John Edrich

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Personal information
John Edrich

England
Batting style	Left-handed batsman
Bowling style	Right arm medium
Career statistics
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	77	7
Runs scored	5138	223
Batting average	43.54	37.16
100s/50s	12/24	0/2
Top score	310*	90

Overs	5	0
Wickets	0	0
Bowling average	n/a	n/a
5 wickets in innings	0	0
10 wickets in match	0	n/a
Best bowling	n/a	n/a
Catches/stumpings	43/0	0/0
As of 13 July 1976 Source: [1]

John Hugh Edrich MBE (born 21 June 1937 in Blofield, Norfolk) is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey and England. He earned a reputation as a dogged and fearless batsman, and his figures show that he was amongst the best players of his generation. He played a total of 77 Test matches for England in an international career lasting from 1963 to 1976. He was renowned for playing the cut, cover drive and was strong off his legs.

He came from a cricketing family, his four cousins Eric Edrich, Bill Edrich, Geoff Edrich and Brian Edrich all having played first-class cricket. He was educated at Bracondale Private School from the ages of 8 to 17, during which time he played cricket at weekends and was coached by former cricketer CSR Boswell.

[edit] Career

Having played four first-class matches for Combined Services in 1956 and 1957, whilst doing his National Service, Edrich made his first-class debut for Surrey in their final fixture of the 1958 season. The following year, he came to the fore, scoring 1,799 runs at an average of 52.91. Over the next four years he and Micky Stewart became a very effective opening partnership for the county, to the extent that both were called up for England for the Test series against the mighty West Indies, who were dominating the sport at this time. Despite Edrich's fine performances for his county, he managed to total only 108 runs in six innings facing the likes of Hall, Sobers and Griffith. However, injuries gave him an opportunity to break back into the international side when Geoffrey Boycott was injured during Australia's tour of England in 1964. He was called up to the side for the second Test and did not disappoint, scoring 120. The match ended in a draw due to rain.^[1] However he was not selected for the 1964-5 tour of South Africa.

Injuries to other players resulted in a recall to the England side for the Third Test against New Zealand at Headingley in July 1965, where he scored 310 not out. This colossal innings spanned over 8 hours, and included 52 fours and 5 sixes - 238 runs or 77% of his innings^[2]. Commentators at the time said that he might have broken the existing Test record of 365 within another 90 minutes or so if his captain, Mike Smith, had not felt it necessary to declare the innings closed^{[citation needed]}. However a week later during the 1st Test vs South Africa, he suffered a blow to the head from a short-pitched delivery by Peter Pollock. This was before helmets came into use, and he was forced to retire hurt on 7 not out.^[3] Wisden named Edrich as Cricketer of the Year in 1966 for his achievements in 1965, alongside Colin Bland, Dick Motz, Graeme Pollock and brother Peter Pollock. As well as his Test triple century, he had scored a total of 2319 runs at an average of 62.67 during the season, including eight hundreds. At one stage, in nine successive innings he scored 139, 121*, 205*, 55, 96, 188, 92, 105 and 310*. Not previously known as a big hitter, he struck 49 sixes during the course of the season.

He had by now become an established member of the England batting line-up, rarely omitted unless injured. Beginning with the 1965-6 tour of Australia, he sometimes batted at number three rather than, as hitherto, opening the innings. That tour and the two succeeding series against Australia, in 1968 and 1970-1, saw him scoring heavily.

Edrich played in the first ever One Day International, on the 5 January 1971 against Australia. The umpires called for a 40-over match consisting of eight-ball overs after the Third Test was called off due to rain. Edrich top scored with 82 runs, winning the Man of the Match award.

The following summer, Surrey won the County Championship for the first time since 1958, with Edrich's batting being an important factor. By now, Stewart had dropped down the order to number three, and Edrich had formed another successful opening partnership with Mike Edwards. Stewart retired after the 1972 season, and from 1973-77 Edrich succeeded him as Surrey's captain.

On the tour of Australia in 1974-75, his fortune regarding injuries did not improve. In the first Test a ball from aggressive pace bowler Dennis Lillee struck his hand and broke it, although he was able to continue batting. In the 4th Test, the then Captain Mike Denness dropped himself and Edrich was subsequently named as Captain.^[4] He had little luck in that game, when Dennis Lillee broke his ribs with the first ball of his second innings, although he did recover to bat later on, scoring 33 runs. England lost the test, and it was to be his first and final appearance as Captain.^[5]^[6] During the 1977 county cricket season, Edrich scored his 100th first-class century playing for Surrey, against opponents Derbyshire. In the same year he was awarded an MBE for services to cricket.

Edrich finished his first-class career in 1978 having scored 39,790 runs. He became a Test selector in 1981.^[7]

In 1995 he was named as England's batting coach.^[8]

In the summer of 2000 it was announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of incurable leukemia known as Waldenstrom's, and he was told that he had 7 years to live. In an interview with The Independent, Edrich said following his diagnosis^[9]:

“

"I hadn't seen a doctor for about 10 years, but I'd been feeling tired for a while. Having taken blood tests they discovered leukaemia. It was quite a shock. You can't fight it. You have to have faith in your consultant and the treatment. I asked how it was going to affect my lifestyle. They said I would feel tired from time to time and would have to live with it. I think we've got to be grateful for what we've had. I did something which I loved and had the ability to play cricket at the highest level."

”

In 2006 he was announced as President of Surrey County Cricket Club.