Andrew Collomoose: Roope proud of historic leap (22 July 1997)

Tuesday 22 July 1997

Roope proud of historic leap

By Andrew Collomosse

TWENTY years on, the moment remains indelibly etched on the memory: Greg Chappell to Boycott, on-drive, evasive ac- tion by Roope, Headingley mayhem. It was the stroke that took `Sir` Geoffrey to the 100th hundred of his career in front of his doting Yorkshire cohorts, the first time the feat had been achieved in a Test match.

Boycott, needless to say, will be back at Headingley in his new persona of TV pundit when the Fourth Test gets under way on Thursday, complete with pithy comment on the performance of a new generation of Ashes combatants.

So, too, will Graham Roope. But while Boycott has long since consigned his cricket gear to the loft, Roope continues to ply his trade for Farsley in the competitive arena of the Bradford League.

And at 51, he can be forgiven an eagerness to reveal that he has already been sounded out by a couple of clubs about 1998. "Can`t be bad at my age, can it?" he laughs. And he can still catch pigeons in the slips.

Inevitably, though, as the Headingley Test approaches, Roope finds himself fielding questions about the events of Aug 11, 1977; of one small leap for Roope, one giant stride for England.

"If I believed everyone who claims to have seen Boycs get that hundred there must have been about 90,000 people in the ground," says Roope, capped 21 times by England in the Seventies.

"But of course I am proud that I was involved in a mo- ment of cricket history. I don`t suppose anyone else is going to get their 100th in a Test on their home ground for a very long time, if ever. And I was the first person to shake his hand.

"I`ve always got on well with Geoff, so I`m glad I got out of the way of the ball - but yes, there are one or two people who keep telling me I should have let it hit me.

"That`s not on, is it? But I could cry when I think of the fee he received for the Shredded Wheat advert featuring `that shot`. Geoffrey claims he was paid in breakfast cereals but believe that and you`ll believe anything."

The banter is consigned to the backburner, though, when this adopted Yorkshireman talks about Farsley and the Bradford League. "This is a very tough league and the weather hasn`t helped this year. But I can still hold my own.

"Of course, I`ll be the first person to know when it`s time to call it a day but I honestly can`t imagine getting up in the morning knowing that I won`t be playing cricket any more.

"I`ve never been able to understand why so many pros pack up as soon as they leave the first-class game. Cricket has given me some of the best moments of my life and as long as I can put something back, I will."

That explains why Roope, professional at Woodhouse Grove School, Bradford, has linked up with former MCC coach Don Wilson on an inner-city coaching scheme.

"Taking the game to kids who have hardly seen a blade of grass, never mind played cricket," he says.

"And you`d be surprised how quickly some of them take to it.

"There`s this young lad from inner-city Leeds. Only 11, West Indian origin and a bit of a terror at school by all accounts.

"We took him to Don`s nets at Ampleforth School and he was so quick we had to put him in with the older kids.

"And the following week we had a call from his headmaster asking what we`d done to him because all of a sudden he was the most helpful boy in the school, even organising games of cricket in the playground.

"I just hope he goes all the way and plays for Yorkshire and England, because that`s what cricket can do for you. There`s nothing quite like it, you know. Never will be."

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/)