[Cricket] Graham Thorpe RIP

[dazzer6666]

Awful news, so young

 

[wellquickwoody]

Sad news, aged just 55.

Thorpe played 100 Tests for England between 1993 and 2005, as well as 82 one-day internationals.

A stylish left-handed batter, he scored 6,744 Test runs for England, including 16 centuries, at an average of 44.66.

‘’There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham's death," said an ECB statement.

‘’More than one of England’s finest-ever batters, he was a beloved member of the cricket family and revered by fans all over the world.

Bloody hell!

Don’t waste a day anyone, you never know what is around the corner.

 

[Eeyore]

Just woken up to this. Really sad. I watched his entire career. He was my favourite English batsman for many years.

Arguably England's greatest left hand batsman of all time. More understated than Gower, yet more trustworthy in tight situations. He was a run accumulator rather than anything swashbuckling or flashy. His pull shot was almost unmatched.

Graham was the only English batsman the Aussies respected during that time. I put it down to him having played on the Brind family surfaces at The Oval which meant he was comfortable in Australia. But it was his tenacity and skill in reading conditions just as much. Decent fielder too.

RIP. Too soon.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Was lucky enough to see him play a couple of times for England. Great memories of a test v South Africa at Headingly '94 when I had just graduated and another test v South Africa at the Oval 10 years later when I was all grown up with a dull job. At the Oval Thorpe and Trescothick batted beautifully together for hours. Best couple of sessions of England batting I've had the privilege to see live. Marvellous scenes indeed.

RIP.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Very sad. A true class act

 

[DJ NOBO]

Hugely unlucky to be told his time was up just before the 2005 Ashes.
I always thought we would have won by more if he’d been selected.

 

[LamieRobertson]

And I tell you what, when the Aussies had us 40 for 3, there was absolutely no more reassuring sight in cricket than Thorpey walking down the steps.

Wonderful player and a terrible loss to cricket

Backed up by this comment from Nasser Hussain

When people reel off the list of England greats, he seems to slip people's minds, but he was a man for a crisis, for a battle," Hussain said in 2021.

RIP Graham Thorpe

 

[Durlston]

I'm not a big cricket fan but that is terrible news. Still so young.

RIP to one of England's all-time greats.

 

[Eeyore]

Backed up by this comment from Nasser Hussain

When people reel off the list of England greats, he seems to slip people's minds, but he was a man for a crisis, for a battle," Hussain said in 2021.

RIP Graham Thorpe

He was one of an interesting group who would have averaged as much, if not more, abroad than they did in England. South Africa was the only place he struggled a bit.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

He was one of an interesting group who would have averaged as much, if not more, abroad than they did in England. South Africa was the only place he struggled a bit.

Also remember that he played in an era of genuine world class bowlers. McGrath, Murali, Warne, Donald, Walsh. Anything well in the 40's was some average in those days

 

[stewart12]

Hugely unlucky to be told his time was up just before the 2005 Ashes.
I always thought we would have won by more if he’d been selected.

I might be wrong but my recollection is that it was between him and Pietersen, who had only just made his test debut that previous winter- don't remember Thorpe playing much after that, if at all

I always thought that he was a really classy batsman

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Very sad news.
Stylish player
RIP

 

[Eeyore]

Also remember that he played in an era of genuine world class bowlers. McGrath, Murali, Warne, Donald, Walsh. Anything well in the 40's was some average in those days

Certainly for an English batsman. His helmet always looked more like a Tommy hat. It was a reflection of how he was always ready to play gritty cricket. He always seemed to be missed when folk talk about the greats. It's all too style over substance. He was a russet coated trench man. Yet people talk about Gower as the left hander. Not for me, it was always Graham. But he did have style. His pull shot was perfection. He was very Surrey. They had very a pugnacious batting attitude- and England needed that at the time.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I might be wrong but my recollection is that it was between him and Pietersen, who had only just made his test debut that previous winter- don't remember Thorpe playing much after that, if at all

I always thought that he was a really classy batsman

Yeh mate. Bell was also in the mix for the spot as an up and coming player.

In hindsight a great selection decision was made for the younger two players, but that of course doesn't take anything away from the long and successful England career Thorpe had.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I might be wrong but my recollection is that it was between him and Pietersen, who had only just made his test debut that previous winter- don't remember Thorpe playing much after that, if at all

I always thought that he was a really classy batsman

My memory is that there was much discussion whether Thorpe or Pietersen would be picked for the ashes.
For some reason(at the time0 Ian Bell wasn't really part of that discussion.
I would have much preferred Thorpey to have featured in that series.

My fondest memory of Thorpe was the innings he played in th dark, to win the series against Pakistan.

Bloke is a legend.
RIP.

 

[Eeyore]

I might be wrong but my recollection is that it was between him and Pietersen, who had only just made his test debut that previous winter- don't remember Thorpe playing much after that, if at all

I always thought that he was a really classy batsman

He didn't have a great tour of South Africa the previous winter. He did play against Bangladesh in the early summer Tests, but Pieterson was selected over him for the series, making his Test debut in the first of them. Graham then retired from Test cricket. He knew his time was up and had a lot of injury worries too. It was a very quiet end to it all and he went out with little fanfare. I think some folk, unfairly, said he was spitting the dummy. But his competitors had much fitter frames and the selectors were probably right to move on.

Had it been a strong era for English Test cricket he would have been celebrated more. That's a shame, as he was one of the few positives at the time.

 

[studio150]

Far too early for anyone to leave us.

My favourite innings of his for England, was against Pakistan in Karachi, back in 2000 in near darkness with a not out 64 to see England home to victory.

RIP

 

[Pavilionaire]

Same age as me. A cricketer I followed closely because of that. I saw him get a high quality half cenfury at the MCG in the 1994/95 Ashes when the Aussies were all over us.

He was very unlucky to be up against Warne in his pomp and he never won an Ashes. Replaced by Ian Bell who was similar in quality but went on to win a few Ashes. One of our best players of spin in recent decades.

 

[The Clamp]

Very sad news.

55? Jeez.

 

[Pevenseagull]

I might be wrong but my recollection is that it was between him and Pietersen, who had only just made his test debut that previous winter- don't remember Thorpe playing much after that, if at all

I always thought that he was a really classy batsman

You're correct. There was a lot of debate in the press ahead of the series and it was a very close call. Thorpe was playing with a lot of pain by then and that played a part in the final decision.

As the series went on he did a few bits on C4 and TMS and was very classy about the decision. Top, top fella.