Published: Nov 04, 2015, 12:26 AM (IST)
Edited: Nov 04, 2015, 12:26 AM (IST)
London: Tom Graveney, the former England captain and president of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), has died at the age of 88, Britain’s Press Association announced on Tuesday. Graveney made 11 centuries in 79 Test matches for England between 1951 and 1969, scoring 4,882 runs at an average of 44.38. Appointed MCC president in 2005 he was an honorary life member of the Lord’s club. Graveney played county cricket at both Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, and had a spell playing in Australia with Queensland. He remained involved in the sport as a commentator following his retirement in 1972. Tom Graveney: The man who played his best cricket after he turned 39
A message from the Lord’s Twitter account read: “Deeply saddened to hear of the death of former @englandcricket captain and MCC President Tom Graveney.” BBC radio cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew wrote: “Never saw Tom Graveney bat, but he is synonymous with a golden era of England batsmen. Loved a chat in the bar and lived for cricket. RIP.”
Worcestershire chief executive David Leatherdale said: “Tom has been a major figure in Worcestershire’s history and everyone at the club is saddened by today’s news and our thoughts go out to the Graveney family at this sad time. He was one of the stalwarts of our first two Championship triumphs and will be hugely missed by everyone at Worcestershire CCC and by cricket as a whole.”
Graveney had had played a total of 55 Tests until the tour of Australia in 1962-63. However, with just 116 runs from three games saw him getting dropped as the team returned from Down Under. Nevertheless, it was the West Indies, who toured England during the summer of 1963 and he just destroyed the Caribbean bowling attack with his elegant strokes.
