John Edrich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
John Edrich

Edrich at an England vs Australia veterans match at The Oval in 1980
Personal information
Full name	John Hugh Edrich
Born	(1937-06-21)21 June 1937 Blofield, Norfolk, England
Died	23 December 2020(2020-12-23) (aged 83) Scotland
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 415)	6 June 1963 v West Indies
Last Test	8 July 1976 v West Indies
ODI debut (cap 4)	5 January 1971 v Australia
Last ODI	9 March 1975 v New Zealand
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1954	Norfolk
1958–1978	Surrey
1979	Norfolk
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 77 7 564 160 Runs scored 5,138 223 39,790 4,792 Batting average 43.54 37.16 45.47 35.23 100s/50s 12/24 0/2 103/188 1/39 Top score 310* 90 310* 108* Balls bowled 30 – 91 – Wickets 0 – 0 – Bowling average – – – – 5 wickets in innings – – – – 10 wickets in match – – – – Best bowling – – – – Catches/stumpings 43/– 0/– 310/– 44/–
Source: CricInfo, 10 December 2013

John Hugh Edrich (born June 21, 1937 – died December 23, 2020) was a famous English cricket player. He was known as one of the best batsmen of his time. John played cricket from 1956 to 1978.

He was born in Blofield, Norfolk, England. John came from a family of cricketers. His four cousins, Eric Edrich, Bill Edrich, Geoff Edrich, and Brian Edrich, all played first-class cricket. John went to Bracondale School from age eight to seventeen. There, he played cricket on weekends and was coached by former player C. S. R. Boswell.

Edrich played for Surrey and the England national team. He was famous for his strong hitting shots, like the cut and the cover drive. He was also known for being brave and determined. John's statistics show he was a top player. He played 77 Test matches for England between 1963 and 1976.

In 1965, he scored an amazing 310 runs in one game. This is the fifth-highest Test score ever for England. That innings included 57 boundaries (hits that go for four or six runs), which is still a record for any Test match.

John Edrich played when One Day International (ODI) cricket was just starting. He played in the very first ODI match and scored the most runs in that game. A cricket writer named Colin Bateman described him as "unflinching, unselfish, and often unsmiling." He was a tough opening batsman who knew his strengths and played very well within them.

John Edrich's Cricket Journey

John Edrich started his first-class cricket career playing for Combined Services in 1956 and 1957. This was while he was doing his national service in the British Army. In 1958, he joined Surrey.

Rising Star at Surrey

In 1959, Edrich became a key player for Surrey. He scored 1,799 runs that year, averaging 52.91 runs per game. For the next four years, he and Micky Stewart formed a very strong opening partnership for Surrey. Their great play led to both of them being chosen to play for England.

Playing for England

John Edrich's first Test series for England was against the West Indies in 1963. The West Indies team was very strong at that time. Even though Edrich played well for Surrey, he only scored 108 runs in six innings against tough bowlers like Hall, Sobers, and Griffith.

An opportunity came for him to return to the England team in 1964. Geoffrey Boycott was injured during Australia's tour of England. Edrich was called up for the Second Test at Lord's. He played brilliantly, scoring 120 runs. The match ended in a draw because of rain. However, he was not chosen for the tour to South Africa in 1964–65.

Record-Breaking Performance

In July 1965, injuries to other players brought Edrich back into the England team. This was for the Third Test against New Zealand at Headingley. In this game, he scored an incredible 310 runs without being out. This innings lasted over eight hours. He hit 52 fours and five sixes, meaning 238 of his runs came from boundaries.

Some people thought he might have broken the world record for the highest Test score (365 runs) if his captain, Mike Smith, hadn't declared the innings closed. A week later, in a match against South Africa, he was hit on the head by a fast ball from Peter Pollock. This was before players wore helmets. He had to leave the field when he was on 7 runs.

Awards and Achievements

Wisden, a famous cricket publication, named John Edrich as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1966. This was for his amazing achievements in 1965. That season, he scored 2,319 runs, averaging 62.67. He hit eight centuries (scores of 100 runs or more). At one point, he scored 139, 121*, 205*, 55, 96, 188, 92, 105, and 310* in nine games in a row. He also hit 49 sixes that season, which was unusual for him.

John Edrich's Test career performance graph

By this time, John Edrich was a regular player for England. He was rarely left out of the team unless he was injured. From 1965–66, he sometimes batted at number three instead of opening the innings. In the 1970–71 Ashes series, he scored 687 runs. He stayed at the crease for over 33 hours, which was a record for a Test series at the time. His strong form helped England go 27 Tests without losing from 1968–71. They also lost only one Test out of 40 from 1966–71.

First One Day International

John Edrich played in the very first One Day International (ODI) match. This historic game took place on January 5, 1971, against Australia. The match was arranged after a Test match was canceled due to rain. It was a shorter game, with each team batting for 40 overs. Edrich scored the most runs in that game, with 82. He scored the first half-century in an ODI and won the first Man of the Match award in ODI history.

Leading Surrey

In the summer of 1971, Surrey won the County Championship for the first time since 1958. Edrich's batting was a big reason for their success. By then, his opening partner Stewart was batting lower in the order. Edrich had formed a new successful opening partnership with Mike Edwards.

After Stewart retired in 1972, John Edrich became Surrey's captain. He led the team from 1973 to 1977.

Facing Challenges

During a tour of Australia in 1974–75, Edrich faced more injuries. In the first Test, a fast ball from bowler Dennis Lillee broke his hand. However, he bravely continued to bat. In the Fourth Test, the captain Mike Denness decided not to play, and Edrich was named captain. He had bad luck in that game too. Lillee broke his ribs with the very first ball of his second innings. Despite this, he recovered and batted later, scoring 33 runs. England lost that Test, and it was his only game as captain.

Later Career and Recognition

In 1977, John Edrich scored his 100th first-class century while playing for Surrey against Derbyshire. In the same year, he was given the MBE award for his great contributions to cricket. Edrich finished his first-class career in 1978. He had scored a total of 39,790 runs. In 1981, he became a selector for the England Test team, helping choose players.

In 1995, he became England's batting coach. In 2000, it was announced that he had a rare form of leukaemia. He was told he had about seven years to live.

From 2006 to 2007, he served as President of Surrey County Cricket Club. In 2012, he shared that he had been cured of cancer. He said a special treatment using mistletoe extract had helped him. He became fit and active again. He lived in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

John Edrich passed away on December 23, 2020, at his home in Scotland. He was 83 years old.

Images for kids

• 

  John Edrich's Test career performance graph