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 April 29, 1966) is a famous former English cricketer. He is also well-known as a television and radio personality.

He was a slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler. He played for the England cricket team in 42 Test matches and 20 One Day Internationals. He also played for Middlesex County Cricket Club from 1986 to 2002. Tufnell took 121 wickets in Test matches. His Test average was 37.68 runs per wicket.

Across all first-class cricket, he took over 1,000 wickets. His average was 29.35 runs per wicket. People liked his friendly personality. 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, Tufnell became popular on TV. He appeared on shows like They Think It's All Over and A Question of Sport. He also competed in Strictly Come Dancing. In 2003, he won I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

Early Life and Education

Phil Tufnell went to Highgate School. There, his talent for cricket was noticed early on. He became captain of the Junior School's First XI team. After Highgate, he played cricket for Southgate School.

He also studied to become a quantity surveyor. He had to choose between playing cricket professionally or working in surveying. He chose to become a professional cricketer.

Cricket Career Highlights

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. Most of these were 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 (6 for 25 in the first innings) against the West Indies at the Oval in 1991.

He took 121 Test wickets. His bowling average in Tests was 37.68 runs per wicket. Mark Waugh, an Australian cricketer, said that if you attacked Tufnell, it could make him play defensively. Interestingly, Waugh was Tufnell's most frequent Test victim, being dismissed seven times by him.

According to Michael Parkinson, a chat show host, Tufnell was very good at cricket from a young age. He was nicknamed "The Cat" because he often slept 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 in English first-class games was 29.35 runs per wicket.

In 2011, Middlesex University gave Tufnell an honorary doctorate. This was to recognize his achievements in sports and media.

Life After Cricket: Broadcasting

Radio Work

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

Television Appearances

Tufnell stopped playing professional cricket before the 2003 season. He did this to join the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, which he won. Before that, he was on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.

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

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

He appeared on many other TV shows. These include All Star Mr & Mrs (2008), Hole in the Wall (2008), and Strictly Come Dancing (2009). In 2011, he was on Would I Lie To You?. In 2012, he co-presented The Flowerpot Gang. He also appeared on Draw It! (2014), Get Your Act Together (2015), and The Jump (2015).

In December 2018, he became a guest commentator for Australia's Seven Network. In 2023, he appeared in I'm a Celebrity... South Africa.

Personal Life and Charity Work

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

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

Tufnell is a big fan of Arsenal Football Club.