Yorkshire treasure who climbed to the very top

TO every Yorkshireman who loved cricket, Dickie Bird was an unparalleled source of pride, amusement and joy.

- BY NEIL SQUIRES

As a cultural ambassador, his rich blend of comedy and soul-deep care for the game he cherished, and the game which unites the disparate parishes of the Broad Acres, was a godsend.

A world away from the misery of the Yorkshire stereotype, Bird made cricket fun and himself into a national treasure.