Latest news with #GrahamGooch
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Wayne Larkins dies, aged 71: Fearless ‘Ned' a Bazballer ahead of his time
Wayne Larkins, who has died after a short illness aged 71, was an England cricketer ahead of his time and would have been in huge demand in the franchise Twenty20 era. Larkins played 13 Tests and 25 ODIs for England at a time when it was easier to get into the England side than it is now, but also much easier to be dropped from it too. Instead it was the county circuit where he dominated, playing for Northamptonshire as a hard-hitting, left-handed opener between 1972-91 before joining Durham for four years when they were granted first-class status. County attacks from the era would fear being 'Nedded' by Larkins, whose driving through – and frequently over – extra cover could take apart any attack at a time when counties boasted some of the best overseas players in the world. His finest hour came in Jamaica when he hit the winning runs as England shocked the West Indies to take a 1-0 lead in the 1989-90 series. Larkins was playing his seventh Test, eight years after his previous appearance. Photographs of the moment show him raising both arms in the air with a thick chest pad – almost like a pillow – visible underneath his shirt to protect his ribs from the bouncers of Patrick Patterson, Ian Bishop and Courtney Walsh at a time when an English batsman playing in the Caribbean was taking his life in his own hands. Larkins was back in favour because Graham Gooch had been appointed England captain and, like many professionals on the circuit, respected Larkins far more than the England selectors. Gooch picked Larkins for the 50-over Nehru Cup in India in 1989 and a hundred against Australia sealed his place on the West Indies tour. Gooch wanted Larkins as his opening partner because he was fearless, could play fast bowling and take the attack back to the West Indies after years of England subjugation. Sadly, Larkins was past his best by then. He was 36 and despite a half-century in the next Test in Trinidad, the runs dried up and he was dropped at the end of the tour. He did not play for England in the summer of 1990 but was recalled for the 1990-91 Ashes tour. Two half-centuries at the MCG were a last hurrah but by then Mike Atherton had emerged as Gooch's opening partner and the following summer against West Indies Graeme Hick became available and that was the end for Ned. It was an era where players were paid little and the authorities could not care less about time away from home and families. Larkins spent his entire tour fee for the Ashes phoning his wife in the UK. Larkins enjoyed life off the field and his approach would have chimed nicely with the modern-day Bazballers. Despite his naturally attacking strokeplay, Larkins played only 25 ODIs. A three-year ban for a rebel tour in the early 1980s limited his international appearances, although he played a lot more for England despite taking the South African money. His second appearance in ODI cricket was the 1979 World Cup final at Lord's against the mighty West Indies where he played as an all-rounder, batting at No 7 to bowl seam in probably the most lop-sided team to play a World Cup final. Larkins was out first ball to Joel Garner and his two overs costs 21 runs as Viv Richards and Collis King took England apart. It was the county circuit where Larkins was at home. He built a yin and yang opening partnership with Geoff Cook for Northants that lasted a decade and was among the most reliable on the circuit. He was part of the Northants team that won the club's first title, the Gillette Cup, in 1976 and scored a 1,000 Championship runs every year from 1978-1985. When Andrew Strauss became England team director in 2015 he organised a reunion for every player who had played ODI or Test cricket, giving them a cap embossed with their number. Larkins was astonished, and chuffed, that a number of players told him that night he was their inspiration as a player.
BBC News
21-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Essex County Cricket Club pictures show match 100 years ago
Century-old pictures that show Essex County Cricket Club's first match at their ground in Chelmsford are being shared for the images have been retrieved from the club's archive to mark 100 years since the side took on Oxford University at the County Ground on 20 June to the stadium opening, fixtures were played in Brentwood and later taken on tour across Essex and east executive Dan Feist said the ground gave fans and players alike a "unique feeling of closeness" to the action. The club formed in 1876 as a result of a meeting held at the Shire Hall in Chelmsford on 14 it was not until 49 years later that Essex found a permanent home in the county has gone on to make plenty of history since. Graham Napier rewrote the record books by hitting 16 sixes in a T20 innings in 2008, smashing his way to 152 not out, off just 58 deliveries.A 20-year-old Alastair Cook scored 214 for Essex against Australia in Chelmsford in crowds were able to witness an iconic performance by Simon Harmer in 2017, taking 14 wickets against Middlesex as Essex charged towards winning the County have also been tear-jerking moments, including when legendary run-scorer Graham Gooch retired in 1997. Mr Feist said: "Every club, player, member, spectator and staff member need a focal point."Over the years, Chelmsford has become exactly that for so many."He said those involved with the club could not forget its "nomadic existence" prior to playing at the County Ground. "As many players have said over the years, Chelmsford may not be Lord's, but it is their home," Mr Feist added. "Each section of the ground fosters lasting memories of aspiration, enjoyment and enduring friendships."Quite simply, it is a ground at the very heart of the communities it serves." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'Your main job is to perform... captaincy is secondary': Ex-England captain Graham Gooch on Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill (left) and Graham Gooch (BCCI | File) Leeds: India are set to face England in the first Test of the five-match series in Leeds from June 20. The Shubman Gill-led unit has been preparing for over two weeks now and even featured in an intra-squad game in Beckenham. Ahead of the series opener, spoke to former England captain Graham Gooch who, in a free-wheeling chat, spoke at length about captaincy, challenge for Shubman Gill , why England have a point to prove and what one can expect from the pitches this summer. Excerpts... The England tour starts a new era in Indian cricket. Your thoughts on the side under Shubman Gill. He is just 25 and still work-in-progress as a Test batter. Will leading the inexperienced side be a real challenge for him? It's a new era, isn't it? My view is that if one door closes, another one opens. I'm sure they'll give a good account of themselves. Talent in the Indian cricket team is undoubted. It's just that there's some big shoes to fill with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retiring. It will be a big loss if Bumrah doesn't lead the attack in all the games. I mean, obviously, he's a world-class bowler. The pressure will be on, but some of the younger players will have to step up. And the captain, it's a great honour to captain your country, and I'm sure he'll (Gill) handle it in a good way. Having led England and then the kind of success you had with the bat during the period, what would be the one piece of advice you will give to Gill? Not every player is able to handle the pressure of captaincy. I don't quite agree with the pressure. Some people are not up to the pressure. I don't agree with that sentiment. I believe that being made captain of your country is the greatest honour a performer can receive. