Where are they now?

England last beat the West Indies in an Old Trafford Test in 1969 and the 6ft 4in Warwickshire pace bowler David Brown played an important part, taking 4 for 39 and 3 for 59 in a 10-wicket victory.

"I don't recall much about it," Brown said, "but I seem to remember getting Sobers out, although not in the way intended. Illy [Ray Illingworth] had a ploy which involved packing the slips early on and asking me to bowl wide of off- stump to tempt the drive. In fact, he hit one straight to extra cover."

It made up for an embarrassing dropped catch by Brown on the same ground in 1966, when he let Sobers escape on 60 at a cost of 101 runs as England lost by an innings. "It probably cost Mike Smith his job as captain too."

Now 53, Brown retired as a player in 1979. He remained at Edgbaston as cricket manager until 1986 and has since concentrated on the family business, a 90-acre stud farm near Kidderminster. He bought his first brood mare with the proceeds of his benefit.

"We've been going for 20 years now. My wife, Tricia, ran it while I was playing, but it became too big to be something you could combine with cricket." The couple met in 1968 on England's tour to the West Indies, where Tricia was working as a jockey. They have a son, Edward, and a daughter, Emma.

"I don't play any more because I have an arthritic hip, but I still follow Warwickshire closely. Dennis [Amiss] keeps asking me to get involved again, but we go racing as much as possible in the summer so I could not give it adequate time."

Jon Culley