GLORY AND SECLUSION : A TALE OF TWO TALENTS

The picture on the right is Sir Ian Botham, proudly displaying the badge of honour he received from the Queen at Buckingham Palace last week, when he formally became a knight of the realm. And seldom has the honour been more deserved, not just for Botham`s career as England`s finest all round cricketer of the last century but also for his unstinting efforts in raising millions of pounds for the leukaemia charity that he has supported for years.

So, congratulations all round for Sir Ian has truly arisen and been recognised as an awesome talent and an unforgettable personality, which continues to shine through his cricket commentaries and his seemingly endless (in both senses of the words) charity walks.

One`s mind inevitably goes back to that compelling Test series against Australia in 1981, when Botham was the main reason for England`s victory. But there were other heroes too. Maybe their contributions were not so riotously memorable as Botham`s, but they were still vital components in regaining the Ashes. Bob Willis, Chris Tavare, David Gower, Graham Dilley, the captaincy of Mike Brearley.....and then there was Chris Old.

Chris was brought into the team for the third Test at Headingley - his home ground - where it was thought his accuracy and ability to swing the ball late would be a telling factor. And so it proved to be, taking the wicket of Alan Border for a duck and going on to make an equally telling contribution of 29 with the bat when he kept Botham company as Sir Ian powered through the 80s, 90s and on to a memorable hundred.

Chris then kept his place for the fourth Test at Edgbaston, again making useful runs late in the order and taking four vital wickets, including Border again, this time for just two runs. Chris was selected for each of the last two Tests in that six-match series, but had to withdraw on each occasion due to injury. Nonetheless, he had made his contribution towards regaining the Ashes. In all, he played in 46 Tests and 32 one-day Internationals, took 143 Test wickets, scored 845 runs, was one of Wisden`s Five Cricketers of the Year in 1979 and scored the third fastest century of all time - the last 50 coming in just nine minutes. A decent record for a decent man.

But here`s the thing. As Sir Ian Botham continues, quite rightly, to enjoy the acclaim his achievements have merited, what has become of Chris Old? Well, after he retired from cricket, he had a difficult few years but found seclusion and business success in the far west of Cornwall, where, with his wife Letitia, he runs his `Clipper Restaurant` in the peaceful surroundings of Praa Sands and keeps his hand in the game of cricket by coaching in Falmouth.

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Praa Sands is a long way from the theatres of Headingley and Edgbaston and far from the madding crowds, but if you are ever that way and you take in the peace and beauty of the surroundings, it might just beg the question as to which of our two heroes is the more contented. See http://www.chrisold.co.uk/ to see what I mean.