I was fortunate enough to meet this amazing cricketer and man on two occasions when I was a young teenager. I was a cricket nut and loved Derek, I lived near Cleethorpes and Notts were due to play Middlesex there. I went along and saw him practicing near the boundary rope, I went over with my autograph book and he said he had to pad up because he was in at number 3 and they’d won the toss and decided to bat. He asked me where I was sat and he said he would come over later. He made 48 before getting out just before lunch and didn’t go back to the dressing room, but instead walked straight over to me to sign my autograph. An extraordinary gesture, the memory of which, I have cherished all my life! Brilliant player, brilliant man. A real one-off character and the game could do with a lot more like him now. Thank you for posting this lovely tribute.
Absolutely love/d him. I'll never forget lying in my bed listening to the radio commentary of his 174 in the Centenary Test. I played every shot in my mind. What memories they are. Thank you Derek.
I was a hitch hiking home from Radcliffe School and Derek stopped and gave me a lift (in his Austin Allegro) back to his village (Cropwell Butler, where incidentally Garfield Sobers used to live). We talked about the looming Ashes Series 1981/2? - best memory of my life!
Mediocre judge of runs, good batsman , superb fielder and elite level cheerfulness! He played in a memorial match for a Notts 11 against Edwinstowe village around 1980. As a 10 year old living in Edwinstowe I went along and (at the wrong time ) asked him for an autograph as he was just about to bat but ,being the genuinely nice guy he was he batted for about 30 minutes (I think the pros could only get a max of 25) then came off and seeked me out to sign the authogragh - Felt so special he had done that and remembered whilst batting to do it after
My favourite cricketer. A fine stroke maker, brilliant fielder and great human being. Thank you Derek for all those great memories. Well done for posting this clip.
If ever a chap played professional sport as it should be played, it was Derek Randall. Give it everything you've got, but have fun doing it. And never forget who pays your wages. What a guy.
As they say in Nottingham daft as a brush ,but what a brush,we all loved him at notts, he was top notch at notts he got standing ovations before he faced a ball
thank you so much for this ! i grew up watching Derek Randall and the rest of the boys and have loved cricket since i was very young, Derek was always my favourite player, loved watching him play so thank you for this !
No one I have watched, in 50 years, so conveyed his love of the game as Randall. And everyone, but everyone, in the game seems to agree thst he is the most lovely person.
I saw him playing for England against the Windies on a rainy day at Lords in 1975 or 1976 - can't quite remember. An exciting batsman, an incredible fielder, and a masterful entertainer. A thoroughly decent human-being too. Great memories.
I remember seeing Derek Randall fielding for Notts against Glamorgan at Worksop. He was at cover....deep cover....mid off....cover point....it all depended on how often his skipper, Clive Rice, shouted at him or waved his arms to tell him where he actually wanted him to go In the end, Clive Rice used his boot to mark an 'X' on the outfield and told Derek Randall to stand on it. Next over, he had wandered miles from his alloted spot! Randall was a true eccentric and a lovely man. He stood for ages during breaks signing autographs for the kids who approached him. Nothing was too much trouble.
I started watching cricket on telly as a kid in the 70s, there was something about Derek Randall that drew you to him. He was the best outfielder of his time without doubt, a real eccentric you could say, I can picture him now, sleeves rolled upto the elbow, and a large voluminous shirt billowing from the back of his trousers. Wonderful cricketer to watch,and an inspiration to many young cricket fans.
Thank Derek Randall for the fabulous fielding we see today. Before he came along no one slid alongside the ball to stop it and save a run . Now everybody does it In over 50 years of watching cricket he is the best outfield I've ever seen. I believe he coached Alistair Cook as well . That worked out fairly well didn't it.
What is wrong with the honours system. Why hasn’t this guy got an OBE at the very least? A true entertainer, superb fielder and at best an excellent batsman . Also a good coach.
Derek Randall what a fielder I would say without doubt one of the best cover fielders of all time. Was treated so badly by the England selectors, was always the scapegoat.
I grew up in Nottingham in the 70s, and Derek Randall was our hero. When he batted well, he was brilliant to watch, and off the field he had great patience and kindness, certainly to us children and probably everyone else. He comes over as a bit of a clown but if you read his autobiography (typed by his wife), he has a real cricketing brain, which is probably why he was a successful coach. Statistically speaking, he didn't achieve anything startling, but when I pick my imaginary all-time international XI, he's always there because I think he represents the great 'thing' cricket can be, and might pull off the impossible.. Thank you for uploading.
Not only the best outfielder I ever saw but a truly lovely bloke, never too busy to have a word and sign an autograph. He played cricket the way it was meant to be played, for fun and entertainment. I was lucky enough to meet him twice, once after play at Lord's and then later when he was guest speaker at Bickley Park C C in Kent. Wonderful memories.
Lightning fast in the field ,I’ll never forget the diving catch he took in Sydney 79/ 80 that took Andy Roberts wicket. the best tri series ever Australia , England & the West Indies
Was VERY harshly treated by the England selectors. Was always the one to make way. The likes of Allan Lamb who once went more than 20 successive innings for England without passing 50 but was still selected. With Randall one failure and he was out
1978 was a good example. For some reason Mike Brearley preferred Graham Roope over Derek that season - even though Derek's record at International level was far better!!
@@JP1234815 yes very strange decision Re Roope and Roope didnt last the summer regards to Lamb he didnt score a 50 in test cricket between March 86 and June 88. And accepting Randalls test career was over by then it didnt alter the fact Lamb continued to be picked
@@dlamiss Roope had 1 fifty in the 4 tests he played in 1978. From what I've seen of Roope he was very much a Dom Sibley of the 70's!! could go ages without scoring then have a flurry of scoring shots, then get out very tamely and disappointingly!!
To be fair, Lambie was dropped for three Tests in 1986 and for all 12 Tests before June 1988. Although the tour to Australia in 1986-87 was not particularly successful for him in the Tests, he was a pivotal member of the ODI side and a very popular member of an all conquering tour party at a time when only one squad of 16 players was picked for a FOUR month tour, encompassing 5 Tests and 14 ODIs.
@@dmmordecai7984 Believe Lamb himself said his dropping from the side coincided when Gatting was captain. For whatever reason the selectors continued to turn to him yet his overall record was patchy apart from of course the 84 summer when ironically he probably would have been dropped anyway had he not scored a century in the second test against The Windies. Some players had chance after chance to mixed results others were not so lucky. Alan Wells and before him Paul Parker of Sussex were desperately unlucky
Sir Gary Sobers thought he should have played for England 2 years before he actually made his International debut. Who am I to argue with that assessment from a cricketing genius?
I remember seeing Randall in the newspaper, coming through the airport, back in 1982,with his jaw wired together. He had returned home from the tour to Australia, having been struck in the face by Holding.
I remember watching his 150 in the 4th test in Sydney 1979 where he batted in scorching temperatures. Derek came in at number 3 for Boycott who'd got a golden duck!
The one lesson that can be learned about England's Test selectors is that they were utterly useless.Randall should have played ma y more times for England.
In my town there is" Randall way".... Yes... Its his... When I was a lad he courted my mates sister.... Victoria I believe.... Took us to the "rec" and played cricket with us young un's to score brownie points..... Top Man
