Wisden overview
A steady left-arm spinner with a clipped moustache and a gentle manner, Illingworth snared his wickets by bowling maidens and building up pressure. He later added greater turn to his repertoire, but it was for his reliability as much as anything that England chose him in 1991 for the one-day and Test teams. Illingworth took a wicket with his first ball in Tests, but the selectors rightly decided that his style was better suited to the shorter form, and he was a miserly member of the side that reached the 1992 World Cup final. Although he made a Test comeback in 1995 and toured SouthAfrica with some success that winter, Illingworth never managed to fight off the more talented Phil Tufnell for long enough to become a regular. For Worcestershire he was a gritty No. 8 and made three centuries as nightwatchman, but after 18 years on the staff, he was sidelined in 2000, and his request for a one-day contract for 2001 was turned down. Derbyshire promptly signed him on a two-year contract. Lawrence Booth

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