THE BOUNCER: Root must join the 50 club

Posted by David RImmer on 23/04/2019 at 13:25

Michael Henderson is once again spot on. It is important that Root joins and remains in the 50 plus Test average club not least for the England team. I am glad he recalled Ken Barrington who has never been praised enough for what he did, not least the fact that around 90 per cent of his Test match runs were scored after he reached the age of 30. Henderson said Barrington is little mentioned these days. I would say that outside Surrey CCC and The Oval he was quickly forgotten after his untimely death aged just 50 in March 1981. Botham's Ashes was one reason why his memory became quickly forgotten and also because many cricket writers were biased against his Roundhead approach as opposed to the cavalier one. Barrington was a great player and nobody can question that. We need more written about him, not least to educate those under 45 who will not know about him unless they read about the former England opener in back editions of Wisden.