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Costco Shoppers Say This $7 Generic Cialis Is Actually Worth It FridayPlans Learn more Undo Because you're not just captain of the other 10 players, you're captain of your sport. So your responsibility as a role model and as an ambassador to set the tone for your country's cricket system, from professional cricketers down to cricketers who play zonal cricket in your country, and the youngsters, the boys and girls who aspire to play for India or for representative teams, your responsibility is to set the tone and be an example for all the cricketers in your country. Poll Do you believe Shubman Gill will successfully lead the inexperienced Indian team against England? Yes, he has the talent and potential. No, it's too much pressure for him. It depends on how the team performs. So it's more than just a captain in a team. I think that honour should inspire you as a player. It certainly has inspired me. I don't always subscribe to the view that it's more pressure. You've got to do it your own way and you've got to be yourself, not copy anyone. I think the most important thing for a captain is you've got to perform. Your main job in the team is to perform, with the bat in his case. So he has to do that. Captaincy is secondary to performing. And if you perform well yourself, that makes the captaincy easier. A lot is being said about the Indian team but you reckon England, too, will have a point to prove? They didn't have a good series against India last time the two sides met in the longest format. I think England have a point to prove because whereas I'm in favour of the type of cricket they're trying to play, exciting, expressive, on the front foot type cricket, to set the tone of the game, to take the game to the opposition. I'm in favour of that, but the record suggests that they've had some spectacular series where they've won and they've lost some as well. I think the big factor for England is, whereas you want to go on the attacker's map, they've done a great job. When you need to play smart in test cricket, you have to play smart. Does that make sense? You can't go all out attack every time. You have to play the situation. If such a situation requires you to dig in a bit, then you have to dig in. But England, over the last few years, have gone on the attack possibly too much. But the general principle of what they're trying to do, I think it's good for test cricket. Because as we all know, test cricket is under pressure from franchise cricket, hugely. Do you think this aggressive style of cricket also opens up plenty of opportunities for the inexperienced Indian unit? England could leave some doors open because of the cricket they play. I think Ben Stokes ' stated aim is that he doesn't want to draw any test matches. He's not interested in drawing the test if he can't win it. Which leaves a bit of a question. Sometimes it's impossible to win the test. The hardest thing in a five-day test is to create a winning opportunity. It doesn't mean you always take that winning opportunity. But you play for two, three, four days even to create a winning opportunity maybe on the last day. And England play for that. And they've stated to all the world, or Ben Stokes has, that that's the way he wants to play. So sometimes you can find yourself in a difficult situation in a test where maybe you have to save the game or whatever. You have to play every situation individually. So that gives the opposition, not an advantage, but they know how England want to play. So they know they're going to go all out and they're not interested in a draw. How much say will the absence of two stalwarts of Indian cricket - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - will have on the series? Do you reckon England have a slight edge because they don't have to worry about two world class cricketers? The home advantage gives England a slight edge, yeah. Because we're used to those conditions. Although a different bowling attack now with Anderson and Broad retiring. So England are still trying to work out what their best bowling attack is. We're playing your guys and Australia back-to-back, the two best sides in the world. So we're still trying to work out what their best bowling attack is. So there's a little bit of a question mark there. But given English conditions where the ball moves around off the seam, now India have got some pretty good seamers as well, especially if Bumrah plays. So they will be competitive without a doubt. But I think home advantage will give England a slight edge, but not too much of an edge. Shubman Gill returns to the city where it all started for him as a youngster Different venues present different challenges in England. How different are they from each other and what should a visiting team keep in mind? I think what you've got to consider is we've had a very dry summer here so far. There's been hardly any rain for the last three months. And that means that all the pitches will be quite dry. And I don't think they will, I mean, all English venues want the match to go four days. So unlike some other parts of the world. Where you can make the ball do whatever you want. Over here, the grounds, they want the match to go four days. Do you understand what I'm saying? So they will try and produce pretty flat pitches. They might seem around a little bit and they might turn a little bit towards the end. But they'll be pretty, generally, they'll be pretty good pitches, generally. So it could mean hard work for the bowlers... Well, we've had an unusually dry first half of the summer. You know, there's no rain, hardly March and April. And a little bit of rain lately. So they should be dry. And good pitches. So the bowlers will have to work hard. Before we sign off, I don't want to stir the plate of prawns again but any food suggestions for the visitors? (Laughs) I am sure if they want to try the tiger prawns over here, they will be fine.
