Cricketer Brian Close enjoys a joke with George Haythornthwaite and Gordon Thompson as he makes a point during his entertaining talk at the Burnley GSOB club.

Cricket was a game of positive action and to be played for a win, said Brian Close (Somerset, ex-Yorkshire and former England all-rounder) when he addressed a crowded attendance at Burnley Grammar School Old Boys' headquarters on Thursday.

Mr Close said that the demands on present day players were varied and considerable with so many different competitions, from the three-day county matches to the one-day sponsored events and five-day Test matches.

Also he was not in favour of the importation of players to counties from abroad. Often they came for very favourable contracts and sometimes their performances were not any better than others on the side. An important factor was that it deprived some of the likely young players of a chance.