John Edrich RIP

[ClaretTony]

Former England opening batsman John Edrich has passed away aged 83. One of the early openers I can recall in the England test team.

[Aclaret]

Did he open with Brian Luckhurst ? That seems to be my early memories of test cricket.
Indeed RIP John Edrich.

[Erasmus]

No cap, sleeves rolled up, broad forearms. Made the runs while Boycott watched. A great opener for England

[onewillieirvine]

He was as tough as any opening bat as we have produced. He took on some of the quickest bowlers in Test history, from Wes Hall to Michael Holding, with Thomson and Lillee for good measure. Rip Mr Ed rich.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

RIP, John. Being the same age as CT he’s also the first England opener I remember. Tough nut as well.

[ClaretTony]

I was at Headingley on the day he got his 300 plus score v New Zealand.

Funny how you remember things but I recall the bloke coming round trying to flog the evening paper shouting: “Train robber escapes.” It was Ronnie Biggs.

[CleggHall]

I was at Old Trafford Saturday evening when Holding, Roberts etc worked over Edrich and Close. A brutal onslaught but bravely faced by the batsmen after Greig wound up the opposition with his “make them grovel comment”. RIP John.

[ClaretTony]

I was at Old Trafford Saturday evening when Holding, Roberts etc worked over Edrich and Close. A brutal onslaught but bravely faced by the batsmen after Greig wound up the opposition with his “make them grovel comment”. RIP John.

I went to the second day of that test when they bowled us out for about 70. My eyes were younger & sharper then but Holding was so quick I struggled to pick the ball up. Greig really upset them with that remark. What a team the West Indies had then.

[bodge]

Steady on Erasmus.

All the best cricketers are left handers and Edrich was a fine one.

[CleggHall]

....and a Merry Xmas Tony!
Thanks for all you do for us, your recalcitrant family and flock?!

[Quicknick]

RIP John Edrich. A truly great opening batsman.

[eastanglianclaret]

Sad news. Some of my earliest cricketing memories are of John Edrich. I seem to recall some sharp witted spectator ran onto the square on one occasion and presented him with a foot wide bat. I think that he was underlining the fact that Edrich was so difficult to get out. I may have dreamt it, it seems so long ago. Does anyone else remember that incident?

[ClaretTony]

Sad news. Some of my earliest cricketing memories are of John Edrich. I seem to recall some sharp witted spectator ran onto the square on one occasion and presented him with a foot wide bat. I think that he was underlining the fact that Edrich was so difficult to get out. I may have dreamt it, it seems so long ago. Does anyone else remember that incident?

One little anecdote. My dad took me to Southport one day to watch Lancs v Surrey. Ken Barrington was batting, and scoring runs very slowly as was his way. Someone lowered the flag to half mast.

[Ashingtonclaret46]

Sorry to read this news. He was a real gutsy opener who never seemed to worry about anything and just got on with the job no matter what the opposition hurled down at him. Some memorable performances and, as a left hander, a real inspiration to myself playing at a much lower level!
R.I.P. John Edrich.

[conyoviejo]

R.I.P.John Edrich .a boyhood hero of mine and one of the best left handed batsmen to grace the game of cricket.

[Buxtonclaret]

Well known as one of the toughest of opening batsmen, as well as his superb drive through the covers.
As someone above said, Geoff stood and watched while John hit the runs.
R.I.P John.

[alwaysaclaret]

Remember my grandad taking me to lowerhouse when I was around 7 or 8, he used to refer to John Edrich as one of the England greats of that era, as I took a real interest over the next few years I realised just that, great batsman, R. I. P John.

[warksclaret]

Can remember him getting 300 plus in one innings-I was still at school

[ClaretTony]

Can remember him getting 300 plus in one innings-I was still at school

See my post above - Headingley 1965

[Silkyskills1]

Sad news. Some of my earliest cricketing memories are of John Edrich. I seem to recall some sharp witted spectator ran onto the square on one occasion and presented him with a foot wide bat. I think that he was underlining the fact that Edrich was so difficult to get out. I may have dreamt it, it seems so long ago. Does anyone else remember that incident?

I remember the incident and I think it was offered to him because he kept 'playing and missing' suggesting a wider bat might help him get something on the ball. Great memory.

