Phil Tufnell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Phil Tufnell

Tufnell in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Philip Clive Roderick Tufnell
Born	(1966-04-29) 29 April 1966 (age 59) Barnet, London, England
Nickname	Tuffers, the Cat, Two Sugars, the Doctor
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Slow left-arm orthodox
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 547)	26 December 1990 v Australia
Last Test	23 August 2001 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 111)	7 December 1990 v New Zealand
Last ODI	20 February 1997 v New Zealand
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1986–2002	Middlesex
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 42 20 316 93 Runs scored 153 15 2,066 125 Batting average 5.10 15.00 9.69 8.92 100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/1 0/0 Top score 22* 5* 67* 18 Balls bowled 11,288 1,020 76,934 4,663 Wickets 121 19 1,057 103 Bowling average 37.68 36.78 29.35 32.30 5 wickets in innings 5 0 53 1 10 wickets in match 2 0 6 0 Best bowling 7/47 4/22 8/29 5/28 Catches/stumpings 12/– 4/– 106/– 17/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  England ICC Cricket World Cup Runner-up 1992 Australia and New Zealand
Source: CricInfo, 3 January 2008

Philip Clive Roderick Tufnell (born 29 April 1966) is a famous English former cricket player. He is also a well-known television and radio personality.

Phil Tufnell was a bowler who used a special technique called left-arm orthodox spin. He played in 42 Test matches and 20 One Day Internationals for the England cricket team. He also played for Middlesex County Cricket Club from 1986 to 2002.

During his career, Tufnell took 121 wickets in Test matches. He was part of the English team that finished as runners-up in the 1992 Cricket World Cup. After he stopped playing cricket in 2002, he became very popular on TV. He appeared on shows like A Question of Sport and even won I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2003.

Early Life and Education

Phil Tufnell went to Highgate School. There, people quickly noticed how good he was at cricket. He became the captain of the Junior School's main cricket team even before he was in the oldest year.

After Highgate, he played cricket for Southgate School. He then had to choose between playing cricket professionally or working as a quantity surveyor. He decided to become a professional cricketer.

Phil Tufnell's Cricket Career

A graph showing Tufnell's Test career bowling statistics and how they varied over time

Phil Tufnell was a slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler. He played 42 Test matches and 20 One Day Internationals for England. This was between 1990 and 2001. He also played 316 first-class matches, mostly for Middlesex.

Tufnell sometimes had amazing performances. For example, he took 11 wickets for 93 runs against Australia at the Oval in 1997. England won that match, and he was named the Man of the Match. He also took seven wickets against the West Indies at the Oval in 1991.

He took 121 Test wickets during his career. His bowling average in Tests was 37.68 runs per wicket. Mark Waugh, an Australian player, was dismissed by Tufnell seven times in Test matches.

Phil Tufnell was known for his cheerful personality. He had a few nicknames. People called him "The Cat" because he sometimes liked to nap in the dressing room. He was also called "Two Sugars" because he loved tea.

During his 16 years with Middlesex, Tufnell took 1,057 first-class wickets. His average was 29.35 runs per wicket. In 2011, he received an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University. This was to celebrate his achievements in sports and media.

Broadcasting and TV Appearances

After retiring from cricket in 2002, Phil Tufnell became a popular media personality.

Radio Work

Since 2003, Tufnell has been a commentator on BBC Radio's Test Match Special. He has also hosted his own cricket shows. These include The Phil Tufnell Cricket Show and Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show on BBC Radio 5.

Television Shows

Phil Tufnell retired from cricket to join the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2003. He won the show, which made him even more famous.

He was a team captain on the sports quiz show They Think It's All Over until 2005. In 2004, he appeared in the soap opera Family Affairs. He also co-presented the game show Simply the Best on ITV.

Tufnell was a team captain on the BBC One panel show A Question of Sport. He also reported regularly for the BBC One magazine show The One Show.

He appeared on many other TV shows. These include All Star Mr & Mrs (2008) and Hole in the Wall (2008). In 2009, he competed in Strictly Come Dancing. He danced with professional dancer Katya Virshilas.

In 2011, he was on Would I Lie To You?. He also appeared on a celebrity version of The Chase in 2011. In 2012, he co-presented The Flowerpot Gang. He also appeared on Draw It! in 2014. In 2015, he competed in Get Your Act Together and The Jump. In 2018, he became a guest commentator for cricket matches in Australia. In 2023, he appeared in I'm a Celebrity... South Africa.

Personal Life and Interests

Phil Tufnell is married to Dawn Brown. He has two daughters.

He was the president of a cricket charity called The Change Foundation until 2022. He is also an ambassador for The Children's Trust. This charity helps children with brain injuries and neurodisability.

Phil Tufnell is a big fan of Arsenal Football Club.