Former England batsman John Edrich has died at the age of 83.

The left-hander played 77 Tests for England, making 12 centuries and finishing with an average of 43.54.

A Surrey legend, he made 39,790 first-class runs overall from 564 matches, including 103 centuries – one of only 25 men to compile 100 first-class tons.

He was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2000 but lived long past the seven years he was given at that time and died of natural causes at his home in Scotland.

Edrich believed injections of mistletoe which he received from 2005 extended his life and enabled him to cope with a rare form of the blood cancer.

Report

He made his Test debut against West Indies at Old Trafford in 1963 and finished against the same opposition on the same ground 13 years later.

The opener top scored with 24 in the second innings of his last Test in 1976 as England were bowled out for 126 by West Indies’ formidable pace attack on an uneven pitch to lose by 425 runs.

His characteristic bravery was illustrated in that final Test innings at the age of 39 as he and opening partner Brian Close, 45, stoically defended for 80 minutes at the end of Saturday’s play in the face of fearsome bowling by Andy Roberts, Wayne Daniel and Michael Holding.

Batting without helmets or chest protectors, Edrich was unbeaten on 10 and Close on one at the close and they took the score to 54 in the next day’s play before the former was out for the final time in a Test – bowled by Daniel.

Close, bowled by Roberts for 20 soon after, also did

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

14 COMMENTS

  12. … [Trackback]

    […] Here you will find 76456 additional Information to that Topic: blackzine.co.za/2020/12/31/john-edrich-former-england-batsman-dies-aged-83/ […]

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here