On this day in 1952, a favourite son of Combe Park - the great Sir IVA Richards - was born in St John's, Antigua. 21 years later, the enigmatic Lansdown Chairman Len Creed convinced a young Viv to cross the Atlantic and Join Lansdown Cricket Club - promising West Country "Sunshine just like Antigua ...", and a shot at a Pro contract with Somerset.

Viv scored and incredible 1035 runs for Lansdown that year at an average of 60.88, including a blistering 80 at Taunton to win the Somerset knockout 20-over cup for the club in 1974 he secured that contract at the County ground alongside Sir Ian Botham.

The rest is History.

Here we share an excerpt from Horse and Cart to Helicopter, a History on Lansdown Cricket Club, 1825 - 2020 about that season for Viv, including his own recollections of his days in Bath:

VIV RICHARDS

“Lancashire is all right, Vivian. But they have all this rain. The West Country is different – it’s the best weather in the whole of England. Sunshine just like Antigua ... at least some of the time.”

That was the persuasive patter of Len Creed, the farmer-turned-bookmaker who was on a Mendip Acorns tour of the Caribbean when he persuaded Richards not to sign for Oldham in the Lancashire League. “I’m the chairman of an old-established club called Lansdown in Bath. You’ll love the lads there. And after a year, I’m banking on your becoming a Somerset player.”

At Creed’s expense the 21-year-old flew into Heathrow late in April 1973, nearly did not make it through immigration and only got to play that first Saturday when somebody dropped out of the 2nd XI game at Weston-super-Mare. “They gave me a lift to the ground,” Viv recalled six years later, “and I remained tight-lipped and nervous. The team was an interesting collection – old and young, fat and thin. Nothing like a typical black side at home. But they were friendly, chatting all the time while I changed, to make me relaxed.”

The pitch was an early-season pudding, quite unlike anything he had ever seen in Antigua. Chasing Weston’s total of 95, he opened the innings with Alan King who, back at Lansdown, reported to Len Creed on his protégé: “I got 29, and he got the rest. He even finished the game off with two sixes.” It was Viv’s last appearance for the second eleven.

He was given a job as assistant groundsman but, according to Richard Boddy, “He didn’t do a lot of work. He’d get a pint of lager and lie on the bench. He was so laid back.”

For the first team that summer he hit 1,035 runs at an average of 60.88. In the final of the 20-over Knockout Cup, played at the County Ground in Taunton, he won the game with a blistering innings of 80. The former Somerset bowler Bryan Lobb was held back till late in Lansdown’s innings, in the expectation that he would put a brake on the run-scoring, and Viv despatched his first three balls for a four and two sixes.

Somerset, where Len Creed was vice-chairman, quickly became interested, and Viv was selected for their Under-25 XI, playing alongside the 17-year-old Ian Botham. The following summer he was a regular in the county team, making his debut for West Indies that November.

In 2000 he was named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century.

VIV ON LIFE IN BATH (from his first autobiography)

I was made assistant groundsman under John Hayward, being paid £1 a day for my labours. I was shown how to start the mower and when to roll the square. I wasn’t in love with it, and I expect it showed. I used to look at my hands and see the blisters coming.

One member of the side was ‘Chandy’ Perera from Sri Lanka, a talented all-rounder who usually opened the bowling. I took a liking to him from the start. He offered me sensible advice about batting on English club wickets. It was no good for me to play off the back foot as I did at home. I needed to strike the ball off the front, he told me.

Lansdown came alive after the games on Saturday. All three elevens converged on the pavilion. The various scores were put up to whoops of delight or groans. When we were playing away, we always made a point of getting back for what we hoped would be the congratulations of the other members. Then, after a few drinks, Chandy, I and a few others would go off for a curry supper.

If I went out to eat, apart from my Saturday night curry, I was happy with a snack. The first meal I bought out in Bath was at the Bell Inn in Walcot Street. I took my time choosing from the simple menu – and then came up with mushrooms on toast. I think it cost 20p. I liked the character of the little country pubs around Bath. The King’s Head at Weston village was one favourite. So was the Packhorse at Southstoke, where I was taught to play shove ha’penny and tried in vain to beat Alan Bees.

I was invited to go for a trial with Bath City FC. One of the Lansdown boys told their chairman, “We’ve got a cricketer here who’s good enough to play for Somerset. He’s a great prospect, but he reckons he’s better at soccer.” After the trial, the verdict came back: “Bloody awful!”

Finding girlfriends wasn’t easy. Mr Creed seemed the right person to offer me a little guidance. I chose a moment when we were alone. “Well, sir,” I said. “It’s ... well ... you know ... I’ve been in this country for more than six weeks and ... I haven’t met a lady, you know. Erm ... can you do anything for me?” I suppose I thought he had all the right connections.

In fact, he didn’t let me down. But later, over a drink at the club, he whispered jokingly to me, “I know I’m vice-chairman of Somerset, but I didn’t know that pimping was part of my job!”

JOHN WATSON REMEMBERS VIV RICHARDS

Once, when I was batting with Viv at Lansdown, he came up to me at about 4.35 and said, “John, it’s about time to give it the crash.” My instant thought was, “Haven’t you been giving it the crash?” However, I answered, “Yes, Viv.” At this stage, Viv was in the 90s and I was on 8. True to his word, Viv did start ‘giving it the crash’ and simply hit the ball for six rather than four. Many sixes went into the orchard, which confirmed in the mind of the watching old-stagers that he did have a weakness – he hit the ball in the air on the leg-side! I can still hear one flat six which fizzed viciously over my head about 20 feet off the ground and smashed into the casualty department of the RUH. My role in the partnership was to respond to Viv’s call, usually on ball 5 or 6 of the over. As we walked from the pitch to tea, Lansdown had scored around 250; Viv was not out on 145, and I was not out – still on 8!

Mental preparation for batting started for Viv as soon as the decision to bat was made. He was not unsociable, but he silently withdrew into himself. He put his kit on and laid out on the lockers in the changing room. When the first wicket fell, he waited until the opener was off the field and then took ownership of the pitch.

We had never before witnessed such an athletic, skilful fielder as Viv. Club players were used to crunching an off-drive through the covers, walking two paces down the pitch and stopping to admire their shot go to the boundary. They had no thought that this was more than enough time for Viv to field the ball and throw it in one movement and leave them stranded, run out by a yard.

Viv was a great team man. He was always modest and always had time for everyone else in the side, frequently convulsing in humour with his ‘ck’, ‘ck’, ‘ck’, guttural laughter. As a youngster recently out of school, I was privileged to play and socialise alongside him. To witness at first hand this ultimate model of the high-performing sportsman has underpinned all my sport and coaching over nearly forty years.

Lansdown Cricket Club wishes Sir IVA Richards a very happy 70th Birthday and thanks his for his contribution to our club and the global game of cricket.

You can purchase a copy of Horse and Cart to Helicopter, Lansdown Cricket Club 1825-2020 HERE