John Edrich

[Starfighter]

John Edrich, the former England batsman, dies aged 83

John Edrich, the former England opener, dies aged 83

Edrich played 77 Tests between 1963 and 1976, most often as a fearless left-handed opener

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Very sad news. Served England well at a time when the batting was thin.

 

[grecian]

RIP'

Is the most 4s in an innings an under-rated stat because he may not be one of the biggest names in cricket? The only man to score 50 4s, five ahead of the next guy. Feel if it had been a Lara, Pietersen or Richards may have been mentioned more.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

He definitely goes under the radar. He was at the other end in 1976 during the bouncer barrage at Old Trafford, but people tend to to think mainly of Brian Close.

 

[honestbharani]

RIP

 

[BoyBrumby]

Vale.

Had no idea he scored the first ever boundary in ODIs until this morning.

Just a little before my time, although I was actually alive when he played his final test but literally a babe in arms, but a rather impressive record.

The Guadian's obituary reports that Boycott rates him, naming him in the combined Ashes XI from series he (Sir Geoffrey) played in.

John Edrich, former England and Surrey batsman, dies aged 83

The former England and Surrey batsman John Edrich, who played 77 Tests, has died aged 83

www.theguardian.com

John had one of the greatest temperaments I have ever seen: he could play and miss and it wouldn’t bother him one jot. As with Herbert Sutcliffe, it was impossible to fluster him.

Praise from Caesar.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Rip

I may have picked him a few times in my illustrious career as a CW drafter

 

[tony p]

Rip, another great leaves us, a career played before the days of helmets. A hundred first-class centuries as well.

Paul Edwards wrote a great piece on him earlier this year, it's been repeated on cricinfo today.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

RIP. Before my time but you always know who the really good ones were from the respect their peers have for them.

 

[Burgey]

Such sad news. Really sorry to hear this. RIP

 

[wpdavid]

Fine opening batsman who deserved more recognition in the recent best sides from the last 50 years thread. Comments from lillee and boycott say so much about him. There was a brief period when he and boycott were the best opening pair in the world. Incredibly brave of course. You probably read about him coming back to face Lillee and Thompson with two broken ribs

 

[BoyBrumby]

Fine opening batsman who deserved more recognition in the recent best sides from the last 50 years thread. Comments from lillee and boycott say so much about him. There was a brief period when he and boycott were the best opening pair in the world. Incredibly brave of course. You probably read about him coming back to face Lillee and Thompson with two broken ribs

Absolutely. John, at 39, and a 45 year old Brian Close (whose own bravery famously bordered on the pathological) facing a fired up Windies at OT in 76 with Roberts, Daniel and Holding smelling the blood of Englishmen was probably as close as test cricket got to open warfare.

That it's probably the passage of play he's best remembered for possibly does a disservice to his quality as a batsman but speaks volumes about his testicular fortitude.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I watched the 1975 Morecambe and Wise Christmas special this year for the first time in years and had forgotten that John Edrich featured in it.

 

[wpdavid]

I watched the 1975 Morecambe and Wise Christmas special this year for the first time in years and had forgotten that John Edrich featured in it.

That really is the oddest thing. I suppose it takes us back to a time when the BBC's test coverage meant that the the watching millions might be expected to know who John Edrich actually was. I can't imagine that John enjoyed the experience very much. He probably preferred facing the Australians at The Oval a few months previously.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

That really is the oddest thing. I suppose it takes us back to a time when the BBC's test coverage meant that the the watching millions might be expected to know who John Edrich actually was. I can't imagine that John enjoyed the experience very much. He probably preferred facing the Australians at The Oval a few months previously.

He didn’t appear as a guest. They did a scene where Eric and Ernie were in the crowd at Lords during the Test that summer. They show John Edrich hitting a boundary to set the scene and Eric says what a great player he is. Then they make it appear as though Eric is the Lords streaker.