Derek Randall

Speaker 10:00

Hello, I'm Kirsty Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Disc's Archive. For rights reasons we've had to shorten the music. The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen seventy seven, and the presenter was Roy Plumley.

Presenter0:31

This week our castaway is one of England's most solid bulwarks against Australian aggression. It's Derek Randall.

Presenter0:39

Derek, have you ever daydreamed about being a Robinson Crusoe?

Derek Randall0:42

Not really, no, no.

Presenter0:44

What would you be happiest to have got away from?

Derek Randall0:46

Probably the wife, I think.

Presenter0:48

Oh dear, she may be listening. You didn't mean that.

Derek Randall0:48

Ta-da.

Derek Randall0:50

No, no, no.

Presenter0:52

Are you fond of music?

Derek Randall0:54

I enjoy listening to tapes and uh and records, yeah.

Presenter0:56

What's the first one you've chosen for the island?

Derek Randall0:58

Here come the Aussies. Here come the Aussies. Yeah, yeah, the Australian cricket team, nineteen seventy two. I'd like to give them a bit of encouragement if I can, you know.

Presenter1:00

Here comes Yelsy.

Presenter1:05

The poison where are we here at the moment?

Derek Randall1:06

That's right, yeah.

Derek Randall1:25

Sorry.

Derek Randall1:28

Yeah.

Derek Randall1:31

Right.

Speaker 31:33

Gash is back again.

Presenter1:37

Here come the Aussies sung by the Australian cricket team of 1972. Have you heard the 1977 boys sing? Are they any good? Are they bad?

Derek Randall1:44

Are they any good? Are they bad?

Presenter1:46

Mm-hmm.

Presenter1:48

Yeah.

Derek Randall1:48

Final

Presenter1:48

Yeah.

Derek Randall1:49

Yeah.

Presenter1:49

Uh

Derek Randall1:49

Yeah.

Presenter1:49

Uh

Presenter1:49

You're a Nottingham player.

Derek Randall1:51

Yeah.

Presenter1:51

Yeah.

Derek Randall1:51

Were you born in Nottinghamshire? I was born in Retford actually.

Presenter1:54

Yeah.

Derek Randall1:54

It's a Nottingham town. A cricketing family.

Derek Randall1:57

Both mother and father, yeah. Your mother? Oh yeah.

Presenter1:59

Your mother.

Derek Randall2:00

Yeah.

Presenter2:00

Where did she play?

Derek Randall2:01

Well, we used to play in the back garden. Uh I'll always remember. Uh we used to play morning and afternoon. Yeah. And uh mother she used to bowl and I used to bat. And I remember she bowled a ball at me in the morning and I whacked it straight through a big glass glass pane window and uh

Presenter2:05

Yeah.

Derek Randall2:15

During the lunch session she I remember her putting the window in, putting it round and painting it, doing a lot. The first ball after lunch came up bold and went threw the ball straight through the down window. So uh she threw it through. She did, certainly.

Presenter2:25

Yeah.

Derek Randall2:28

It was your fault.

Presenter2:28

Other

Derek Randall2:29

A club player as well as in the back garden? He was, yeah. He played for played for Retford on the side as well.

Presenter2:35

Yes.

Presenter2:36

Now, you played at school, of course.

Derek Randall2:38

Yeah. Always a batsman, not interested in bowling? I could never get the hang of bowling really. I used to practice a lot, but I I hadn't got my uh natural ability, if you like.

Presenter2:46

Of course you went on to play for Retford at your father's club.

Derek Randall2:50

That's right, yeah, I played there for five or six years.

Presenter2:52

Any particular Repford innings you remember?

Derek Randall2:56

I never scored a lot of runs at that time. I remember hitting one bowler, four times over Pavilion for six, which was uh you know quite a feat for me, really.

Presenter3:03

It was decent of you. You could have sent it through the windows, you straight through.

Derek Randall3:06

Screwed.

Presenter3:08

Had it ever dawned on you that cricket might one day be your job?

Derek Randall3:11

Well, I suppose I always hope to be a professional cricketer because I love playing cricket.

Derek Randall3:16

And uh, you know, it just happened that it turned out that I could play and uh I thoroughly enjoyed the game.

Presenter3:21

What was your job? What did you train to be?

Derek Randall3:23

I was a mechanical draftsman.

Presenter3:24

Did you enjoy that?

Derek Randall3:25

Well, I enjoyed that as well, yeah. I prefer cricket to be honest with you.

Presenter3:28

Something you could always go back to if you wanted to.

