By Guy Williams
Seventy years ago, two Yorkshire teenagers, both cricket daft, who would later establish outstanding reputations in the game, didn’t require T20, deafening music, gaudy clothing and 10 ball overs, to be royally entertained at the Fourth Test at Headingley, late in July.
Ray Illingworth, then 16 and now an alert 86, and Dickie Bird, 15 in 1948, and currently 85 not out, were among the crowd of more than 150,000 which packed into Headingley where, famously, on the last day Arthur Morris (182) and, inevitably, Don Bradman (173 not out) put on 301 as Australia successfully chased an historic 404 to win with 15 minutes to spare.
