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A chemistry teacher with a competitive streak coached this cricketer to future England glory.
Looking back over my first-class cricket career, which spanned 14 years playing for the University of Cambridge, Lancashire and England, it is difficult to quantify how much of a role one specific person had over the way that it developed. There were many different influences, from the early teachings of my father, Alan, to the prominent coaches that I encountered along the way, and I would hesitate to pick only one.
What was crucial, though, was having the opportunity to play cricket regularly, in decent surroundings and with appropriate facilities, especially at the beginning of my career.
Few places where I lived offered better resources than the Manchester Grammar School, a fantastically successful educational institution; a little inner-city...