Shaun Udal: cricket in the blood by Ray Cook

At the time Hampshire had no Under 17 side and so Shaun elected to play for Surrey. No doubt all Hampshire supporters will be pleased the young Surrey side that season contained the likes of G.Thorpe and M.Bicknell. This meant Shaun did not have as many opportunities to show his worth as he would have liked, so at the end of the season he decided he preferred Hampshire: the rest is history.

As we sat in the lounge of the Dummer Golf Club overlooking the lake protecting the eighteenth green (where Shaun, a 14-handicapper, has been known to deposit a few balls) he told me some interesting facts about his family's involvement with cricket. His great grandfather, JS Udal, played for MCC between 1871 and 1875 and is credited with taking cricket to Fiji, where he was Attorney-General.

Grandfather GF Udal played first-class cricket either side of the Second World War. He appeared for Middlesex in 1932 and for Leicester in 1946. Shaun told me one of his father's proud possessions is a newspaper cutting from one of the London evening papers with the headline 'Udal is as fast as Larwood'. However 'grandfather Udal' did not want to make cricket his career.

Shaun's father, Robin, played for Camberley for more than 40 years and in that time amassed over 40,000 runs and took in excess of 3,200 wickets. He is now a regular supporter of Hampshire and can be seen at virtually every game quietly watching and enjoying the match. The 'Udal connection' with Camberley continues, as Shaun's brother, Gary, is now their captain.

With such a history of cricket in his family it is hardly surprising that Shaun became a professional cricketer. "It is all I have wanted since I was first introduced to the game," he told me.

Shaun was offered a contract in the winter of 1987 after he had been part of Hampshire's victorious Under 19 team which won the Under 19 final. In the same season he played his first Second XI match against Surrey at the Oval and took seven wickets. He made his debut for the County at the start of the 1989 season against Oxford University at The Parks in the usual rain-affected match.

In those early days of his career he was looked upon as a better one-day player and had his first Sunday League match at Trent Bridge. His first wicket was that of Derek Randall, who was caught by Paul Terry. Shaun and Paul became great friends and it was Paul who nicknamed Shaun after the well-known cartoon character.

Shaun recalled: "It was in 1992. We were going through a spell of growing beards and I had not shaved for three days. I walked in one morning wearing a green jumper and light brown trousers. Paul took one look at me and said 'It's Shaggy' - and the name has stuck ever since."

Shaun's career blossomed in the early 1990s. He had his first experience of Championship cricket in 1990 but played only one first-class match in 1991. However, he was a regular in the one-day team and was in the Hampshire side that won the NatWest Trophy at Lord's in 1991. In 1992 he was in the team for the first match against Sussex and secured his place by recording his career-best figures of eight wickets for 50 runs. He returned to Lord's again for the 'two-day' B&H victory over Kent and at the end of the season had taken 110 wickets in all cricket.

At this time Ray Illingworth was in charge of the England Test side. He often spoke favourably about Shaun and watched him several times. Shaun gained in experience over the next two years under the astute captaincy of Mark Nicholas, and in the 1993 season he took 74 wickets in first-class matches.

His efforts were rewarded with a place on the 1994/95 Ashes Tour. Shaun played in a total of ten ODIs and then was in the 12 for the Lord's Test against South Africa in 1995. But the selectors chose Mike Watkinson to fill the final place and Shaun admits this knocked his confidence.

He was selected for the 'A' tour to Pakistan in 1995/96 and his recollections of the tour are of the culture shock which many first-time visitors experience. "I remember one morning Nick Knight had brought lots of tinned food with him and he gave the waiter a tin of beans and asked to have them on toast. A few minutes later the waiter returned with the tin sitting on top of a slice of toast."

Shaun's career stuttered for a couple of years. He missed Mark's advice and in three seasons he only once managed five wickets in an innings - compared to 17 occasions in the three previous years. Shaun put it down in part to still being troubled with the muscle injury he had suffered in Australia. "I tried to alter my action to accommodate the injury, and that was a bad decision," he said.

"My role had also changed. The Hampshire sides of the early 1990s had four seamers who would take out the top order and so I came on when the batsmen were on the defensive and I could attack. In 1996 these bowlers had all gone and now I was coming on to bowl with the batsmen set and a lot of runs on the board. I had to try and contain rather than attack. It was a difficult time for me."