Derek Randall3:30

Yeah, I think it's important.

Presenter3:32

One day

Presenter3:34

A postcard fluttered through the door inviting you to take a trial for Nottinghamshire. Was it just like that?

Derek Randall3:40

Well, it was, really, yeah.

Presenter3:41

With no warning?

Derek Randall3:42

Well actually uh my captain of Retford, Michael Hall, was also captain of Nottingham's second team at that time, so he got me a game for the second team and I managed to score a few runs and uh they were pleased with my performance and they took me on the ground staff.

Presenter3:55

Let's have your second record.

Derek Randall3:57

Happy to be on an Island in the Sun by Demis Russos

Presenter4:00

Why'd you choose it?

Derek Randall4:02

Well, I w I like to be happy. You've got to be happy, and uh and we're obviously on an island, so it's you know, it's quite happy, right?

Presenter4:09

Beating on the column of the stage

Speaker 14:15

And thirsty people coming from the fields to drink till

Speaker 34:20

Leverage

Speaker 34:24

Old many yarling, his days coming, his working day is done.

Speaker 34:32

He's happy to be on an island in Bush.

Presenter4:39

Demis Russos, happy to be on an island in the sun. So you played on the second team for Nottinghamshire?

Presenter4:46

And you went more or less straight into the first eleven after that?

Derek Randall4:50

No, I did a year playing uh on the club and ground and second team and then went on from there into the first team.

Presenter4:56

You had a lot of helpful coaching.

Derek Randall4:58

Yeah, well the the senior players at the in the side helped a lot and we had a coach at that time, uh Frank Woodhead, who helped a lot as well.

Presenter5:05

I believe it was your first appearance with the first team. You were in at number eight, and you carved up Essex with a very neat seventy eight that nobody was expecting.

Derek Randall5:13

Yes, yeah, I I enjoyed that knock. I remember I always liked the Sixers, you know. I remember hitting uh Keith Boyce, the fastballer, the six fastballer from West Indies, I hit him four times into the symmetry. And yeah, you know, that was quite enjoyable, really.

Presenter5:25

Yeah.

Presenter5:27

He wasn't very happy about it. Not really, no.

Derek Randall5:28

Not really, no. No, it's had me back a few times since, I think.

Presenter5:31

And then you became a a regular member of the county. So did this mean giving up your job?

Derek Randall5:36

No, not really. They uh they employed me during the winter.

Derek Randall5:39

Don't I play cricket during the summer?

Presenter5:41

What sort of sport did you adopt during the winter?

Derek Randall5:43

Football. Football. Yeah, I prefer football, right? Yeah.

Presenter5:46

Who'd you be careful?

Derek Randall5:47

Well, we've got a side together the Nottingham Cricketers have got a side together and we play Saturday afternoon and Sunday mornings.

Presenter5:52

Mm-hmm.

Presenter5:54

Which other particular county matches do you remember from your early days?

Derek Randall5:59

I remember scoring my first century at at Worcester, on the beautiful ground at Worcester. And also last year I remember scoring my first double century against Somerset um at Trent Bridge, which was quite an achievement for me, right.

Presenter6:03

Yeah.

Presenter6:11

Now you're very quick-footed in the field and you've got this reputation for clowning.

Presenter6:17

Are you indeed?

Derek Randall6:17

Yeah.

Presenter6:19

Very relaxed.

Derek Randall6:20

Not really, no. I think, uh, you know, I've quite a nervous person really. I always like to be, you know, on the move, really.

Presenter6:28

So that the clowning bit is really

Derek Randall6:30

It's nerves, I think.

Presenter6:32

There's an instance, I think it was last season, of you catching a sky ball. Somebody knocked one up very high, and you took it behind your back just for fun. Now this was taking a chance, it was a dead liberty. If you'd dropped it, you'd have been in real trouble.

Derek Randall6:46

Yeah, I think the lads uh I think they think that I've a better chance of catching it behind my back than I have in front, actually. I don't know right now.

Presenter6:52

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Presenter6:55

Let's have your third record. What's that?

Derek Randall6:58

Carolina Moon

Presenter6:59

And why do you choose it?

Derek Randall7:00

Well, I've got a a very good friend of mine, and every time this record comes on, she jumps onto a table, wherever she is, she jumps onto a table and starts singing it. So

Derek Randall7:08

Yeah.

Presenter7:08

That's a kind of friend to have, isn't it?

Derek Randall7:09

Yeah, but

Speaker 37:17

I don't know.

Speaker 37:20

Keep shy.

Derek Randall7:25

Shine God will walk for me.