[tiger76]

Sadly I'm too young to remember Edrich's era, but all the cricket writers of the time described him as elegant, which he was, but he could also battle when he had too, and for an opening batsman in that era with so many great fast bowlers that was an essential element for a successful test career.

A test average of 44 facing such demons as the Aussies and the Windies had at their disposal in those days, shows what a high class player John really was.

RIP John

[tiger76]

I remember the incident and I think it was offered to him because he kept 'playing and missing' suggesting a wider bat might help him get something on the ball. Great memory.

There's nowt wrong with playing and missing, it's when you get a nick on it that you should be worried, not when your playing and missing.

[jrtod61]

Boycott's role was to grind the bowling attacks down so that John and later partners could plunder the runs from the other end (while remembering to refuse any sharp singles called by Geoffrey). R.I.P.

[IanMcL]

Boycott
Enrich
Cowdrey
Barrington
May
Dexter
Parks
Some bowlers...
Including Trueman and Statham often
Titmus spinner

[joey13]

RIP to a wonderful man and gent

[Steve1956]

My very first memory of watching test cricket was Edrich with a typical no nonsense approach to batting unlike the guy at the other end the self loving Yorkshire bellend Boycott

[Malvern claret]

I remember his 310 n o very well. I had just left BGS and we were on the school cricket tour in Somerset. We went out to bowl as Edrich was approaching 300 and we were expecting him to break Sobers record score of 365. When we came off the field we learned that Mike Smith, the captain, had declared! Rumour has it that Edrich was not happy!!

As an aside, the top scorer for New Zealand in that match was Vic Pollard who was born in Burnley.

[tiger76]

Boycott
Enrich
Cowdrey
Barrington
May
Dexter
Parks
Some bowlers...
Including Trueman and Statham often
Titmus spinner

No Compton or Hutton? BTW there's no way modern day supporters would tolerate the scoring rate of that batting line-up, great players though they all were, and you'd have a helluva job bowling them out on modern pitches, bearing in mind they were used to some uncovered tracks back in the day, not to mention some proper hostile fast bowling, often without any protection that the modern batters enjoy from the umps.

[tiger76]

I remember his 310 n o very well. I had just left BGS and we were on the school cricket tour in Somerset. We went out to bowl as Edrich was approaching 300 and we were expecting him to break Sobers record score of 365. When we came off the field we learned that Mike Smith, the captain, had declared! Rumour has it that Edrich was not happy!!

As an aside, the top scorer for New Zealand in that match was Vic Pollard who was born in Burnley.

The skipper has to do what's best for the whole team, just as happened with Dave Warner in a recent test, when he was 335 not out, individual records can't take precedence over the winning of a match.

[Culmclaret]

Brave as a lion and a bloody good batsman to boot with a triple century to his name

[IanMcL]

No Compton or Hutton? BTW there's no way modern day supporters would tolerate the scoring rate of that batting line-up, great players though they all were, and you'd have a helluva job bowling them out on modern pitches, bearing in mind they were used to some uncovered tracks back in the day, not to mention some proper hostile fast bowling, often without any protection that the modern batters enjoy from the umps.

They were all playing at the same time in the England team. Not always in the same team but certainly the same series.

Hutton and Compton before my time.

[tiger76]

They were all playing at the same time in the England team. Not always in the same team but certainly the same series.

Hutton and Compton before my time.

Fair enough, many critics think Hobbs & Sutcliffe were England's greatest opening pair, but obviously no-one can really say definitively how good they were or not as there's no footage, so all you can judge them on is their stats, and also the fact that they played in an era when batting was probably tougher than more recent England players have played in, but like every sport it's always going to be difficult comparing different era's.

[CharlieinNewMexico]

I remember his 310 n o very well. I had just left BGS and we were on the school cricket tour in Somerset. We went out to bowl as Edrich was approaching 300 and we were expecting him to break Sobers record score of 365. When we came off the field we learned that Mike Smith, the captain, had declared! Rumour has it that Edrich was not happy!!

As an aside, the top scorer for New Zealand in that match was Vic Pollard who was born in Burnley.

To be fair, great transition to her work in Hi de Hi