CRICKET: Howat now recalls his own long innings

The 78-year-old from North Moreton, near Didcot, has been fascinated with cricket since the age of eight as the title of his latest book - Cricket All My Life - suggests.

Indeed, he only ended his playing days as a wicket-keeper in August 2005 after suffering a heart attack.

Initially an academic and history teacher, his love of cricket led him into a second career as a journalist and author.

Howat's big break came in 1975 when he won the Cricket Society's Book of the Year for his biography of the great West Indian all-rounder Sir Learie Constantine.

His most successful book, however, proved to be on Len Hutton, which was certainly helped by its publication in 1988, 50 years to the day since Hutton's 364 against Australia.

So what prompted Howat to write his own biography?

"Two people persuaded me in particular to write it," he said.

"They were David Rayvern Allen (broadcaster and author) and Professor Brian Harrison (editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

"It is the third time I've said it is my last book.

"I thought the history of North Moreton would be my last, then I had my arm twisted to write a history of St Helen's and St Katherine's School, Abingdon.

"Whether it is my last I don't know. I find writing very easy.

"I suppose the only thing that puts me off is the technology side."

Howat grew up in Scotland and went on to study history at Edinburgh University.

His first teaching post was in the West Indies before moving on to Kelly College, Tavistock, between 1955 and 1960.

Howat's local connections began in 1960 when he took a joint post as lecturer at Culham College and research student at Exeter College, Oxford.

He went on to teach at Radley College (1973-77) and Lord Williams's School, Thame (1977-86) before retiring to focus on writing.

This included ten years as schools and youth cricket correspondent for the Daily Telegrapgh.

Howat said: "I wanted to be a journalist when I was 20, but my parents wouldn't let me, so I had to wait until I was 60."

His autobiography comes in three parts; his life up to 40, as series of articles on cricket, and then his life from 40 onwards.

How did Howat first get into cricket?

"Rather like America, there's more cricket in Scotland than you think," he said.

Howat was introduced to the game by Graham Pilcher, who went on to marry the novelist Rosamunde Pilcher.

"One day when I was about eight he said would I like to go and see a Scotish county match and I was hooked from that point onwards." He added: "I had a very imaginative headmaster headmaster at prep school.

"He would sometimes make us play cricket matches and take on the names of famous players.

"I played as Hutton and Hammond, but little did I know I would go on to write their biographies."

Howat went on to represent the MCC several times and played his first game for Moreton, for whom he notched up almost 900 dismissals, in 1961.

He said: "I wouldn't have retired at all if I hadn't had this wretched heart attack.

"My last match was in August 2005. I have to say I was still worth my place keeping wicket.

"I have no regrets about giving up. I thought I would, but I still play tennis three times a week.

To that end Howat is the only person to be president of both Moreton CC and Wallingford Tennis Club Howat says Constantine was the most interesting cricketer he has met.

"I knew him for a long time. I first met when I was a schoolboy in Scotland in 1940.

"I then met him in the West Indies. In the 1970s I decided to write his biography.

"It won cricket book of the year and that's what really started me off. I've been going downhill ever since!" Howat added: "Pelham Warner poved interesting because there were two aspects to his character. "On the one hand he was smooth talking and a charmer, but there was also a devious side in him, which tended to eschew responsibility.

"If he had made a bad selection for a Test, it was never him who made "Hutton was a very nice man indeed, but rather dull. His wasn't the easiest biography to write. It got the most publicity, but it wasn't my best work.

"He was certainly enigmatic to interview. I would go over and see him once a week for six months.

"He asked me to write the book, so I was very honoured. He liked my book on Walter Hammond Hammond was the most interesting in a "psychological" sense. There had been two previous biographies on Hammond. Howat was asked to find what made him tick.

"I came to the conclusion that he was tremendously shy," he said.

Having spent much of his life as a teacher, what does Howat think about the state of cricket in English schools?

He said: "In independent schools there's no problem, but with the state schools we've passed the point of no return with the selling off of playing fields.

"I read an article the other day that the same thing is happening in Australia. At least that way we may get a chance in the Ashes. "I was lucky enough to go to Lord Williams's, which is an exception.

"They play against public schools and have good playing fields. It's a shining example of what can happen."

Indeed when Howat was there, Lord Williams's became the first state school to play the MCC.

Howat is a member of the MCC's Arts and Library Committee, which decided to take the Ashes out to Australia this year.

"For about three years I have been discussing the mechanics of sending the Ashes out there," he said.

"We sent three people out there and they have the unenviable task of bringing the Ashes back with the gibes of the Aussies saying why can't we keep them.

"We had to insure them for over £1m."

As for England's poor showing down under, Howat said: "First of all I'm not in the least surprised.

"I feel there were one or two fundamental mistakes made in selection.

"I think Flintoff was too much involved to be captain. Strauss should've been appointed."

Howat stressed there was no Radley College bias for this view as Strauss is a former pupil.

He was also not too impressed with coach Duncan Fletcher.

"The classic example is leaving Panesar out," said Howat.

"The lack of any serious first class cricket before the first Test also contributed."

Having finished his autobiography, Howat is not putting his feet up.

He said: "I am the judge for the Cricket Society Book of the Year and have been for the last three or four years." But he won't shortlist his own book for obvious reasons.

Howat added: "I'm reluctant now to do things that involve travelling.

"I was asked to be editor of the Cricket Society journal. I said 'no' because I'm afraid of new technology."