[Cricket] Ted Dexter RIP

[Silverhatch]

Quite the life: married a beautiful woman, fabulous golfer, rode and drove Norton's and Jags (fast) and also loved the geegees. Can probably be categorised as a man's man. Not a bad cricketer also.

 

[goldstone]

One of my boyhood heroes.
RIP Lord Ted.

I second that. Great batsman. Could bowl a bit too if I remember. Played with flair. RIP.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

 

[Titanic]

Fine tribute on Sussex CCC website:

https://sussexcricket.co.uk/news/ted-dexter-1935-2021

"... The thoughts of all of us at Sussex Cricket are with Ted’s wife Sue, to whom he was married for over 60 years. Robin Marlar once suggested that Susan and Ted were the “Beckhams of their age without the tinsel and the extravagance” and there is no hint of exaggeration in this. Dexter stood for Parliament against Jim Callaghan in Cardiff, scored runs against the might of Hall and Griffiths, used a motorbike as his main form of transport and together with Sue could have modelled for any product in the world, but in Sussex he will always be remembered as the man who led us to our first ever trophies at Lord’s in 1963 and 1964 and in so doing enabled Sussex to show the world how to play one-day cricket. He will be sadly missed."

 

[Robinjakarta]

I can still recall him telling me and my pals to "F**k Off" when we asked him for his autograph behind the Pavilion at Hove.

I got that, too. Great cricketer though and batsman in particular. RIP.

 

[A1X]

Lovely comments at the start of TMS this morning, think they're doing a fuller thing at lunchtime

 

[wolfie]

It was against Gloucestershire. I've just looked it up, he got 62 (no-one else in the match reached 50)

I have his autograph but from much later in life. I met him at Lord's and he was exceedingly affable.

Yes - just looked it up. It was my other hero, Jim Parks who made a glorious 90 or so against Yorkshire. I also remember a Dexter innings against either the Aussies or the Windies at Hove. Remember pursuing Wes Hall and Charlie Griffiths down Eaton Road after the Windies challenge match (Gillette Cup Winners v Tourists) and getting their autographs. I have also got an autographed team sheet of the whole Australian Touring Side circa 1962 or 1963 with some real legends on (Benaud, Harvey, Grout etc)

 

[Billy in Bristol]

I think the success of my cricket magazine JM96* could be solely thanks to Lord Ted.

He even told us so.

Great man, great sense of humour bloody innovative in his thinking.

RIP Ted

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

I second that. Great batsman. Could bowl a bit too if I remember. Played with flair. RIP.

Reminded me of a rebuke to Simon Hughes that he included in one of his columns (reproduced in his blog, which is actually interesting and worth reading for the rumination on technique and other issues):

http://teddexter.com/blog/index.php?/archives/55-All-balls!!-2000.html

'A final word for Simon Hughes who made a spirited response to my comments two months ago about bowlers and their views on batting techniques.Simon's gentle barb in my direction was that he took time to accept my view of his bowling “because I was a batsman”.

Sorry to do this to you Simon, but the 1969 Playfair career records section tells me that Dexter.E.R took 419 first class wickets at an average of 29.9 – 5 wickets 9 times, 10 wickets twice.

The 1994 edition reveals that Hughes.S.P took 466 wickets at 32.48 – 5 wickets 10 times and 50 wickets in a season twice. I went back to 1969 to check my own season by season tallies to find that the criteria for a mention in the final column used to be 100 wickets, not 50. I did not get a mention.'

I spent far too long this morning looking for a photo I've seen of him about 2yds down the wicket playing a straight drive with a follow through like a golf shot, before realising it's in a book called John Arlott's 100 greatest batsman and doesn't seem to be on the Internet anywhere.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

One of my boyhood heroes.
RIP Lord Ted.

Me too, being brought up in Sussex in the 1960s.

That’s two boyhood heroes in two days, what with Charlie Watts as well.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Some lovely anecdotes about Ted during lunch on TMS today. A giant of the game in many ways - and a huge character. We'll not see his like again.
I missed him in his pomp, but saw him in the late 60s when he made a comeback. Even better, I obtained his autograph via my brother who worked in a hotel where Ted and his wife were staying. Apparently, the autograph was signed while he* was in bed with Mrs Dexter.

*that's Ted and not my brother

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Lovely tribute to Ted on the tv during lunch, with footage from John Snow, Tony Greig etc.
He was also a very good golfer.

My Dad’s favourite, and I remember watching him at Hove in the 60s.

 

[Lifelong Supporter]

It was against Gloucestershire. I've just looked it up, he got 62 (no-one else in the match reached 50)

I have his autograph but from much later in life. I met him at Lord's and he was exceedingly affable.

I was there for the Gloucester game which went into the third day due to the weather. Mike Buss got the man of the match. 60 overs a side then !!

 

[dazzer6666]

Lovely tribute to Ted on the tv during lunch, with footage from John Snow, Tony Greig etc.
He was also a very good golfer.

My Dad’s favourite, and I remember watching him at Hove in the 60s.

Excellent wasn’t it………

 

[Pavilionaire]

R.I.P. Lord Ted. He would certainly get into my all-time Sussex 1st XI.

What a life lived - test cricketer, England captain and selector, qualified pilot, scratch golfer, crime writer, stood as an MP. A remarkable man.

 

[Gwylan]

I was there for the Gloucester game which went into the third day due to the weather. Mike Buss got the man of the match. 60 overs a side then !!

It did go to the third day but MotM was Don Bates with 6-30 (should have been Lord Ted, his batting was different class to everyone else)

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Ditto that on many occasions. In the end we would ask him just to wind him up.
Contrast to the likes of Snow, Parkes and Suttle who were invariably more obliging
An all time great cricketer though.
Brings back happy memories of youthful summers

Similar here - I had a pic signed by the great Gillette Cup winning side of the early 60s - all except Ted. Luckily, a friend of mine knew him and arranged to get the picture completed some 50 years later!

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

Lovely tribute to Ted on the tv during lunch, with footage from John Snow, Tony Greig etc.
He was also a very good golfer.

My Dad’s favourite, and I remember watching him at Hove in the 60s.

Exactly the same for me. My Dad always went on about Ted Dexter’s batting. Meanwhile I had to put up with Geoffrey! That’s as in Boycott not the one with Bungle!

 

[Eeyore]

There is a belief that he once declared a Sussex innings whilst absent at Brighton racecourse.

I'm not sure if that actually happened, but I could believe it.

 

[vegster]

RIP Ted, too young to have seen you in your prime but I always remember you leaving Lord's on your motorbike! Thanks for all you did for Sussex and England.