2 weeks ago
The cricketer MJK Smith, who has died aged 92, was a well-regarded skipper of England successful nan mid-1960s and a remarkably accordant run-gatherer for Warwickshire. His even-tempered attack was 1 of nan keys to his occurrence arsenic a skipper not conscionable pinch England, whom he led betwixt 1964 and 1966, but pinch his county, which he captained from 1957 to 1967. Although nan merchandise of a accepted nationalist schoolhouse and Oxbridge background, he was different for nan clip successful having a classless accent, an egalitarian outlook and a relaxed cognition to convention. Rank and record players loved him for it, and would do thing to support his cause.
Bespectacled and owlish, Mike Smith’s attack connected nan section looked laissez-faire, almost absent-minded. But he was acold much astute than appearances suggested. “Though outwardly unconventional and successful mode casual to a degree, he succeeds arsenic a skipper for nan accepted reasons,” said EW Swanton. “He is thoughtful for his players, unselfish, does not fuss them aliases panic, shows a grasp of nan business which they deem mostly sensible, and not slightest gives an inspiring individual lead successful nan field.”
Smith was arsenic overmuch a stubborn selfish successful his batting style arsenic he was successful life, and upset nan purists by scoring overwhelmingly connected nan on-side, often fetching balls to midwicket from good extracurricular nan off-stump. His cognition was that if nan method sewage him runs past he would instrumentality pinch it, and so it was highly effective astatine region level, wherever he was 1 of nan apical batsmen successful England for 2 decades.
In Test cricket, however, it was a much vulnerable ploy, and passim his clip pinch England nan property and nationalist fretted astir his fittingness to bat astatine nan highest level, particularly against bowling of precocious pace. Their worries were hardly eased by Smith’s trademark nervousness successful nan early portion of his innings, during which he would scratch astir for respective overs until he sewage nan consciousness of things.
He played successful 50 Tests and led England successful 25 of them, of which he won five, mislaid 3 and drew 17; nan past fig an denotation of a inclination to over-cautiousness. But he won 2 and mislaid only 1 of his six afloat Test bid successful charge, and ne'er conceded a bid abroad. When nan selectors relieved him of nan captaincy, it was for failings pinch nan bat alternatively than deficiencies successful leadership.
Born successful Leicester, to Maurice Smith, who ran a hosiery manufacturing business, and his wife, Muriel (nee Bird), Smith was brought up successful nan adjacent colony of Broughton Astley. He was a boarder astatine Stamford schoolhouse successful Lincolnshire and made his first-class debut for Leicestershire arsenic an 18-year-old successful 1951. After 2 years of nationalist work he studied surface science astatine Oxford and played pinch occurrence for nan assemblage cricket team. Also a talented rugby national fly-half, successful 1956 he appeared for England against Wales successful nan 5 nations championship, making him nan past man to person played some rugby and cricket for England.
For nan first 2 summers astatine Oxford, Smith continued to play for Leicestershire successful nan holidays. But successful his 3rd year, by which clip he was nan assemblage captain, he took up an connection to play for Warwickshire, who threw successful a occupation arsenic their adjunct caput truthful that he could support his amateur status.
In those days it was expected that an amateur should lead a region side, and truthful Smith became skipper successful his first afloat play successful 1957. Fortunately he showed an aptitude for nan job, and his inclusive style – successful opposition to nan autocratic ways of immoderate different amateur skippers – helped to create a good squad spirit. He besides headed his side’s batting averages that twelvemonth pinch much than 2,000 runs successful nan No 4 slot, and took galore catches astatine short leg, wherever he was some brave and superb passim his career.
Although he was happiest successful nan mediate order, wrong a twelvemonth Smith had received a call-up arsenic an opening bat for England. In his first Test, successful 1958 against New Zealand astatine Edgbaston, he managed only 0 and 7, and while he made 47 successful nan 2nd Test astatine Lord’s, nonaccomplishment successful nan 3rd took him retired of contention for nan remainder of nan series.
In 1959 he had a sensational time, scoring 3,245 first-class runs successful nan play – 1 of nan highest tallies ever. His basking shape earned him an England headdress for nan 4th Test against India astatine Old Trafford, wherever he posted precisely 100 successful nan first innings, and past for nan last Test astatine nan Oval, wherever he had 98 – some astatine No 4. For his efforts Wisden made him 1 of its cricketers of nan year.
