We were completely on our own: Barry Richards lifts the lid on the toll a relentless schedule took on his mental health

For Barry Richards, there’s one Hampshire knock that will always retain a very special place in his heart.  

“Any young kid grows up dreaming of playing at Lord’s,” he tells The Hawk. “Unfortunately, because of South Africa’s isolation I never got to do it for my country – and never made an appearance there in a one-day final for Hampshire either.

 “But playing in the Champion County match against an MCC side that was essentially an England XI (in April 1974), is a match I remember very well. And not just because I scored a few runs.”