Graham Gooch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Graham Gooch

Gooch in 1997
Personal information
Full name	Graham Alan Gooch
Born	(1953-07-23) 23 July 1953 (age 71) Whipps Cross, Essex, England
Nickname	Zap, Goochie
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
Role	Opening Batsman
International information
National side	England (1975–1995)
Test debut (cap 461)	10 July 1975 v Australia
Last Test	3 February 1995 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 34)	26 August 1976 v West Indies
Last ODI	10 January 1995 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1973–1997	Essex
1982/83–1983/84	Western Province
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 118 125 581 614 Runs scored 8,900 4,290 44,846 22,211 Batting average 42.58 36.98 49.01 40.16 100s/50s 20/46 8/23 128/217 44/139 Top score 333 142 333 198* Balls bowled 2,655 2,066 18,785 14,314 Wickets 23 36 246 310 Bowling average 46.47 42.11 34.37 31.15 5 wickets in innings 0 0 3 1 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 3/39 3/19 7/14 5/8 Catches/stumpings 103/– 45/– 555/– 261/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  England ICC Cricket World Cup Runner-up 1979 England Runner-up 1987 India and Pakistan Runner-up 1992 Australia and New Zealand
Source: CricInfo, 7 December 2007

Graham Alan Gooch (born 23 July 1953) is a famous former English first-class cricketer. He was the captain for both Essex and the England national team. Many people consider him one of the best international batsmen of his time.

Gooch played cricket from 1973 to 1997. During his career, he scored an amazing 67,057 runs in first-class and limited-overs games. This makes him the highest run-scorer of all time in cricket. He also holds the record for List A cricket with 22,211 runs. He is the only player to have been a runner-up in three Cricket World Cup finals. Gooch is also one of only 25 cricketers to score over 100 centuries in first-class matches.

After playing, Gooch became a coach and team selector. He also worked as a cricket commentator. In 2009, he was added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He later became the batting coach for the England team in 2012.

Graham Gooch: Cricket Star

Early Life and Cricket Beginnings

Graham Gooch was born in Whipps Cross University Hospital, Leytonstone, London. He went to Norlington School for Boys and Leyton County High School for Boys.

Gooch started playing first-class cricket regularly in 1973 when he was 19. He was known for his strong batting style. He used an upright stance and a high bat-lift. This helped him become one of the top run-scorers in cricket history. In 2011, he received an honorary award from the University of East London.

Playing for England

First Steps in Test Cricket

Gooch made his first appearance in Test cricket in 1975. He was 21 years old and played against Australia. His first match was tough, as he scored zero runs in both innings. England lost that match.

He was then dropped from the team but returned in 1978. His strong performance for Essex made it impossible to ignore him. He quickly became a key player for England. He scored his first Test half-century soon after returning. In 1980, he was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

The South Africa Tour Ban

Gooch's career faced a challenge in 1982. He joined a controversial tour to South Africa. At that time, South Africa was banned from international sports due to its government's policies. Because of this tour, Gooch and other players were banned from Test cricket for three years.

Gooch was the captain of the team on this tour. The ban was a big setback for him, as he was reaching his best as a Test player.

Becoming England Captain

After his ban ended, Gooch returned to the England cricket team in 1985. He became captain of England twice. The first time was briefly in 1988. He took over when the previous captain was injured.

His second time as captain began in 1989. England won their first match against the West Indies since 1973. Gooch showed great leadership and batting skills.

World Cup Adventures

Graham Gooch played in three Cricket World Cup tournaments: 1979, 1987, and 1992. He reached the final in all three.

In the 1979 World Cup, England played the West Indies in the final. Gooch scored 32 runs, but England lost the match.

In the 1987 World Cup, Gooch was the top run-scorer. He scored a fantastic century in the semi-final against India. This helped England reach the final against Australia. England lost by just 7 runs.

In the 1992 World Cup final, England played Pakistan. Gooch scored 29 runs, but England lost by 22 runs. Despite the losses, Gooch is England's second-highest run-scorer in World Cups. He scored 897 runs in 21 innings.

Record-Breaking Batting

In 1990, Gooch had an amazing summer as both a batsman and captain. He scored a record 456 runs in a Test match against India at Lord's. This included 333 runs in the first innings and 123 in the second. Only one other player has scored a triple century and a century in the same Test match. His total of 456 runs in one match is still a world record. He also scored 752 runs in that three-match series, which is another record.

In 1991, Gooch scored an incredible 154 not out against the West Indies. He carried his bat through the entire innings. This means he was not out when the innings ended. Many experts consider this one of the greatest Test innings ever played.

Gooch was a captain who led by example. His batting average was much higher when he was captain. He retired from Test cricket in 1995 as England's highest run-scorer. He played with a record 113 different teammates during his 118 Test matches.

Playing for Essex

Gooch started playing for Essex in 1973. He played for the county until he retired in 1997. He scored 120 runs in the 1979 Benson and Hedges Cup final. This was Essex's first major trophy win.

Gooch was a key player during a very successful period for Essex. The team won the county championship six times between 1979 and 1992. Gooch holds many Essex batting records. He scored the most first-class runs in a season (2559 in 1984). He also made more first-class centuries (94) for Essex than any other player.

Gooch also bowled sometimes, taking over 200 first-class wickets. He could make the ball swing a lot when conditions were right.

After Playing: Coaching and More

Gooch in 2009

In 2001, Gooch returned to Essex as head coach. He held this role until 2005. He continued to work at the club as a specialist batting coach.

In 2009, Gooch became a temporary batting coach for the England team. He later took on the role permanently in 2012. Many English batsmen have praised his coaching. Under his guidance, England's batting improved greatly. They scored many more double-centuries than before.

Outside of cricket, Gooch has promoted hair products. He also had two computer games named after him: Graham Gooch's Test Cricket (1985) and Graham Gooch World Class Cricket (1993).

In 2000, he made a brief return to first-class cricket. He captained the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at age 47. In 2011, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of East London. Graham Gooch is a supporter of the West Ham United football team.

Graham Gooch's Test career performance graph.

Gooch's Cricket Stats

Test Match Career Performance by Opposition		Batting
Opposition	Matches	Runs	Average	High Score	100 / 50
Australia	42	2632	33.31	196	4 / 16
India	19	1725	55.64	333	5 / 8
New Zealand	15	1148	52.18	210	4 / 3
Pakistan	10	683	42.68	135	1 / 5
Sri Lanka	3	376	62.66	174	1 / 1
West Indies	26	2197	44.83	154*	5 / 13
South Africa	3	139	23.16	33	0 / 0
Overall	118	8900	42.58	333	20 / 46

ODI Career Performance by Opposition		Batting
Opposition	Matches	Runs	Average	High Score	100 / 50
Australia	32	1395	46.50	136	4 / 9
India	17	420	26.25	115	1 / 1
New Zealand	16	713	50.92	112*	1 / 4
Pakistan	16	517	32.31	142	1 / 1
Sri Lanka	7	303	43.28	84	0 / 4
West Indies	32	881	30.37	129*	1 / 4
South Africa	1	2	2.00	2	0 / 0
Overall	125	4290	36.98	142	8 / 23