Match Experiences

What was the most exciting game you've worked at?

The most exciting game ever, it's hard to work out really. I've probably done about 350 test matches and probably a couple of thousand one day internationals so I can't really remember. I couldn't pick any one game really. I try and detach myself from the action I don't get head up about it. I don't sit there you get photographers around you who'll be screaming come on so and so or England or whatever and you can't work like that. You've got to stay calm you've got to think through what may happen in the next ball or over or when they win so no I don't get excited about it when I'm working.

What was the proudest moment of your career?

I won, it was quite amusing, I won Young Photographer of the Year when I was doing news. I was working on the evening news, I think maybe the Evening Standard. And I won Young Photographer of the Year, first person to win it ever three times in a row, three consecutive years. And they phoned up to just say that you won it three times, well done. This is the deal; this is where you come along for the awards and all the rest of it. And I went to mention it to the guys in the office, and knew it as I obviously…winning it two years before it was a big, big deal for me. I was about 19, 20, 21 or whatever. Those three years. And then the organizers phoned me back about an hour later and said I'm sorry we just found that you're about 2 days too old to win it this year. And they'd already told me I won it. So that was really annoying, but I think winning it once or certainly twice was good enough for me.

What is the funniest thing you've seen on a cricket pitch?

One or two amusing things. One was, I was in Wasim Akram bowling for Lancashire against, I can't exactly remember who. If I had a minute, I could think of it, but I better not say his name. Because this batsman, tail-ender, stood there, Wasim Akram came in to bowl, and he played the most ridiculous shot you've ever seen. And all of his stumps, all three, just went missing. And the next thing – “no ball”. So the guy breathes a sigh, gathers up all the sort of stumps and bails and puts them all back in and Wasim Akram goes back. And he thinks, I won't play that shot again. He runs in, bowls the same ball. He plays exactly the same shot, complete cow shot. All three stumps out of the ground again. This time it wasn't a no-ball, it was out. Now how stupid have you got to feel when you do that? A bit like, what's his name, in the test match the other day getting out. Exactly the same way, sky-ing that ball twice in two innings. Things like that amuse me on the pitch.

What is the strangest thing you've seen on a cricket pitch?

One of the weirdest things that I have seen on a Cricket Pitch was finding myself in the middle of the test match, in the middle of a session, in the middle of an over. Wicket hadn't fallen. Nothing really had happened apart from there was this one breaking play as such. I found myself in the middle. I was standing on the wicket. With inground players around me going, "Is there any chance, can we get on with our game now?" I was thinking wow, this is weird. Wicket hasn't fallen, it's not a break and I'm stood on the wicket in the middle of a test match. In the middle of a over waiting for the next bowl to be bowled. And that is, why? Brian Lara's 375 and everyone ran on the field, but I just thought this is really weird and the players are sort of, it was almost like England players saying what's the big deal. Come on, can we get on with the game? And it's almost like a recurring nightmare except that you're out there but it isn't Brian Lara's 375. You just found yourself in the middle of the pitch for some reason. That was quite a weird moment.

How do you know where to position yourself to take a cricket photo?

You have got to know where, what's going to happen in a game, first of all. This is another sort of thing that always amuses me. Where photographers pitch up at a game, a big game, England, test match at home, lords, wherever. Six, seven in the morning, put the tripod down. Right that's my point. That's my mark. They mark their space and they sit there all day. Well on day one, you haven't even tossed. You don't know who's going to battle or bowl, so I don't know how anyone knows where to put your tripod down. I know when you turn up about 15 minutes before play starts, have a look. Find out whose won the toss, so what's happening. Who is bowling from what end. That sort of thing, and then go for it. But no, there is really no way of telling. Until you really know what's happening in a match.

Is there competition for the best position at a cricket match?

It varies in the different types of cricket.

Who is your favourite cricketer to photograph?

At the moment it's got to be Andrew Flintoff. He's got to be the liveliest, most unpredictable whether it be with bat or ball. He'd be the one. I would say, originally, when I started photographing cricket, it was Ian Botham. You can see a sort of connection. I'm sure Freddie wouldn't mind. I hate to have him thought of in that vein but there is an obvious connection as far as I'm concerned. Batting, bowling, just very lively, both to watch.

What makes a good cricket photo?

It's probably like any picture in a way. It's sort of shapes and angles and things that just sort of work nicely. If you look at a good arty, you know fashion shot, or a news picture, or anything, you know. It's what makes a good picture, and then you just extend it to cricket. I mean cricket would be, I don't know, you are waiting for both batsmen to be run out at the same end and diving into, as the wicket keeper dives across and breaks the wicket, you know all this sort of stuff, it never happens. You are sitting there just dreaming of all these wonderful pictures that you are going to take and nothing ever happens. And then when you go off boil it's, oh there it is, you know. You almost miss it. It's just action, good action I think makes it not somebody running on or punching the air. You know anyone can turn up and take that. But a really good action picture, lot's of, it's why one day internationals are good, 20/20s are good, yea lot's of bodies lots of actions, spills and thrills, i don't know, if I ever take one I'll let you know.

Does every picture have to tell a story?

No not really. Sometimes that can be a nuisance. The story which is going to be in the paper the next day may be totally separate from what you are taking or have taken. Your best picture may have nothing to do with the story of the day. And that's the annoying bit where you can take a great picture of a bloke who then gets out next ball for one or none or whatever. And then somebody goes on to make 100 lifts the bat. That's the other one someone who will go around to the dressing room because the players will lift the bat towards the dressing room so that's where you take the picture from. I always go to the other side. I always go away, not necessarily away from the dressing room, but go somewhere completely different. Chances are before they've turned around and done that predictable wave to the dressing room they have jumped in the air and if they are doing it your way and there is no one else there and doing it your way then great, you've got it. So you try and get away from that sort of predictable....and also everyone ends up with the same picture anyway so what the hell.

Does your best photo of the day always get used?

It can be annoying. Somebody gets a hundred or not 100, say, because a hundred is a good story in a test match or a one-day international. But somebody gets 85 or around there, and you've got a cracking picture of a guy on the losing side who didn't score, but he's upside down and things are going and bells, and whatever. And that's the picture that you're thinking, "that's the one that's got to get used." Yet, the story is about somebody else, so that then shows a brave newspaper picture editor or sports editor who wants to then do different in that aspect.