After decent performances connected circuit to nan West Indies successful 1959-60 and astatine location to South Africa successful 1960, Smith was appointed England vice-captain to Ted Dexter for nan 1961-62 travel to India and Pakistan. Wearing a brace of tinted specs to header pinch nan light, he nevertheless struggled pinch nan bat and subsequently missed retired connected 4 Test bid crossed 1962 and 1963. He was a master by nan clip of his adjacent recall, for nan 1964 circuit to India arsenic skipper successful nan absence of Dexter, who had made himself unavailable.
That agelong travel was bedevilled by injuries and illness, truthful a drawn bid was a triumph for Smith, who averaged 51 successful nan Tests and presided complete a happy ship. There were calls for him to beryllium made imperishable skipper moreover aft Dexter’s return, but successful nan arena he was not moreover successful nan squad for nan adjacent location bid against Australia.
A further opening presented itself erstwhile Dexter was unavailable for nan 1964-65 England circuit to South Africa. Smith was brought backmost arsenic skipper and it was different successful tour, pinch England winning 1-0 and nan skipper producing his highest Test innings of 121 astatine Cape Town.
Later successful 1965 Dexter was forced to discontinue from frontline cricket aft a car accident, allowing Smith to clasp nan captaincy. In nan summertime of 1965 England hit New Zealand 3-0, but past he knowledgeable his first conclusion successful 15 matches arsenic skipper, against South Africa successful nan 2nd Test astatine Trent Bridge, a triumph that helped nan visitors to a 1-0 bid win. Perhaps arsenic a consequence, connected nan 1965-66 circuit of Australia Smith’s captaincy took connected a much affirmative hue and though he was incapable to triumph backmost nan Ashes, nan bid was drawn 1-1.
He had his likeness unveiled successful Madame Tussauds that wintertime and it looked arsenic if he mightiness beryllium skipper for immoderate clip to come. But successful June 1966 England mislaid nan first location Test against West Indies heavily, and having already knowledgeable a bad trot of scores successful Australia, Smith grounded to make double figures successful either innings. With concerns astir batting astatine nan apical of their minds, nan selectors dropped him and handed nan captaincy to Colin Cowdrey.
Two years later, having guided Warwickshire to their first trophy nether his activity – nan 1966 Gillette Cup – Smith decided to telephone a halt to his playing career. He worked arsenic a typical for a institution that made squash courts, past bought Wootton Court, a 35-room location successful Leek Wootton, Warwickshire, which he converted into a edifice and state club. With his wife, Diana (nee Leach), whom he had joined successful 1960, he began to make a occurrence of nan venture. But by 1970 he was hankering aft cricket again, and astatine 37 made a comeback pinch Warwickshire arsenic vice-captain.
He justified that determination by topping nan county’s batting averages successful his first play back, and successful 1972 was recalled by England, who were struggling against Australia. He played 3 Tests that summertime but had a highest people of only 34 and astatine nan extremity of nan 1975 play retired from each forms of cricket, having scored 39,832 runs crossed his first-class profession – a full exceeded by only 17 others. His mean successful Tests was a humble 31.63 but his worth to nan England broadside extended acold beyond that, and successful 637 first-class matches he averaged 41.84, pinch 69 centuries. In 1976 he was made OBE.
Smith returned to Wootton Court and successful 1986 sold nan business. In 1990, having been connected nan Warwickshire committee for a number of years, he was elected to nan club’s chairmanship and presided complete an era of unparalleled occurrence for nan county. In 1991 he had go cricket’s first world lucifer referee and he officiated successful 21 games complete nan adjacent 5 years. He besides managed England connected tours to nan West Indies successful 1994 and to Australia successful 1995.
Smith stepped down arsenic Warwickshire president successful 2003 and thereafter kept a debased profile, surviving softly successful nan aforesaid colony wherever he had been brought up. In 2019 Warwickshire unveiled nan MJK Gates successful his honour astatine Edgbaston during nan first Test against Australia.
Diana predeceased him. He is survived by their children, Neil, Carole and Barbara.
