Wisden overview
It is one of the contradictions of postwar English cricket that Chris Old, as fine a natural athlete as one could hope to see, should have been plagued by injury, mainly to his legs and back, through most of his career. The younger brother of Alan, an England rugby union fly-half, "Chilly" Old first appeared for Yorkshire as a 17-year-old 6ft 3ins fast bowler. But in time he developed into a rhythmic and powerful fast-medium seamer, noted for accuracy and potent late outswing, and a dangerous lower-order left-hand hitter. Old was one of England's unsung heroes of the incredible win over Australia at Headingley in 1981, when they became the only team in the 20th century to win a Test after following on. He came in at 252 for 8, when England's lead was only 25, and helped Ian Botham add 67 in under an hour. After retiring Old moved to Cornwall where he ran a fish and chip shop.
John Thicknesse