tourists Turners hundred in the fifth Test came in handy for Australia to set the West Indies a nearimpossible 490 to win at AdelaideLater that year in a Test against Pakistan at the same venue he collided with Jeff Thomson while taking a run and the injury busted Jeff Thomsons shoulder Keen followers of Australian cricket reckon that the injury had a permanent effect on Thomsons fearsome pace Turner played the last of his 14 Tests in 1977 It is believed he was invited to be part of Kerry Packers rebel World Series Cricket but decided to stay with the establishment because the company he worked for sponsored Test cricket in Australia Some employeeloyalty thatOf course the most famous Turner in cricket will always be New Zealander Glenn Before Martin Crowe came along in the early 1980s Glenn was the big batting star He was also an accomplished county cricketer with Worcestershire and scored a hundred firstclass centuries According to Pat Murphy the author of a book on batsmen who scored a century of centuries Turner developed into a freeflowing player only in 1973 and he relished chasing runs in county cricket Glenn made two Test tours to India 196970 and 197677 and married an Indian girl Sukhi who he met on the first tripWhen a trial was organised for him at Warwickshire in the late 1960s he had no money to make the tripFor his oneway ticket according to Murphy Turner worked the night shift at a bakery in New Zealand for 18 months But a few days before his departure to Birmingham Warwickshire informed him that they had filled up their overseas vacancies Despite this Turner travelled to the county and had a net with the Warwickshire A team who were not impressed by his constant blocking at deliveries Turner then succeeded in earning a place in the Worcestershire team who he played for from 1967 to 1982 and enriched county cricket through the 1970s and early 1980s just like his namesake Cyril did at Yorkshire in the 1920s 1930s and 1940s Cyril didnt play Test cricket but made a contribution to international cricket by the mentoring of Fred Trueman from a very young age When Cyril wanted the teenaged raw fast bowler to play for his Sheffield United club Truemans father protested saying he is too young only 15 But as Trueman wrote later There was no arguing with him Cyril Trueman emerged a pace terror who critics said ate batsmen for breakfastOn the subject of terrorising fast bowlers there was Charlie Turner who was known as The Terror Charlie played 17 Tests for Australia from 188687 to 189495 and claimed 101 wickets at 1653 The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket describes him as A quiet thoughtful gentlemanStuart was a key player for Essex in the 1970s There is a fascinating story about how Stuart volunteered over the phone to make the journey all the way from the Westcliffe ground on the morning of a July 18 1973 match against Northamptonshire to pick up Graham Gooch and John Lever whose vehicle had broken down en route to EssexBefore Stuart landed up Gooch and Lever managed help from the Essex scoresheetseller who was on his way to the ground Obviously Stuart was livid when he didnt find his colleagues at the place where their car broke down and arrived just in time to take the field Goochs fears over being dropped for his debut game didnt come true and Turner got the first wicket of the game ndash future England player and umpire Peter Willey ndash leg before for 4Young Ashton who scored a 20ball 20 in New Delhi yesterday has a rich Turner legacy to live up to Whats in a name they ask often In this case an abundance of runs wickets and cricketing historymiddays group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance He tweets ClaytonMurzello Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and 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