England cricketing legend to take new guard in West Norfolk with theatre tour in Hunstanton
He was the man who brought style and elegance both to the crease and the commentary box - and now he’s coming to West Norfolk.
The former England captain David Gower has swapped the television studio for the stage this autumn with a new theatre tour.
And, with a title that brings back memories of his trademark cover drives, he’ll be On The Front Foot at the Princess Theatre in Hunstanton next Sunday, November 3, though we’re told the legendary Tiger Moth is not the chosen mode of transport.
But, while many cricket fans are reflecting on what has been an extraordinary year for the game, the date also marks a quick return to an area that was the scene for a much more personal celebration for David in 2019.
“It’s an area I’ve been to infrequently but we were very, very close to that in the summer for a family wedding (at Sedgeford Hall).
“From my wife’s side of the family there were connections to Sedgeford. We had two or three days up there making the most of it. It’s a lovely area.”
Now 62, David has been a key figure in English cricket, both as a player and a broadcaster, for more than 40 years.
After making his debut against Pakistan in 1978, he played for his country well over 200 times across the Test and one-day formats in a 14 year international career.
He captained England in 32 Test matches and was at the helm when they won the Ashes in 1985, having beaten India away from home only a few months before.
But the fact he then endured a second successive whitewash at the hands of the all-conquering West Indies is perhaps a demonstration of the ups and downs which form part of what he calls the show’s “journey through life”, which isn’t without some typical Gower humour.
“There were ups and downs, there’s no need to try to sugarcoat it
“Some of it is true, some of it might not be.”
David’s journey from player to broadcaster began while he was still playing, with stints on both BBC Radio and Channel 9 in Australia in the early 1990s.
Most of his television career has been spent with Sky Sports, an association which ended with the climax of the current Ashes series last month, though he says he is still keen to remain in the media.
His television role meant he had one of the best seats in the house when Ben Stokes’ heroics won the Headingley Test this summer from a seemingly hopeless position.
And he says he rates that performance far higher than the legendary innings of his long-time team-mate and colleague Sir Ian Botham at the same venue in 1981.
“I was watching that very close to Ian and, having been part of the team that watched him have his bit of fun, it was an immensely better effort than Ian in 81, 99.9 out of 100 for degree of difficulty.
“From the moment he got to the crease really, there
was a lot hanging on what he did.”
Stokes, of course, is set to be one of the big stars of English cricket’s newest format, the city-based franchise competition The Hundred, which is due to start next summer.
The initiative, which included a player selection draft that took place at the weekend, has divided opinion, with many worried that it will damage or even destroy the established game.
But David says the example of a former television colleague is encouraging him to give it a chance, despite admitting he isn’t sure if it will work.
“I’m happy to give it a go. To be anti something without seeing it would be foolhardy. That’s why I admired Richie Benaud. He was always open to new ideas.”
David Gower: On The Front Foot is at the Princess Theatre on Sunday, November 3 at 7.30pm. For tickets, visit princesshunstanton.co.uk or phone 01485 532252.
