Tim Curtis      

Tim Curtis was an ever-present at the top of the order in the Worcestershire side when the dominated county cricket in the late 1980s. He played for the county while a student at Durham and then, for a year, at Cambridge (where he won a Blue) but it was only when he became available full time that he broke through. His first hundred came in 1984 when he ended the summer with 1405 runs at 42.57 - the first of 11 occasions he was to pass a thousand runs - and it was only towards the tail end of his career that he form was anything other than determinedly consistent. In an era when England tried a daunting number of players, Curtis's chance came in two Tests against West Indies in 1988, and then three more against Australia in 1989, but he failed to pass 50 and averaged only 15.55. In fairness, his average came by virtue of grit and application more than style, although in a side containing the likes of Graeme Hick and Ian Botham, it was a valued if not crowd-pleasing role. His one-day form belied that, and he made five Lord's final appearances (winning twice) which included leading them to the NatWest Trophy in 1994 after taking over the captaincy a year earlier.
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