Whatever happened to…

David Graveney

The former Gloucestershire, Somerset and Durham left-arm spinner went on to become England’s chairman of selectors, then ECB national performance manager. He is now vice-chair of Gloucestershire CCC

Interview by Huw Turbervill

ABOVE David Graveney with Huw Turbervill at Cheltenham this year

is PATRICK EAGAR/POPPERFOTO/EVENING STANDARD/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES

BELOW Graveney in 1974

The Cricketer has caught up with you at Cheltenham, David (for Gloucestershire’s County Championship match versus Middlesex). Do you love the ground?

It is fantastic. I was 10 when my father Ken (Gloucestershire seamer 1947–60) played here against my uncle, Tom (for Worcestershire, he had previously been with Gloucestershire). I then made my debut here, against Lancashire in 1972. I was dismissed by Clive Lloyd, which was unusual, and caught by Farokh Engineer, which wasn’t so unusual. I bowled my first ball to David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd, who made a hundred – he keeps reminding me. I dropped him in front of the white tent at long-leg off Proccy (Mike Procter), who was absolutely livid. I started to bowl at Clive, and didn’t understand why all the fielders disappeared… until he touched it back at me, and it hit me straight on the left knee, and I suddenly realised that he hit the ball quite hard. That wasn’t a great success. You remember every minute of your debut, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent… the nerves you have in the dressing room, when you walk out it into the middle. We used to win a lot here, though, and without being cynical, this was the place where they decided who was going to be contracted next year, so it focused the players.