Nick Cook was a slow left-armer who showed rare penetration for a modern-day English finger-spinner. Cook only made his debut, against New Zealand at Lord's in 1983, because Phil Edmonds ricked his back getting out of a car, but he didn't look back. He took 5 for 35 in his first innings, and four five-fors in his first four Tests (by contrast, John Emburey took six in 64 Tests), including two against Pakistan in Karachi in 1983-84 on his way to match figures of 11 for 83. But after taking 32 wickets at an average of 17 in those four Tests, he was impotence personified: his last 11 Tests brought 20 wickets at an average of 57. Cook was also the bowler when England surrendered the Ashes in 1989 - David Boon swept him to seal victory at Old Trafford. He subsequently became an umpire.
Martin Williamson