India.com
16-06-2025
- Sport
- India.com
From Graham Gooch To Karun Nair: Top Batters With Highest Score In India vs England Tests
photoDetails english 2916807 Updated:Jun 16, 2025, 03:00 PM IST India To Face England 1 / 9 India will face England in a 5-match Test series starting from June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. Shubman Gill will lead the Test side for the first time in this series. India Without Legends 2 / 9 Indian side will be without it's two Stalwarts-Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli who announced their retirement from Test cricket in May. Both have been pivotal considering India's fragile batting lineup. Here is a look at batters with Highest Individual score in India vs England tests. Graham Gooch (333) 3 / 9 England's Graham Gooch holds the all-time record for the highest individual score in IND vs ENG Tests, a monumental 333 runs in 1990. The inning contributed to his record-breaking aggregate score of 456 in the match against India at Lord's in 1990. Karun Nair (303) 4 / 9 Karun Nair became the first and only Indian to score a triple hundred against England, an unforgettable 303 not out in 2016. He scored his maiden Test century in the final match of the series at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. Alastair Cook (294) 5 / 9 Former England captain Alastair Cook's epic 294 in 2011 stands as the third-highest individual score in this rivalry. Geoffrey Boycott (246) 6 / 9 Geoffrey Boycott's stoic and impactful 246 not out in 1967 showcased classic Test match batting at its best. The Yorkshire legend scored this at Leeds hitting Indian bowlers everywhere. Ian Bell (235) 7 / 9 Ian Bell's stylish 235 in 2011 highlights his ability to dominate the Indian bowling attack with grace and power. He scored this fabulous knock during 4th Test of the 2011 series at The Oval. Virat Kohli (235) 8 / 9 India's modern legend, Virat Kohli, also features on this elite list with a commanding 235 runs scored in 2016. He scored this during 4th test at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Batting Royalty 9 / 9 From legendary figures of the past to contemporary stars, these scores celebrate the rich batting heritage of both nations.
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Business Standard
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
ICC WTC 2025 Final: SA vs AUS pitch report, Lord's stadium key stats
South Africa (SA) and Australia (AUS) are set to lock horns in the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 at the historic Lord's Cricket Ground in London on Wednesday, June 11. This one-off showdown will crown the world Test champions, with Australia aiming to defend their 2023 title and South Africa chasing a historic maiden ICC Test trophy. A win for South Africa would deliver their first ICC title in over two decades, reigniting hopes for a new era in Proteas cricket. For Australia, a victory would seal their second successive WTC mace and further cement their dominance in Test cricket. The surface at Lord's Cricket Ground traditionally provides a fair contest between bat and ball. The pitch tends to offer assistance to seamers early on, especially with the new ball under overcast English skies. Batting becomes easier as the match progresses into Days 2 and 3, though variable bounce and spin may emerge in the latter stages, particularly on Days 4 and 5. Captains winning the toss often opt to bat first, but results have been varied. With 52 wins batting first and 41 chasing, Lord's Cricket Ground offers no clear advantage either way. However, patient batting and disciplined bowling will be key across five days. Recent Test Match at Lord's Cricket Ground The most recent Test at Lord's Cricket Ground saw England host Sri Lanka in the summer of 2024. England scored 427 and 251 in their two innings. In reply, Sri Lanka could only manage 196 and 292, as the English side walked away with a comfortable 199-run victory. Lord's Cricket Ground: Test Match Stats and Key Performances Lord's Cricket Ground, the iconic venue for Test cricket, has hosted a total of 147 Test matches since its first on July 21, 1884, and most recently on August 29, 2024. Out of these, teams batting first have won 53 matches, while those batting second have secured victory in 43 encounters. A total of 51 matches have ended in a draw or with no result. Teams winning the toss have gone on to win 53 matches (36.05%), whereas those losing the toss have managed to win 43 matches (29.25%). Among individual performances, the highest Test score at Lord's is 333, scored by England's Graham Gooch against India on July 26, 1990. The best bowling figures in an innings belong to Ian Botham, who claimed 8 for 34 against Pakistan on June 15, 1978. The best match figures were recorded by Australia's Bob Massie, who took 16 for 137 against England on June 22, 1972. Australia also holds the record for the highest team total at Lord's, posting 729 for 6 declared against England on June 27, 1930. Conversely, the lowest total at the venue is 38, scored by Ireland against England on July 24, 2019. The highest successful run chase was achieved by West Indies, who scored 344 for 1 against England on June 28, 1984.
