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John Edrich is no more.
He holds the world record for most fours in a Test innings, but his legacy is as a gritty, unflinching batsman.
We know the story of Edrich, 39, and Close, 46, refusing to budge against a bouncer barrage from Roberts, Holding and Daniel for 80 minutes.
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He holds the world record for most fours in a Test innings, but his legacy is as a gritty, unflinching batsman.
We know the story of Edrich, 39, and Close, 46, refusing to budge against a bouncer barrage from Roberts, Holding and Daniel for 80 minutes.
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They took blow after blow but held the fort.
But that is not all.
Edrich was a superb batsman.
He scored almost 40,000 First-Class runs at 45, with 103 hundreds.
In Test cricket his 5,138 runs came at 42.69.
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But that is not all.
Edrich was a superb batsman.
He scored almost 40,000 First-Class runs at 45, with 103 hundreds.
In Test cricket his 5,138 runs came at 42.69.
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As opener, 3,430 at 44.54 – an average better than those of Gooch, Trescothick, Strauss, and Atherton, and marginally behind Cook's 44.86.
On Australian soil, Edrich averaged 55.78. Among Englishmen with a 1,000-run cut-off, only Barrington averaged more in the post-War era.
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On Australian soil, Edrich averaged 55.78. Among Englishmen with a 1,000-run cut-off, only Barrington averaged more in the post-War era.
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Between 1969 and 1970-71, Edrich became the first batsman to score at least one fifty in each of ten consecutive Tests.
When Edrich scored that famous 310 not out (52 fours, 5 sixes), only a declaration prevented him from having a shot at Sobers' world record score.
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When Edrich scored that famous 310 not out (52 fours, 5 sixes), only a declaration prevented him from having a shot at Sobers' world record score.
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That Old Trafford bouncer barrage (mentioned above), only 10% balls were pitched up enough to hit the stumps, according to an estimate by The Times.
Strangely, Edrich (or Close) never played for England again.
But it is unlikely that injuries would have bothered him.
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Strangely, Edrich (or Close) never played for England again.
But it is unlikely that injuries would have bothered him.
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At least not too much, for he was too used to it.
At Lord's in 1965, Peter Pollock ran down the Lord's slope to hit Edrich on the forehead. It was nasty.
His forefinger was fractured four times during his Surrey career.
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At Lord's in 1965, Peter Pollock ran down the Lord's slope to hit Edrich on the forehead. It was nasty.
His forefinger was fractured four times during his Surrey career.
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Then WE Tucker found a solution by grafting a piece of leg bone in his hand.
Edrich responded by announcing that he was the only batsman who could be given out leg-before when the ball struck his hand.
He led England once, at Sydney in 1974-75.
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Edrich responded by announcing that he was the only batsman who could be given out leg-before when the ball struck his hand.
He led England once, at Sydney in 1974-75.
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He came on to bat at 70/2 in the fourth innings and was hit on his ribcage first ball by Lillee.
An X-ray revealed that two fractured ribs. I do not know what others would have done, but Edrich returned and faced 163 balls.
He scored 33 runs. They could not get him out.
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An X-ray revealed that two fractured ribs. I do not know what others would have done, but Edrich returned and faced 163 balls.
He scored 33 runs. They could not get him out.
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But none of these was his greatest battle.
In 2000, he was diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (a rare form of incurable leukemia). The doctors gave him seven years.
He lived for twenty.
John Edrich, of Surrey and England. Born to fight.
In 2000, he was diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (a rare form of incurable leukemia). The doctors gave him seven years.
He lived for twenty.
John Edrich, of Surrey and England. Born to fight.
