I don't think I ever worked harder at any match during my career to get runs as I did then, nor did I ever have to face in one game such consistently fast bowlers as the Australian pair, Gregory and McDonald.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
The wickets I have played on for my whole career, most of them have been to suit fast bowlers in Australia.
I played quite a bit for my home team, Morriston, in my teens. I batted and bowled, but I suffered the utter humiliation once when one of the Pontarddulais batsmen hit 32 runs in one over against me.
The bowlers I respected or feared or rated were not the ones who gave me lip or stared at me or abused me. More the ones who, at any stage of the game, when had they had the ball in hand, they were going to be at me, and they were going to have the skill and the fitness and the ability to be aggressive.
In my first season I took 76 wickets at an average of less than 5 runs.
I would say I am an ordinary bowler but one with a really big heart, and that's what has stood me in good stead in all these years.
My life was falling apart and then to come out and play and have my best ever - 40 wickets, 250 runs... But the only reason I could do that was because of the way I thought and I think I'm pretty strong mentally. I think I am anyway, pretty strong to get over whatever it is.
It used to hurt me that people thought I didn't have the technique and the temperament to play Test cricket.
At ten I was playing against 18-year-old guys. At 15 I was playing professional ball with the Birmingham Black Barons, so I really came very quickly in all sports.
I'd bowled a lot, but I never really had proper lessons.
I was no great achiever at school, either academically or in the sporting field... I was always tending to be in trouble.