A flip of the coin saw Alec win the toss, and Eric consequently took up off-spin bowling, for which he became very adept in a Surrey county team that was dominated by famous spinners such as Jim Laker and Tony Lock, and concentrated on his batting.
Laker was the first player to take all 10 wickets in a Test match innings, ten for 53 in the Australians' second innings of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford in 1956 (the only other bowler to take all 10 wickets is Anil Kumble of India in 1999).
Jim Thorpe | Jim Carrey | Jim DeMint | Jim Morrison | Jim Jarmusch | Jim Jones | Jim Henson | Jim Dine | Jim Starlin | Jim Reeves | Jim Flaherty | Jim Cummings | Jim Bunning | According to Jim | Jim O'Rourke | Jim Nabors | Jim Bohannon | Jim Lovell | Jim Lauderdale | Jim Crow laws | Jim Clark | Jim O'Rourke (musician) | Jim Keltner | Jim Crockett Promotions | Jim Brown | Jim Brickman | Jim Lee | Jim Kelly | Jim Hall (musician) | Jim Doyle |
Steele went on to be named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 1975, the first cricketer to win the accolade since Jim Laker in 1956.
Easily his most successful season with the ball was 1962, when he got his chance after the retirements of the Surrey off-spinners Jim Laker and Eric Bedser and took 66 wickets at 23.92.