Leicestershire honour for Illingworth

By Paul Bolton

Leicestershire are to honour their most successful captain Raymond Illingworth by renaming the Cottesmore Suite at Grace Road after him.

The official ceremony will take place this Saturday on the second day of Leicestershire’s LV+ County Championship match against Illingworth’s native county Yorkshire.

Illingworth joined Leicestershire from Yorkshire in 1969 and guided them to their first County Championship as well as four one-day trophies during his ten years as captain including the 1972 Benson and Hedges Cup. He rejoined Yorkshire as manager in 1979 and resumed his playing career there having initially retired when he left Grace Road.

He scored 5,341 runs and took 372 wickets during his first-class career for Leicestershire and also amassed 2,178 List A runs as well as claiming 142 wickets. Illingworth, who turned 80 last month, will be joined by other former Leicestershire players at their annual reunion on Saturday.

Illingworth was back in Leicester in April for a reunion of the 1972 Benson and Hedges Cup success which was Leicestershire’s first major trophy.


Date: 24/07/2012 14:31:31 by Paul Bolton
In: Today | Leicestershire |