A cushy job at Headingley as some inspired captaincy from Illingworth delivers Test win

On the pitch, Yorkshire’s Geoffrey Boycott scored a hundred to help England to a dramatic victory by 25 runs.

Off it, cushion salesman Andy Andrews was celebrating the golden jubilee of his first visit to Headingley in 1921, when he watched England play Australia in the first Test at Leeds after the Great War.

Mr Andrews was just 13 years old when he saw Warwick Armstrong’s Australians win by 219 runs en route to inflicting a 5-0 whitewash.

And, over the years, he sold thousands of cushions to ensure visitors to Headingley sat in comfort.

Mr Andrews sold the products of Watford firm BCS Co Ltd, which supplied the accessories to a number of sporting venues up and down the land.

His quiet voice and friendly demeanour made him popular with punters throughout the country.

Like all great characters, Mr Andrews had a number of catchphrases. On hot days... “Cushion seats, straight off the ice. Cushion seats, cool and comfy.”

On cold days... “Cushion seats, warm and cosy. Cushion seats, centrally heated.”

Mr Andrews’s visit to Headingley in 1971 caused quite a stir at the Yorkshire Post.

He was deemed important enough to be interviewed extensively and explained how, in those early days of 1921, the prevailing cushion cry was: “Three-pennyworth of comfort... Three pennyworth of comfort.”

“They were called ‘ticky’ cushions in those days,” he said.

“The man who started the cushion supply firm was a South African and it was their name for a threepenny bit.

“Since then they have gone up to 6d, 9d, 1s and now they are 1/6d.

“We supply them at all sporting occasions – rugby, cricket, tennis, athletics and tattoos – and, as salesmen, we used to get 2s a day and 2s per 100 cushions, but, nowadays, it is £2 per day and 7/6d per 100.”

Mr Andrews – whose firm gave him a gold wristlet watch to mark his historic visit to Leeds – had stored up a number of interesting tales.

“Once, at a Gateshead tattoo, we lost 4,000 cushions in one night,” he revealed.

“People took them home as souvenirs and police spent so long on the case they were called the CID – cushion investigation department.

“Best time we ever had was here on this Headingley ground in 1934, when Bradman scored 304 for Australia against England. The gates were closed nearly every day of the game and we ‘sold’ 16,000 cushions a day.”

But it was not always plain sailing.

Mr Andrews added: “As against that, when the Australians were last here, somebody threw a cigarette end among the cushions, or a cigarette blew in, and we lost about 400 through fire.

“But here at Leeds I’ve got some splendid memories. The people here have always been kind.

“Not like some places, where they make you feel unwanted.”

Mr Andrews certainly enjoyed his time at the 1971 Test.

It was a fascinating game from start to finish and, in the end, could have gone either way.

England batted first and scored 316 after captain Ray Illingworth won the toss.

Boycott led the way with 112 from 214 balls with 14 fours and a six.

Basil D’Oliveira chipped in with 74 and there were three wickets apiece for Asif Iqbal and Intikhab Alam.

Pakistan followed up with 350 as Zaheer Abbas made 72, Wasim Bari 63 and Mushtaq Mohammad 57.

D’Oliveira then struck 72 and Dennis Amiss 56 as England totalled 264 in their second innings to leave Pakistan needing 231 for victory.

They were soon in trouble at 65-4 but rallied through a fifth-wicket stand of 95 between Sadiq Mohammad (91) and Asif Iqbal (33).

But after Iqbal’s dismissal at 160, the tail subsided as England – bolstered by three wickets each for Peter Lever and Illingworth – dismissed Pakistan for 205.

Wisden commented: “Sadiq and Asif Iqbal, in a resolute partnership, appeared to have wrested control from England’s grasp.

“Even when Asif Iqbal was stumped off Gifford the odds were on Pakistan for Sadiq, playing a masterly innings for his side, was in complete command.

“Then d’Oliveira dismissed Intikhab and Sadiq in the course of five balls, following an inspired bowling change by captain Illingworth, who called for the new ball and saw Lever finish Pakistan with three wickets in four balls, the game ending 26 minutes before tea.”

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