David Lloyd, English cricket’s man of the people loses none of his wacko warmth in print
Rob Smyth08-Aug-2010Life is supposed to begin at 40, but for David Lloyd it hit top gear at 60. Although he had been round the block many times – as an England player, first-class umpire, , and why Piers Morgan should shut his mouth. It has the quality of an all-day session in his local: an infectious, unapologetically laddish and very funny trip through his stream of consciousness. It could be a cure for misanthropy.The diversions are a conceit that could have backfired, but nothing feels forced or inappropriate. In any case, all roads lead inevitably back to Lloyd’s love of cricket. The pen portraits of his Sky colleagues, written with mischief and huge warmth, are exceptional. He does not skip over the flippin’ murder incident in Zimbabwe (“I will always have to live that down”) and the book contains strident opinions on video evidence, Twenty20 (“a form of entertainment using cricket equipment”), the primacy of Tests and the urgent need for red and yellow cards.It is full of anecdotes. Some will be familiar, like the time Jeff Thomson broke Lloyd’s box on a Perth flyer. But there are other lesser-known gems: Jack Simmons’ farcical attempts to signal to his team-mates that he was about to bowl his faster ball, Tino Best whispering sweet nothings about Lloyd’s wife into a stump mic, and Allan Lamb locking Lloyd and his fellow umpire Ray Julian in their dressing room before shoving lit newspapers under the door.This is the story of a life well lived, told with charm and style by one of the good guys. At an age when others are gathering their free bus pass, Lloyd is still starting the car, speeding along in the fast lane with a big dumb grin on his face.Start the Car: The World According to Bumble
by David Lloyd
HarperCollins Publishers
310pp, £18.99