Derek Randall7:34

Carolina

Presenter7:42

Connie Francis

Presenter7:44

To remind us of a table jumping friend. Now last season 76 w was a particularly good one. You mentioned your two hundred and four against Somerset. There was also one hundred and sixty four against Kent. This really was the year of your emergence, wasn't it? Top of the county batting averages.

Presenter8:02

And

Presenter8:03

Your first appearance with the English side. Was this also just a a postcard through the door?

Derek Randall8:09

Well I think I'd uh I'd played fairly well throughout the season really. I had a bad start in the MCC West Indies game uh early season and I played very well throughout the season and I got picked for the West Indies England Prudential Games. Yeah. I managed to score an eighty and a thirty and went on to get selected for the India, Ceylon and Australia tour.

Presenter8:22

Yes.

Presenter8:29

Mhm. Well, this was a very nice long, what, four months trip?

Derek Randall8:33

That's right.

Presenter8:33

In the sunshine during the winter. How did you enjoy uh India and Salon?

Derek Randall8:38

Very enjoyable. It's very hot. Uh very friendly people. I think the wickets uh Yeah, they were very different to what uh what we were used to really. They were slow turning wickets. They turned very slowly.

Presenter8:48

They turn slowly.

Derek Randall8:49

Yeah.

Presenter8:49

I thought on a dusty wicket it would have been fast.

Derek Randall8:52

Yeah. No, they're very slow very slow, low wickets, really.

Presenter8:56

Is this uniform right through the country and in Ceylon as well?

Derek Randall8:59

Uh well, I would think probably throughout India, but Ceylon are qu a bit different. They're better batting wickets. The uh the ball tends to come onto the bat a little bit more.

Derek Randall9:08

But Ceylon, unlike India, is very hot but very humid. I remember we were playing one game and Uh Salon have got a we've played a four-day game against Ceylon, and Ceylon have got a an opening batsman called Fernando.

Derek Randall9:19

And Bob Willis, we call him Goose, our fastballer. He runs about thirty five yards, and I remember him running him to ball, and the Heater got at him actually, singing this song Can You Hear the Drums, Fernando, as running him to ball, which we thought was quite funny.

Presenter9:32

How many of you were in the team? There were there was the eleven plus the reserves, plus what, the manager?

Derek Randall9:37

That's what?

Derek Randall9:38

There were sixteen sixteen players, plus Ken Barrington, the manager, and Bernard Thomas, our physiotherapist.

Presenter9:40

Push.

Presenter9:43

And some press people were round with you all the while all the while.

Derek Randall9:46

Yes, all the while six or eight press people, yeah.

Presenter9:48

You know There's one story of something that happened to you in Bombay I think is worth recalling.

Derek Randall9:53

That's right, that's right. We arrived in Bombay and I was a little bit nervous, all the senior players were there and everything, and we arrived at this cocktail party, this big house worth a million, beautiful place, marble place.

Derek Randall10:04

I remember it led down on to the beach, and I sat underneath a palm tree, with I got champagne in one hand, and strawberry jam on toast in the other hand.

Derek Randall10:12

And uh and Greggie Greggie came up to me and said, Well, how are you doing, laddie? You all right? I said, Yeah, well this champagne tastes nice, but this strawberry jam tastes a little bit fishy

Derek Randall10:20

He says, It probably will do, then. He says, That's caviar, lad.

Presenter10:24

Ha!

Derek Randall10:24

Uh

Presenter10:24

I got a

Derek Randall10:24

I got off to a bad start, really.

Presenter10:26

It sounds as if the conditions weren't uh too hard.

Derek Randall10:29

Oh no no we had a good time actually. Yeah, very good.

Presenter10:32

Yeah.

Derek Randall10:32

But it's it's it's quite an experience.

Presenter10:34

What was your best inning?

Derek Randall10:36

I remember scoring uh ooh a hundred and fifty against South Zone at Hyderabad.

Presenter10:41

Yes.

Derek Randall10:42

I think that was about it really.

Presenter10:43

A lot of cricket. You went to a lot of places.

Derek Randall10:45

Yeah.

Presenter10:45

I certainly did.

Derek Randall10:46

Uh

Presenter10:46

And there's a story that the boys nearly got you married in one song.

Derek Randall10:49

Well, that's right, yeah, yeah. Well, I had a letter from uh well, I don't know, I haven't told my wife, I had a letter from a a young lady and a father. Well, there was a fifteen thousand uh rupees

Derek Randall10:59

dowry involved and she wanted to marry me actually funnily enough and uh the lads they they arranged a meeting and everything and wanted the darn money for the kitty, you know, to share out between them.

