Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
RIP John Edrich
25 views
Skip to first unread message
John Hall
Dec 25, 2020, 4:38:30 AM12/25/20
to
If the Australian Daily Telegraph is correct, John Edrich has died,
though there's nothing on the BBC website or Cricinfo yet (but of course
news is always slow to filter through at Christmas). He was one of my
favourite players. It helped that he played for my county of Surrey, and
that his rise coincided with my starting to seriously follow the game as
a child. But I also admired his grit and determination. He was never
pretty, but often highly effective.
--
John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
pays off now." Anon
though there's nothing on the BBC website or Cricinfo yet (but of course
news is always slow to filter through at Christmas). He was one of my
favourite players. It helped that he played for my county of Surrey, and
that his rise coincided with my starting to seriously follow the game as
a child. But I also admired his grit and determination. He was never
pretty, but often highly effective.
--
John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
pays off now." Anon
David North
Dec 25, 2020, 5:22:44 AM12/25/20
to
On 25/12/2020 09:36, John Hall wrote:
> If the Australian Daily Telegraph is correct, John Edrich has died,
> though there's nothing on the BBC website or Cricinfo yet (but of course
> news is always slow to filter through at Christmas).
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/john-edrich-the-former-england-opener-dies-aged-83-1245097
> If the Australian Daily Telegraph is correct, John Edrich has died,
> though there's nothing on the BBC website or Cricinfo yet (but of course
> news is always slow to filter through at Christmas).
That's just appeared on the Cricinfo home page in the last few minutes.
--
David North
Dechucka
Dec 25, 2020, 3:10:31 PM12/25/20
to
On 25/12/2020 8:36 pm, John Hall wrote:
> If the Australian Daily Telegraph is correct, John Edrich has died,
> though there's nothing on the BBC website or Cricinfo yet (but of course
> news is always slow to filter through at Christmas). He was one of my
> favourite players. It helped that he played for my county of Surrey, and
> that his rise coincided with my starting to seriously follow the game as
> a child. But I also admired his grit and determination. He was never
> pretty, but often highly effective.
Gritty, determined and thorn in the side of Australian teams (from my
> If the Australian Daily Telegraph is correct, John Edrich has died,
> though there's nothing on the BBC website or Cricinfo yet (but of course
> news is always slow to filter through at Christmas). He was one of my
> favourite players. It helped that he played for my county of Surrey, and
> that his rise coincided with my starting to seriously follow the game as
> a child. But I also admired his grit and determination. He was never
> pretty, but often highly effective.
memories in the 70's), not a bad epitaph.
RH156RH
Dec 27, 2020, 4:31:04 AM12/27/20
to
He was very brave too ..
https://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/12490.html
Wisden overview
The youngest member of a prolific Norfolk cricket family, John Edrich was the sort of opening batsman every team-mate, and all selection panels, yearns for. A stocky left-hander of infinite discipline and courage, he knew his limitations and played to them unblinkingly, waiting for the right ball to put away. His main scoring areas were square on the off side, where he square-cut and punched either side of cover point with equal certainty, and through midwicket, where he was prolific. Years before batting helmets were even thought of, he was badly injured in 1965 when, following a sequence which brought him 1311 runs in nine innings, a triple-century against New Zealand, he ducked into a short ball from Peter Pollock, South Africa's fastest bowler of the 1960s. The ball seamed up the Lord's slope and hit Edrich on the forehead, knocking him cold. But as when Lillee broke two of his ribs at Sydney in 1974-75, it made no difference to Edrich's game at all: he just stayed in line and took whatever came his way. He was also a realist. On the rare occasions he was struggling for runs, he turned to Wisden to check how many runs he had made. "Twenty thousand, eh?" he would say to himself: "I can't be such a bad player after all!" John Thicknesse
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/55445972
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 not play for England again. They were the only England players to reach 20 in the innings.
RH
0 new messages