THE RICHES OF ‘RAGS’
Randall at 75
As Derek Randall celebrates his 75th birthday today (24 Feb), we look back at his remarkable career and his defining innings.
The snappily titled Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame at Bowral in New South Wales celebrates the best of Australian cricket and the best of their opponents. Fitting then that one exhibit features a gangly, angular, cheeky cricketer from Retford in Nottinghamshire.
Derek played one of the greatest of all Test innings, and the innings of his cricketing life, when he made 174 in the special one-off Test against Australia at Melbourne in 1977 to mark the 100th anniversary of Test cricket.
Although the Aussies won that match – by the historically curious margin of 45 runs, the same result as back in 1877 – and the ever hostile Dennis Lillee took eleven wickets in the match (his 6-26 in England’s first innings was at that time his best Test haul), it was ‘Rags’ who took the man-of-the-match award for his brave and flamboyant innings.
Batting in a cap – no helmets then – he not only faced Lillee and Max Walker at their most threatening but even found time to doff his cap to the fearsome Dennis saying, according to legend, ‘No good hitting me there, mate, [his head], nothing to damage!’
Remarkably, that innings was in his first match against the old enemy (he was to score three of his seven Test centuries and six further half-centuries against Australia) and his memorable 174 was his first test hundred.
Great as it was, that innings was by no means the only reason to savour the life and career of Derek Randall and to wish him the happiest of milestone birthdays.
He made more than 40,000 runs in First-Class and List-A cricket and remains the only Notts batter to have made a double century and a single century in the same match – recording 209 and 146 against Middlesex in 1979. Unsurprisingly, his 355 in the game is the highest match aggregate for Nottinghamshire.
His best First-Class score was 237, against Derbyshire at Trent Bridge in 1988, passing 23,000 First-Class runs along the way. Derek made 52 First-Class tons and 161 fifties and finished with a career average of 38.14, which would certainly have been higher had his versatility not counted against him.
For England particularly, and for his home county club, he would probably have benefited from a settled batting spot. The Test selectors never quite trusted in his talent, capriciously moving him up and down the order, from one to seven.
Randall was not just a talented batter; he had few equals as a fielder, particularly in the covers or at mid-wicket, and took more than 500 catches in his career. The runs he saved are not counted but would probably add ten or a dozen runs to the value of every innings he played.
Because of his speed in the outfield, he was nicknamed Arkle, after the racehorse. He could swoop and throw in one fluid movement - and more often than not hit the stumps. But he gave himself the moniker of ‘Rags’, a self-effacing reference to his often disorganised appearance.
As Derek Randall marks his 75th Birthday, England and Australia are planning a special one-off day-night Test, also at the MCG in Melbourne in March 2027 to mark the 150th anniversary of Test Cricket.
The tens of thousands of cricket fans entering the ballot for tickets to that game will be in for a treat if any player can produce an innings to match that famous 174.
Nottingham Cricket Lovers Society and all fans of cricket will want to wish Rags, Arkle, Derek, a really special birthday.
An article on the Centenary Test, Derek's innings - and that memorable image - can be viewed here
February 2026