Alan Knott was one of England’s greatest wicketkeepers. That is saying something, for England have produced some of the finest in business, from George Pinder to Dick Lilley to Bert Strudwick to George Duckworth to Les Ames to Godfrey Evans to Bob Taylor to Jack Russell.
Although England have had some fine wicketkeepers over the years, dating back to Les Ames and Godfrey Evans, the best they have ever produced was Alan Knott, not just for his skill behind the stumps but also for his ability with the bat.
Between 1967 and 1977, he was a permanent fixture in the Test team playing in all but four of the 93 Tests they contested in that decade. He later added six more to his tally.
He was a bundle of energy on the field, even when there was little going on, always stretching or limbering up, encouraging teammates with enthusiasm that was infectious and helped to lift the spirit of the entire team.
And, at a time when some of the greatest fast bowlers the world has ever seen were playing, Knott was fearless when batting at the crease, stubborn when the occasion demanded it, but willing to attack when the opportunity afforded itself.
He scored five centuries in all, including one against Australia on their own patch in Adelaide, with Lillee and Thomson bowling full tilt.
His last Test appearance was against Australia, although he would have undoubtedly played more had he not gone on the first rebel tour of South Africa, in defiance of the sporting ban on contact with the apartheid regime of the time. He, and the other rebels, were subsequently banned from international cricket for three years.
Still, he left his mark on the international game – his record of 250 dismissals – catches and stumpings – was the highest in the history of the game at the time.
A one-county man – apart from a brief spell with Tasmania – he played for Kent his entire career. His partnership with left-arm spinner Derek Underwood became the stuff of legends. And, in their honour, the Annexe Stand at the St Lawrence Cricket Ground in Canterbury has now been named after them.
There have been much better England sides than the ones that took to the field when he was playing, but Knott would surely have earned his place in any of them.