by Layth Yousif

THE autumn light was fading, as a true cricketing servant spoke on the manicured turf in front of the terracotta-hued pavilion.

When the history of the 2023 domestic season comes to be written, the careers of Stuart Broad and Sir Alastair Cook will be warmly recalled. Their deeds immortalised in memory, their places in sporting history secure, after the pair announced their retirement from playing.

Yet, so should another name be added to that laudable list. Tim Murtagh.

A rambunctious swing bowler with a bustling run-up, Middlesex County Cricket Club’s loyal stalwart of nearly two decades also announced his retirement.

It seemed appropriate that as the light faded on the final day’s play of his career, in such an exquisitely fitting setting, the 42-year-old eloquently explained why he had decided to stop playing cricket.

They say sportspeople know when it is their time to retire. When their bodies can no longer produce what they were once so capable of. When the daily routine, once so relished, appears onerous. When they lose the fire that drove them to ennobled feats when they were kings. Or, more prosaically, retirement comes simply because they know it’s their time to stop.

While the warrior inside Murtagh appeared as strong as ever — picking up eight wickets during the dispiriting defeat by Warwickshire at Lord’s that late September day was proof motivation, desire, talent, fitness, and execution all appeared intact — it seemed, for this highly-respected cricketer, the reason for ending his playing career was quite simply because he believed it was his time to depart the stage.

One hoped that the news from Middlesex’s unassuming character would not get lost in the noise that cricket often produces in flurries. 

Murtagh’s announcement came before the ongoing ODI World Cup currently hosted by India. A feast of 50 over cricket that may be too rich for most palates, certainly amid the relentless razzamatazz amid incessant thrashing, where every ball counts, but none too much.

You also hoped that the news of Cook and Broad retiring this summer wouldn’t drown out praise for Murtagh.

Nor, you hoped, Murtagh’s farewell would not be lost in the general melancholy that comes from the denouement of a domestic cricketing summer.

Albeit one that basked in the afterglow of the fire and fury generated by an enthralling Ashes series — even if it was tempered by the fact that excitement is stalling in the ECB’s intended cash cow, The Hundred.

Amid a withering of interest over the format’s veracity, amplified by the fact the vacuous jamboree came a matter of days after the summer’s highpoint of five utterly absorbing July Tests between the old enemies, meant that Broad, Cook — and, yes, Murtagh — would surely be viewed as the last vestiges of an older time, when the longer-form of the domestic game was still valued by administrators, rather than shunned. Its place in the calendar enshrined instead of shunted.

While the news broke that T20 cricket will be featured in the 2028 Olympics, the thought came quickly that surely there still had to be time for Test and county cricketers to exalted not buried, celebrated for their virtues, not ignored as the race for pounds, dollars and rupees intensified amid the crash bang wallop of more financially attractive shorter formats.

However, those were issues for others to debate. For all that mattered in the fading light of North-West London on that notable early evening were the heartfelt words Middlesex’s staunch servant humbly uttered.

Reflecting on his final game at Lord’s, his 91st and final first-class appearance at the Home of Cricket, the modest Murtagh said: “What a place to play, result aside, everyone dreams of playing here.

“Some people have been lucky enough to play one game here. I’ve been lucky enough to play a few — and it’s still a very special place. It is something I will miss a lot, but I have so many good memories to cherish.”

Given such clarity of purpose across his career — taking wickets was his raison d’etre for more than 20 years — no wonder Murtagh, for his exploits with Ireland, albeit a tad unexpectedly, had his name inked on the sacred honours board in the holy pavilion overlooking where we were standing talking.

For humble Murtagh failed to not only mention he played in Ireland's first-ever Test match, a five-wicket defeat by Pakistan in May 2018, at the tender age of 37 — but also took 5-13 v England at Lord’s in his final Test outing in NW8.

The tourists improbably, but gloriously, bowling out the hosts for 85 before lunch in July 2019. Ensuring his 13 Test wickets came at an average of 16.38.

What of personal targets? Bashful Murtagh simply refused to countenance such individual aims. After having taken more than 900 first class wickets (he was to finish on 959) he didn’t think about going for a thousand?

He shoots back immediately: “It’s not really about that, it’s simply time [to retire].

“It’s time for other people to step up, and to make time for my family. I’ve had a great time playing cricket — I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Yet amid the gimlet-eyed professionalism at the top level of four-day cricket in this country, respect abounds for Murtagh.

To witness the Warwickshire team give the veteran Murtagh a guard of honour in front of the Lord’s pavilion — which has played evocative backdrop to many a great, and plenty of yeoman in service of this maddening game we love dearly — was to regard the appreciation for Murtagh’s craft, his dedication, commitment and, yes, the hard yakka that such a model professional invested, day in day out throughout the course of more than two decades.

