The journey Sir Vivian Richards won't forget

In the 1970s and 1980s sports pages in India devoted substantial space for county cricket scores and for good reason Farokh Engineer was a popular wicketkeeperbatsman with Lancashire Bishan Singh Bedi wore Northamptonshire colours fellow leftarm spinner Dilip Doshi was a pro with Nottinghamshire before Warwickshire and S Venkataraghavan turned out for DerbyshireSunil Gavaskar spent a season at Somerset in 1980 Kapil Dev went over to Northampton and later Worcestershire while Ravi Shastri enjoyed some productive English summers with Glamorgan in the late 1980s and then in 1991Vintage county cricket was in the news again last week when Sir Vivian Richards was voted as English county crickets greatest overseas player by BBC Sport website usersRichards beat the likes of Clive Lloyd and Sir Richard Hadlee to claim 432 per cent of the votesThe cricket icon from Antigua who played for Somerset from 1974 to 1986 and then for Glamorgan from 1990 to 1993 except when West Indies toured England strode the county scene like a colossusRichards got his first taste of England when he was sent along with fast bowler Andy Roberts to the Alf Gover cricket school in London in 1972 thanks to the decision of Antiguas coaching committee Gover tried to change Richardss grip but to no avail but Richards lapped up the English coachs instructions to play with his bat and pad closer to each otherIn 1973 Somerset County Cricket Clubs vicechairman Len Creed also a bookmaker in Bath brought a side called Mendip Acorns to the Caribbean In Creeds wallet was a clipping from The Cricketer magazine which quoted Colin Cowdrey the exEngland captain praising Richardss batting from a previous tour Creed viewed Richards as a future Somerset player and managed to meet him sooner than expected thanks to his helpful taxi driver WillieRichards was summoned by Willie as he was practising with his Rising Sun CC teammates and soon the duo were at the Blue Waters Hotel where Creed had checked in Andy Roberts joined them but Roberts was well on his way to joining HampshireThough Creed was Somersets vicepresident he couldnt get Richards straight into the countys team Not because Richards failed to score big in a club game which Creed watched in Antigua but because players had to prove their worth in club cricket before attaining county colours However Creed was determined to get Richards to the county in an arrangement based on faith and trust according to Richards in his official biography written by Trevor McDonaldHe was promised a job and a chance to play for Landsdown club in Bath Creed couldnt manage to get the young Antiguan on the same flight to Heathrow but he didnt have a problem in waiting at the airport for two hours before Richardss plane touched downAt the Immigration counter Richards was asked for his work permit He didnt have one and that caused some anxiety before Creed used his good offices and got clearance from the Home SecretaryRichards worked as an assistant groundsman at Landsdown and his nearblistered hands used to receive one pound as daily wagesHis first game for Landsdown second XI came about because another player dropped out April 26 1973 was the day Richards made his English debut against hosts WestonsuperMare The opposition were bowled out for 95 and Richards opened the innings with Alan King who got 29 but the young gun scored the rest of the runs On a pitch which Richards found soft as pudding he finished the match with two sixes Creed was chuffed and his reputation as a talent spotter grew He also stood a good chance of getting the amount he paid for Richardss AntiguaLondon flight reimbursed because there was an understanding that Somerset would do so only if he emerged good enough to play for the countyIt was at Landsdown where he developed a friendship with a Sri Lankan teammate called Shandy Perera In Viv Richards by David Foot Perera is credited for advising Richards to begin striking the ball off the front footOn returning home Richards Sr according to Foots book called his son aside and said The studies in New York are still there if you want to take them up But cricket for Somerset may be an even better way of using your talents His boy who had worked out that he could be earning around 2000 pounds a season could just nodRichardss Somerset debut took place in the summer of 1974 ndash against the touring Indians in a May 13 fixture Ajit Wadekars Indians were bowled out for 175 and Richards walked in at 632 Just after scoring seven he was trapped leg before wicket courtesy Syed Abid Alis incutter Yes you could see his class But what also impressed me was his fielding He was sharp and stood out from the rest at Taunton Abid Ali told me from California on TuesdayIn 20 Championship games that season he scored 1154 runs at 3496 and was the only batsman to score two centuries for his county led by exYorkshire and England star Brian Close Kudos in the Trevor Baileyedited John Player Yearbook of 1975 He should also have a distinguished Test career proved propheticThere was no doubt among opposing teams as to who in the Somerset side had to be sent back soon to stand a good chance of winning I asked Doshi what it was like to bowl to a batsman of Richardss calibre in county cricket Viv was obviously a very good player one of the best I have bowled to ndash extremely respectable opponent very proud man I didnt lose sleep over anybody I had to do my job and set my field accordingly said the exNotts spinner who dismissed Richards for not many in both innings at Bath in 1977If Richards is asked about his most memorable season with Somerset hed probably chose the 1979 one because Somerset won the Gillette Cup and the John Player League in one grand September weekend Like he did at Lords in the World Cup final against England earlier that year Richards smoked a matchwinning hundred in the Gillette Cup final against NorthamptonRichardss Somerset exit in 1986 was a highly controversial one But that is for another day Well save BBC Sports greatest overseas county cricket player the thorn in this special bouquetmiddays group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance He tweets ClaytonMurzelloSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individuals and dont represent those of the paperCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news