JUST for today I shall lay aside migrants, Marxists and Muslims and say a few words about my hero Brian Close who died last week, aged 84.

I remember the first time I saw him. It was at Headingley, Whit Saturday, 5th June 1954. Yorkshire against Lancashire: the Roses match. Rare sunny weather in that year when the summer was a washout, what GK Chesterton called “a perfect summer’s day”. There were good crowds for county cricket in those days, before men turned up to play the game in brightly coloured pyjamas with the sponsor’s name on the back. Headingley was full. Armed with a bottle of orange juice and a pork pie, I sat on the grass beyond the boundary rope.

Yorkshire’s innings was opened by another legend, Len Hutton. He scored 44 fluent runs, stroking the ball all along the ground on the off side and the leg. When he was out, a great groan went up. I’m sure even the Lancastrians groaned, because Len was so good to watch. Willie Watson, Vic Wilson and Norman Yardley put on good runs, but the highlight of the day was an after-tea cameo by D.B. Close: 52 in next to no time. Stumps at 6.30pm and the remaining two days rained off without a ball being bowled.

That was the beginning of my hero-worship of Close – the boy who scored the double – 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in his first season and played for England aged 18, the youngest ever. He batted thrillingly, left hand and bowled right, seamers mixed with off-spin. His fielding was acrobatic and he positioned himself so near the batsman it could be called suicidal.

You remember how Bill Shankly rebutted the comment that football is a matter of life and death by saying, “No – it’s more important than that!” Well, that’s how cricket was to Brian Close. He was always controversial. Often in trouble with the stuffed shirts on the Yorkshire Committee and the posh nobs in the MCC.

There was a particular controversy in the Ashes series of 1961. Benaud was captain of Australia and Close was in the England team. At Old Trafford England were left about 250 to win on a dusty, turning pitch. They were getting near when they suffered a collapse and Close came to the crease. Benaud was bowling some devilish leg breaks and googlies. From the start, Close hit out wildly and got out for not very many. He came in for such stick for that. All the sports writers and commentators said he ought to have got his head down and played a disciplined innings to see England home. But years later, Close was justified and by the Old Enemy, by Benaud himself, who said, “Brian played as he should. If he had hit another six, I would have taken myself off bowling and England would have won.”

Close captained Yorkshire in their great run of Championship victories in the 1960s. And in 1963 came his finest hour. The West Indies fielded Wes Hall and Charlie Griffiths, two of the most terrifying fast bowlers ever to play the game. England were going down like ninepins. Close came in and held the fort, taking blow after blow on the body. I remember Wes Hall stopped in his run-up, incredulous at seeing Close come down the pitch to him. As Captain of England, he played 7, won 6 and drew 1.

I bet up in heaven he’s standing as close to the Throne as he used to stand at forward short leg.