Phil DeFreitas among the victims of the pre-central contract era

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‘It’s Phillip DeFreitas from the Vulture Street End.’

I’m not sure why, but that bit of commentary from the great Chappelli has stuck in my head.

What a tour – England/MCC in Australia, 1986/87 – that was, and what a debut, in the opening Test at Brisbane. Phil DeFreitas stuck 40 and was involved in a partnership of 92 with his room-mate and hero, Sir Ian Botham. He also took 2-32 and 3-63 – the stuff that dreams are made of.

I interviewed DeFreitas for the December issue of The Cricketer, out now, and it got me thinking.

What are central contracts worth to an England fast bowler? I don’t mean financially, although I bet they help buy togs, drones and Mercedes. I mean to their Test record – their averages.

I knew DeFreitas had a pretty good record, and certainly enjoyed some purple patches for England – he took 38 Tests wickets at an average of 20 in 1991, and 37 at 30.30 in 1994. But overall his average was a little high – his 140 wickets came at 33.57. He will be remembered as a very good Test bowler, but not a great one.

Stuart Broad's SPOTY recognition proof cricket does exist outside of showcase events

Compare to Jimmy Anderson’s average (26.79) and Stuart Broad’s (27.65).

But then factor in central contracts, introduced in 2000. DeFreitas bowled 72,073 balls in first-class cricket, 9,838 of which were in Tests (from 1986–95). That is 13.65 per cent.

Compared to Anderson – 33,745 of his 50,873 first-class deliveries have been in Tests = 66 per cent. And to Broad: 29,004 out of 43,037 = 67 per cent.

Most of their balls have been bowled for England – that is perhaps frustrating for their counties, but beneficial to the national team. 

And that has helped them to records of 600 wickets at 26.79, and 514 at 27.65 respectively.

The other pertinent record of the 1990s when it comes to England’s fast bowlers is Angus Fraser. He is hugely self-deprecating whenever he talks about himself, but he was a brave, high-class performer.

From 1989-1998, he bowled 56,287 first-class deliveries, 10,876 of which were in Tests = 19 per cent; his average was an excellent 27.32 (177 wickets).

How low would that have been if he’d had a central contract – 25? And DeFreitas? 30?

Look at who they were competing against in those 1990s when Australia dominated them in the Ashes.

^{Phil DeFreitas played 44 Tests and 103 ODIs for England}

Glenn McGrath bowled only 41,759 balls in the first-class game, 29,248 of which were in Tests. That is 70 per cent. He was a magnificent bowler and had a system that helped him: to 514 Test wickets from 1993–2007 at just 22.45 apiece.

He did have a season in county cricket – at Worcestershire in 2000, bowling 2,494 balls and taking 80 first-class wickets at 13.21. That is what you would call ‘short and sweet’.

DeFreitas is full of admiration for Anderson and Broad but does wonder what it would have been like with a central contract.

“Looking back now, central contracts would have helped me, kept me fresh,” he told me. “Jimmy and Stuart have been fantastic and that has helped them… it has allowed them to be the two best seamers in the world. I remember Mike Atherton (permanent Test captain from 1993–98) being concerned about the amount of overs I bowled.”

It even affected the batting mindset. “I always played for the team. I asked myself sometimes, ‘Should I have been more selfish. Should I have got more red-inkers?’ But that wouldn’t sit well with me.”

DeFreitas, now head coach of London Schools Cricket Association, was dropped by the England Test team 14 times. The first occasion was on that first senior tour. It was a dream trip for him in many ways, helping England win the Ashes, World Series Cup and Perth Challenge, but his omission for the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a dead rubber with the tourists 2-0 up, was something he would have to get used to. “That was the only Test we lost!” he says. “In my day it was all chop and change.”

For those who argue for the abolition of central contracts, think carefully…

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