But it was not all bad news as Shaun's batting improved considerably over this period. He had almost scored a maiden century back in 1994 when he reached 94 against Glamorgan. He knew the captain was planning to declare as soon as they had reached the maximum bonus points and so he had two overs left to reach his hundred. He holed out on the mid-wicket boundary going for a six that would clinch it. The three figures finally came in 1997 against Warwickshire at Northlands Road. Shaun batted with Matthew Hayden and was unbeaten on 117 after a partnership of 235.

The year 1999 started badly for Shaun. While out training in January he fell off a kerb and three hours later was in hospital with a broken ankle. He finished up with a metal plate in his foot and spent several weeks in plaster. At the end of March he was told he would need a further six weeks rehabilitation, but he turned out at The Parks in mid-April and then played against Leicester. This was too early and he was forced to sit on the sidelines for a further two weeks. Despite this, he took 50 first-class wickets as his rhythm started to return.

Then came the summer of 2000. "Playing with 'Warnie' was a great experience and he taught me a great deal. I was excited when I knew he was coming, although I also knew I would not play in many away matches unless the wicket was going to turn. 'Warnie' has such a positive attitude. I have never met such a positive guy. He is a fantastic attacking force," said Shaun.

He went on to talk frankly about the vice-captaincy. "This was a pleasure and an honour. To be told I was to lose it last year really hurt. I had always hoped that as a Hampshire born player I would one day have the honour of captaining the side. I was hurt and didn't know how to take it. I went and talked it through with my Dad and he gave me some very sound advice: 'Go and get on with it' - and this is what I have tried to do. Suddenly I had something to prove to the Club and to myself."

The move to the Rose Bowl gave him just the opportunity he was looking for. Here he had the chance to bowl on a wicket with bounce and some turn, and the opportunity to exploit the rough from Alan Mullally's follow-through. These factors, backed by the superb slip catching of Neil Johnson, enabled Shaun to go on the attack once again.

He turned in a number of match-winning performances with the bat as well as ball. Anyone who saw his tremendous effort against Australia, when he bowled 47 consecutive overs from just after tea on the second day until just after tea on the third day, will remember it for a long time as an important part of a fantastic match.

Shaun turned in another marathon effort at Derby. He had suffered with some back trouble on the second day but came out for the third day and bowled 38 overs, keeping one end going all day and finishing with 7 for 74 to ensure a Hampshire victory.

Shaun had such a good season last year that his fellow team-mates gave him their highest possible accolade when they elected him their 'Player of the Year'.

Asked about his thoughts for the future, Shaun says he hopes to keep playing for as long as he is needed and hopes this will be at least five years. "The older I have become the more I realise what a great life I have. When I hit 30 I thought it was up to me and only I could let myself down.

"My career started brightly and I thought 'This is it'. At the time I did not realise the secret is that once you think you are on a peak you have to work even harder to stay there. I found this out the hard way and only wish I had realised it sooner," Shaun admits.

He is delighted with the way the younger players are beginning to come through and put pressure on the established players. "With players like Chris Tremlett, John Francis, Lawrence Prittipaul, Jimmy Hamblin and James Schofield, and the drive of our Chairman, Rod Bransgrove, I am sure this club will move on to bigger and better things, and I intend to be a part of it for as long as possible," Shaun promised.

This year is his big one with the opportunity to do well from his Benefit. There are a number of firsts on his programme including a Southampton Dinner at the new Southampton Football Ground, local matches at Eversley, Hartley Wintney and Basingstoke, and a golf trip to Spain, plus a golf day at Dummer Golf Club, where anyone who gets Shaun in their team will benefit from a lot of local knowledge.

When he is not playing golf Shaun enjoys watching football. He has been an Aldershot supporter since 1976. He also watches Basingstoke and Southampton, but his first love is West Ham. He played some local football in the Basingstoke leagues, but it is wise to draw a veil over his disciplinary record.

He is busy during the winter in his selling job with the Karran Group of printers, where he has been for the past four years. He reckons he drives even more miles in the winter months rushing up and down to Southampton and between the company's Guildford and Corby offices than he does in the summer months.

If you ever see him on the road, don't forget to wave and more importantly wish him well for the new season and offer to buy a ticket for his next benefit function. He has given us lots of pleasure, and long may the Rose Bowl echo to shouts of "Well bowled, Shaggy!"