Date-stamped : 02 May96 - 14:15
Northants: Bailey warms to new life as leader

By Peter Deeley

BEFORE the curtain went  up  on  Northamptonshire`s  season,  the
scene  back-stage  was  reminiscent of a  West End pre-production
where the cast list keeps changing.

There was  Allan  (will-he,  won`t-he play) Lamb,  stepping  down
from   the  captaincy  he has held for seven seasons in favour of
the people`s choice, Rob Bailey.

With a testimonial to  organise,  you could be sure of the  South
African`s undivided attendance  behind  the  scenes.  But when he
turned to the pen, planning to reveal the dirt  on Lambgate   and
alleged    Pakistani   ball-tampering,  he  ran into  contractual
problems with  the  Test  and  County Cricket Board.

Now it is official. The Cheeky  Chappie is no longer   an  "item"
on   Northants`  staff.  Eighteen seasons of service, 284  county
appearances and 20,128 runs at an  average  of 53.25 are  at   an
end.

He will be  sorely  missed,  of  that there is no doubt,  but  so
too will  Anil  Kumble, whose 105 wickets last summer played such
a major part in Northants`  strong  push  for   the  championship
title.

When Kumble  arrived  most  followers doubted  whether  his  spin
could    adequately   counter-balance   the  gap  left  by Curtly
Ambrose`s blazing aggression. Now the West Indian is back and the
question  then was, who could possibly fill  Kumble`s shoes.  The
answer was emphatic: John Emburey, who at 42 Bailey describes  as
"still  the  best  off-spinner in the country in my opinion".

Emburey has come to the County Ground in the role of player/coach
but    that    appointment   was again the subject of some  early
uncertainty.  Would there be  restrictions  on his  role  because
of  Middlesex`s   dispute   over his registration?  Was Emburey a
contender for a place in the England managerial set-up?

Happily for the county of  the  Tudor Rose   these   doubts  have
now     been     largely  resolved. With David   Capel having de-
cisively rediscovered his all-round  form   last  season,   Kevin
Curran  turning  in  useful figures  with  both bat and ball, and
Paul Taylor finishing  with 57 championship wickets, there should
be few problems with the attack.

Ultimately, however, Northants` ability  to   improve    on  last
summer`s  third  place - after they had  been  leading  the chas-
ing pack by 43 points at  one  time  -  will  depend largely   on
Bailey`s leadership.

Looking back, Bailey  says  only:  "I was very keen to captain  a
county side  and  I wanted that side to be Northants.

Now 32 and in his  15th  season  with the club, Bailey has waited
a  long  time  in   the  wings  for the opportunity, so long that
there was a moment in 1995 when it seemed he  had run out of  pa-
tience and "wanted away" as they say in football circles.

Looking back, Bailey  says  only:  "I was very keen to captain  a
county   side  and  I wanted that side to be  Northants."  Now he
has the chance and it could not have happened to a  more  popular
cricketer.    On  the   warm-up tour of South Africa he impressed
observers with the way he took  the  young   players  under   his
wing.

But can Bailey translate those qualities into    a  championship-
winning  format?  He admits that "losing Lamb is a bit of a  blow
but all careers have to come to an  end.  We`re looking  to   Mal
Loye.  He`ll  come straight back into the side because we feel he
has  the  potential to fill the bill."

That is  some  challenge  for  a  23-year-old in his  fifth  sea-
son  who    had   such  a miserable time last season, averaging a
mere  14  in his  seven  championship   matches  before     being
dropped.   Loye has the ability, of  that  there is little doubt,
but can he - like his  captain  -  produce the  goods  where   it
matters,  in  the middle?

Richard Montgomerie, after scoring  a big century  in  his  first
championship    innings  of  the summer,  was  another  to suffer
from injury and failed to fulfil   his   potential, managing   to
collect  only  another  413  in  a further 22 innings.

His opening partner Alan Fordham,  on the  other  hand,  averaged
almost 38  and  Bailey is looking for wicketkeeper Russell Warren
too to reproduce the form with the bat which won him his cap.

Not only did Northants  fall  at  the run-in to the  championship
race but  they  were wilting bridesmaids again  to Warwickshire`s
altar celebrations in  the  NatWest  Trophy final.

But Bailey refuses to carp. "We  came close twice, and  lost  out
twice.   But  we can have no complaints  because  we  played some
fantastic cricket." (Who will ever  forget  the seven-run win  at
Edgbaston:   the   finest  championship game ever seen, according
to  some  long memories?)

"I don`t see why we can`t go one,  or  two,  better  this  time,"
says  Bailey.  "Yes, Lamb will be a big gap to fill but we have a
quality all-round side."

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk)

<END> Contributed by Shash (shs2@*.cwru.edu)