“Little touches like that were incredibly special,” admitted Murtagh, not known for his sentimentality.

Not that Warwickshire were the only ones to venerate the renowned right-armer.

“Middlesex have also been great to me,” the former Surrey man who is set to ease into a dedicated coaching job. Murtagh had a player-coach role at Lord's during season, featuring in five of their 12 Division One matches, and the club will offer him a full-time coaching role when he retires, after captaining the Seaxes in 2021 and last year.

Following four hard-fought days, it was instructive that Warwickshire coach Mark Robinson — a former cricketer who knew a thing or two about winning after leading Sussex to six trophies in 10 years, including County Championship titles in 2006 and 2007 — also told this correspondent on the hallowed Lord’s turf in a heartening paean laced with admiration that “we have the greatest respect for what he has achieved during his career.”

Sadly, for followers of Middlesex, the Edgbaston based outfit were to beat the home side by eight wickets, essentially casting them on their way to demotion. Relegation confirmed a week later, when the club’s agonising hopes for an unlikely final-day victory during the final session of the season, fell agonisingly short at Trent Bridge, losing by only two wickets to Nottinghamshire — to be cast back into Division Two.

However, Murtagh can be proud of his efforts, reliably giving his all, in every game. “I will have really strong memories of being a cricketer and it is a really strong game, with strong morals. Hopefully it stays that way,” he added with conviction.

Career highlights

Murtagh helped the storied club from north-west London lift the T20 Cup in 2008 two summers after moving north of the River Thames from the Oval, and was a part of the sides which won promotion from Division Two in 2011 and 2022.

Murtagh, in tandem with Steven Finn led Middlesex's attack in 2011, taking 80 wickets at 20.98 as the county gained promotion from the second tier.

Yet, the 2011 elevation was to act as the prelude to Middlesex’s dramatic, never-to-be-forgotten County Championship five years later, their first since 1993.

The title clinched after four fraught days at Lord’s against title rivals Yorkshire

The agony and eventually ecstasy compounded with a three-way fight for the gong also involving Somerset — that was to eventually see the pair left demoralised when Middlesex clinched the title with the last ball of the season.

Toby Roland-Jones’s hat-trick ball no less, to seal a wonderful victory for the ages. One that Murtagh had played a full part in securing throughout that memorable summer, taking 43 wickets at an average of 28.53.

“In terms of highlights you can’t look beyond winning the title in 2016,” admitted Murtagh, adding with no little pride, seven years on, “it is the pinnacle of any county cricketer’s career.

“The way we did it on the evening of the last day was incredibly special.”

So long has Murtagh been a loyal servant in the Middlesex ranks, you nearly forget that the Lambeth-born bowler also featured in the club’s 2008 T20 victory, a triumph that took place 15 summers ago — two years after he made his switch from London rivals Surrey.

“Being part of that 2008 side to win a trophy was also a good memory,” he recalls, which given Middlesex’s abject performances in the 20 over thrash in the fallow years since then, most certainly deserves more acclaim.

“Soaking in those memories — any time you win a trophy is always a moment of pride — they’re definitely the highlights of my time here,” adds Murtagh.

What will this fierce competitor miss the most?

“I’ll miss competing,” he replied instinctively. “I’ll miss that challenge between a bowler and a batter. It’s such a unique game. It’s such a team game, but it’s also such an individual game. That challenge of standing at the end of my mark. That desperation to want to get the bloke out standing with the bat at the other end.

“I’m lucky enough that I will still be around the dressing room — and all the camaraderie that goes with it.

“But I think the one-on-one competition — the mentality of focusing on the bloke at the other end and trying to ruin his day.”

Amusing memories

Murtagh is noted among his teammates, colleagues and wider cricketing world as having a bone-dry sense of humour. Yet, what was his funniest moment on the field of play.

Murtagh laughs before conceding: “It’s probably best I don’t repeat it,” he says with a smile.

“It was at Oxford,” he starts. A pre-season game. Final session of the day. “A couple staggered across the pitch.

“It appeared that they had overindulged throughout the day. And they had absolutely no idea that there was a cricket match going on in their midst.

“So, I just threw the ball to the guy — and he ran up and bowled a ball in a first-class game against Oxford — which the umpires weren’t too happy about, but everyone else seemed to enjoy.

“That was definitely the most surreal moment I’ve seen on a pitch I’d say,” regaled Murtagh with typical understatement.

As the light faded in front of the evocative, terracotta-hued Lord’s pavilion, our one-on-one interview ending in the most picturesque of places, Murtagh underlined his thoughts in one final moment.

His tone turning from whimsical to serious as this unprepossessing cricketing hero said plaintively: “I’ve had a wonderful time playing cricket. But it’s time to go.”