By Grockle
December 28 2002

Graham Rose says goodbye and a grateful supporting public say thank you to one of the best allrounders who never played for England. Thrifty with the ball and viscious with the bat, the men of Somerset saw what the international crowds lacked for most of the late 90's...tough luck people!

GOODBYE "HAGAR"

In the West Somerset Gazette this Friday, there was a picture of Graham Rose receiving a silver salver for his services to Somerset.  No story, just the picture.  It doesn't seem that much of a send off for a major character in the story of Somerset since the mid-eighties so here is another send off for "Hagar the Horrible".

Graham David Rose - why the hell did they call him Hagar?   If you've ever seen him play, then you'll know.  He's an animal on the field.   He never gives up, he never gives in and he gives the side he's playing for more than 100% for every minute he's on the pitch.  That's probably why the supporters wanted him playing last year and he wasn't - he couldn't give enough to the side and therefore wouldn't disappoint anyone by not playing to the standard he expected from himself.  He leaves such a big gap.

Born in April 1964, he started at Middlesex (that's unusual at Somerset!) in 1985 - took 6 for 41 against Worcestershire on his debut as well.  We nicked him in 1987 and he nearly booked his first century for us with 95 on debut. Seemed a good signing!  Those who've seen him bat know how devastating he could be.  He once held the record for the fastest recorded centuries in two one day competitions (100 in 36 against Devon in the NatWest and 100 in 46 against Glamorgan in the Sunday League).   Why go for singles when the smash over the bowlers head for four or six makes far more sense!  Personally I saw him destroy a Notts slow bowler called Feldboss (?) in about 1997 with 27 off one of the poor guy's overs.  Somerset supporters felt safe when the man with the white stripe on his blue batting helmet made his way to the crease.   An average of 30.76 doesn't do his status as a middle order batsman enough credit.   He batted low and scored heavily when we needed him to.

I personally rated him as a bowler far more.  He tended to come in too late as a batsman in Championship matches to make a difference.  If a side was being put to the sword, Rosey's job was to put them away.  As a bowler, he was on the front line, and in some later seasons, he WAS the front line.  He took wickets (604 at 29.74) and a) they were important ones, he wasn't really the 'mop up expert' while b) they came at low scoring rates.  The number of 5 over spells that went for under 3 an over and included wickets was very very important to us.  There were times when he would hold one end down while we leaked runs at the other - you always expected it from him and he nearly always produced the goods.  In the 1999 Cider Final, when he hadn't been fit and probably was lucky to be preferred before a young Steffan Jones, he went for a load in his first spell and put absolutely everything into his second spell to almost stop Gloucestershire's scoring rate entirely.  That was the pride of the man.

Why didn't he play for England?  Who the hell knows?   When we couldn't find an international allrounder to save our lives, Graham was producing every season and getting no acknowledgement at all.  In 1990 he took 50 wickets and scored 1000 runs.  From there until 1997 he was in the top 5 allrounders in the country and in 97 he was voted "Allrounder of the Year" by the Cricket Society - his benefit year and a season when he gave his all for the grateful supporters who gave him £91,500 in appreciation.  How can a guy with a best score of 191 (v Sussex in 1997) and best bowling figures of 7 for 47 (v Notts) not have an international career?  Well Mark Alleyne didn't get much of a look in either - unfashionable counties perhaps?  Or was it that a player of such promise had left Middlesex for the provinces and had not been forgiven - we'll never know but it is one of the travesties of the 90's as far as I can see.

When asked what he wanted to do after his career in cricket he responded with "Would like to have some idea".  I hope he knows now.  His last two seasons were a battle against injury and we hoped for more than he could give.  I'm glad he didn't try when unfit - I want to remember the man in his pomp - bowling tightly and hitting boundary after boundary against whoever they put up against him.  We do not have a replacement for him yet and whoever takes his place has a big set of shoes to fill. Good luck to you Hagar.  To you and Teresa, Georgina and Felix.  There's a place on the terraces for you whenever you want it and you'll be in our memories for a long time to come.  It is probably a real measure of a players stature in a county that the young players who come after him are referred to as 'another Rose' if they show the ability.  Whoever gets that name should wear it with pride, it makes them a real quality allround cricketer.