Presenter11:11

You managed to get out of this particular bit of trouble.

Derek Randall11:13

She's a nice girl.

Presenter11:16

And then he moved on to Australia.

Derek Randall11:18

That's right.

Presenter11:19

Now before we talk about that, let's have record number four. What's that?

Derek Randall11:22

When Irish Ellis are smiling, why at Mink Crosby?

Presenter11:24

Why

Presenter11:25

Yes, why'd you choose it?

Derek Randall11:26

Well after each game I you know generally get in the shower or in the bath or something and uh I generally hum or sing this song When I

Presenter11:34

Every hearts are a happy

Presenter11:39

Yeah.

Presenter11:41

Uh

Speaker 311:41

All the world seems bright

Presenter11:44

Hurt and girl

Presenter11:49

And when I reside

Presenter11:54

I smiled.

Speaker 311:58

Sure they steal your heart.

Presenter12:04

Bing Crosby

Presenter12:05

The tour in Australia has now passed into crigged history. Now that centenary test in Melbourne.

Presenter12:13

Great occasion. All the the big names of cricket the the great old gentleman. Who did you meet?

Derek Randall12:19

Well, I met just about everybody. It was a great experience for me. I've got a photograph at home where all the Nots players, um, Joe Hardstaff, Bill Vos, Harold Larwood, and myself, and it's a tremendous photograph. I've got it at home in the scrapbook and I'll I'll remember it, you know, I'm sure as long as I live.

Presenter12:33

I'm sure. Well, no, y on the field England was in trouble. There was a man named Dennis Lilly who was causing most of that trouble. Now you took him on and really worried him. You didn't treat him with the respect he thought he deserved. Is that right?

Derek Randall12:47

Well I don't think I worried him to start with, Roy, but later on when he got a little bit tired I think we got on top of him a little bit. It's just a shame we couldn't have won the game at the finish right.

Presenter12:55

Well, you had that magnificent innings of a hundred and seventy four, your first Test century.

Presenter13:00

And and once again some charming clowning on your part. You raised your hat to Lily's bumpers as they went by.

Derek Randall13:08

Yeah, well uh I think I was just glad that uh it missed me actually.

Presenter13:12

Oh, the Queen was there that day.

Derek Randall13:14

That's right, yeah. Uh I remember I got out and uh there was a lot of applause and everything. I was a little bit overcome and I walked up the wrong the wrong gangway really and there was a queen at the top. I had to do a quick left detour embarrassing, man.

Presenter13:28

Record number five.

Derek Randall13:29

Catch a Falling Star by Perry Como. My father used to sing it to me when I was uh very young and I think Perry Como could sing it down a side better actually.

Presenter13:38

Yeah. Uh

Derek Randall13:39

Yeah.

Presenter13:39

Falling star and put it in your pocket never let it fade away

Presenter13:47

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day.

Presenter13:54

For love may come and tap you on the shoulder Some starless night

Presenter14:03

Just in case you feel you wanna hold her

Presenter14:08

Pericomo.

Presenter14:09

Now you were the man of the match at Melbourne you got the award and the prize money for that and you were the man of the year at Redford. You had a civic reception when you got home.

Derek Randall14:18

That's right. Yeah, they uh they yeah, they did did me proud actually. Uh it was a great occasion for myself and and my wife as well. Of course, tremendous

Presenter14:25

Gotcha.

Presenter14:27

and a special award from the local butcher.

Derek Randall14:29

That's right, the pork chops, yeah. How many?

Presenter14:31

How many?

Derek Randall14:32

174 actually. 174. Hoping for a few more this time. One for every run.

Presenter14:33

One seven. One for every run.

Derek Randall14:36

Yeah.

Presenter14:37

And uh now you've got your Australian chums here again, but not Lily, he's not with them.

Derek Randall14:41

Um

Derek Randall14:42

No, it's a shame really, but they've got a a fellow, uh Jeff Thompson, who's, you know, equally as quick. But it's a tragedy, uh Dennis is not here, eh?

Presenter14:51

Apart from the test, it's a very busy summer for you. Is there too much cricket?

Derek Randall14:55

I think there is, really, but I suppose if you enjoy playing, you know, you get out there and as long as you enjoy it, that's the main thing.

Presenter15:01

It's really every day, isn't it, in the summer?

Derek Randall15:03

Virtually, yes, six days a week or thing.

Presenter15:06

Record number six.

