Born on a council estate in London's King's Cross, Fred showed an incredible aptitude both as batsman and bowler from an early age. From these humble beginnings he began his lifelong involvement with the game, first as a player, then coach and finally as an England selector. His incredible rise through the ranks of the cricketing establishment was even more remarkable given his background and the class divisions that once characterised British cricket. His career has been as eventful off the pitch as it has been on. When playing with Ted Dexter, Dexter once insisted he and Fred opened the innings in a Test match, so they could have the afternoon free to go racing at Cheltenham, and, after losing four toes in 1968, Titmus confounded all predictions by returning to first class cricket seven weeks later. Fred Titmus: A Life in Cricket is a remarkable testament to an extraordinary man.