Derek Randall15:07

Sailing by Rod Stewart. I like Kurt Rod Stewart and he's a tremendous performer.

Derek Randall15:13

I am sane.

Derek Randall15:16

I am sailing.

Speaker 115:19

Uh

Derek Randall15:20

Uh

Speaker 115:20

Poem again.

Speaker 115:24

Across the sea

Speaker 115:27

I am sorry.

Derek Randall15:28

Amen.

Speaker 115:30

Uh

Presenter15:30

Uh

Derek Randall15:31

Stop.

Speaker 115:31

Army Waters.

Speaker 115:35

To be near you.

Speaker 115:38

Tobit free.

Presenter15:41

Great performer.

Derek Randall15:46

I've got Green Fingers, my wife will tell you I'm uh probably the best guarder in the road, right?

Presenter15:48

Probably the best.

Presenter15:50

Have you done any camping out?

Derek Randall15:51

Not a lot, no, not a lot, right?

Presenter15:53

You have done some.

Derek Randall15:54

I did I did some once, yeah, I remember doing a bit of fishing as well.

Presenter15:58

Well, that's good. So what I'm working up to, of course, is how you're going to manage on this island. Do you think you'll be all right?

Derek Randall16:05

Well, I'll be all right growing the vegetables and what have you, and uh living off fruits and what have you.

Presenter16:07

Yeah.

Presenter16:09

Would you try to escalate?

Derek Randall16:10

Okay.

Derek Randall16:11

I'd try my best, but I don't think I'd be able I don't think I'll be able to do it.

Presenter16:13

Do you know anything about Smallbit?

Derek Randall16:15

No, no. I remember Mike Brilliant and myself we went sailing in Bombay and uh he said he knew a bit about these sailing boats. We were out there for two hours.

Derek Randall16:24

It was very enjoyable, but as soon as we tried to get back, you know, it took us five hours to get back, so

Presenter16:29

Good break.

Derek Randall16:29

Quite a problem.

Presenter16:30

Record number seven.

Derek Randall16:32

The sun has got its hat on.

Derek Randall16:34

Henry Hall and the B B C Orchestra.

Presenter16:36

Why are you choosing this?

Derek Randall16:37

Yeah.

Derek Randall16:38

Well, when I get up in the morning I always if I hear this song it makes me very happy indeed, you know. It sort of gives me a lift.

Speaker 316:54

What is that on and he's coming up today?

Speaker 317:05

All the little birds are singing, Canterbury bells are ringing, Pussy on the tiles is wreathed in smiles, Sleeping in the sun all day.

Presenter17:14

The Son has got his hat on by the BBC Dance Orchestra directed by Henry Hall with vocal chorus. Good old record of the 30s. What's your last number?

Derek Randall17:24

The Bumper Song, dedicated to Jeff Thompson,

Derek Randall17:27

By the bumpers. The bumpers are.

Speaker 117:34

The sun is up, the grass is green We're gonna win, remain to be seen With beer in hand, the crowd is tense The empire let battle commence

Speaker 117:47

So we pull him down the bumper.

Speaker 117:50

Big lamp rush of their feet

Speaker 117:53

Yeah.

Speaker 317:53

With Andy Rogers Bolly Bampusa

Speaker 317:56

King Lamkona KP. Yes, ma'am, you simple there.

Presenter17:59

The Bumper song by The Bumpers.

Presenter18:02

Now if you could only take one disc out of the eight, which would it be?

Derek Randall18:06

The sun has got its hat on, Roy.

Presenter18:08

Right.

Derek Randall18:09

Uh

Presenter18:09

And one luxury.

Derek Randall18:11

Unlike a a big bath, I think, with the

Derek Randall18:14

The spa water's running down into it, warm spa water, so I could relax. That'd be very nice.

Presenter18:19

We can organize that. We can have solar powered hot water.

Derek Randall18:22

Oh, terrific.

Presenter18:23

And one book apart from the Bible and Shakespeare and big encyclopedias.

Derek Randall18:27

Oh, it's after bay the Guinness Pucker Records, I think.

Presenter18:29

to settle any arguments you may have with yourself.

Derek Randall18:31

Yeah, well, I could always go for the records standing on one leg and give me something to do, right?

Presenter18:36

Well thank you Derek Randall for letting us hear your desert island discs and may you knock them for six very frequently.

Derek Randall18:43

Thanks very much, Enano. It's very clear.

Presenter18:45

Goodbye, everyone.

Speaker 118:55

You've been listening to a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive. For more podcasts, please visit bbc.co.uk/slash radio four.