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Graham Thorpe dies aged 55

Bijed

Bijed

International Regular
Horrible loss. Whilst I didn't actually watch (or at least remember watching) him play as much as I'd liked to have hindsight during the couple of years his career overlapped with me discovering cricket, I did (and I think it's as simple as case of his being called Graham, like my dad, haha) feel like connected with him as player moreso than most others who were around at the time, and he was the first player I remember being disappointed by their leaving the international scene (not disappointed with him, obviously).

Met him briefly too, at a warm-up match on Barbados. Ed Smith was walking around with some (what I took to be) random member of backroom staff and I went to get an autograph. To my surprise, Ed then handed the autograph book to this other random who signed it and, not wanting to be rude, I said something along the lines of "Thanks so much, it's great to have met you both". Upon relaying this to my dad when I sat back down, we spent a minute trying to decipher the signature, realised: "Oh wait, was that?...", and when he walked back past it was very obvious, in retrospect, that it was indeed Graham Thorpe. I'd been about to take my book back from Smith when he gave it to Thorpe and will always be grateful/relieved that I didn't inadvertently snub him
 
zaremba

zaremba

Cricketer Of The Year
Awful news. A really high class player, as others have a said. To go at such a young age is unbelievably sad.
 
BoyBrumby

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Vale.

Just to echo what others have already said. No age and an awfully sad loss.

England's sole world class batsman for most of his career and the bulwark of our middle order. Hero of mine growing up too.

Think my fondest memory of him was his efforts in the third test of England's 00/01 tour of Sri Lanka. After he top scored in our first innings with an unbeaten ton (113*, so cricinfo informs me) when no-one else scored even 30 to eke out a precious 8 run lead, SL then collapsed to 81ao from 28 overs with Ash Giles's 4/11 from 9 speaking volumes of the turn available, to leave us with a decidedly ticklish 74 ftw and Murali licking his lips.

We stumbled there with 6 down and the great man, his sweatband scarcely dried out from his first dig, unbeaten again on 32. MA Atherton's 13 the second highest tally.

Could bat, could Thorpey. :(
 
B

Boy_Blunder

First Class Debutant
honestbharani said:
He was dropped for Ian Bell.
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It was probably a bit too soon for Bell, if memory serves he wasn't particularly impressive with the bat in that series. Obviously the decision was made with an eye for the future, but Thorpe was batting a well as he ever had in the couple of years to that point..

He never got to play in a winning ashes side.
 
H

howitzer

State Captain
Boy_Blunder said:
It was probably a bit too soon for Bell, if memory serves he wasn't particularly impressive with the bat in that series. Obviously the decision was made with an eye for the future, but Thorpe was batting a well as he ever had in the couple of years to that point..

He never got to play in a winning ashes side.
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Was completely tied in knots by Warne. And replaced the one Englishman who actually played him well.
 
ImpatientLime

ImpatientLime

International Regular
he was dropped for Pietersen. Bell established himself in the team with some soft runs v Bangladesh in the two match series prior to the Ashes that summer which Pietersen did not play in.

It was then a choice between Thorpe and KP. By that time Thorpe's back was really playing up which in turn with KPs meteoric rise made it a fairly easy, yet tough call.
 
H

howitzer

State Captain
ImpatientLime said:
he was dropped for Pietersen. Bell established himself in the team with some soft runs v Bangladesh in the two match series prior to the Ashes that summer which Pietersen did not play in.

It was then a choice between Thorpe and KP. By that time Thorpe's back was really playing up which in turn with KPs meteoric rise made it a fairly easy, yet tough call.
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Yeah that was more the problem. They decided it was between Pietersen and Thorpe; with Bell's position ironclad. Mental at the time, not just in hindsight.
 
straw man

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
I'm shocked to see this just now on opening the forum, I didn't know he was sick. Very sad to see, it doesn't feel like a long time ago Thorpe was still playing for England (I see he retired 2005 which doesn't seem long ago, but is..). Such a fine batsman and always seemed like a good guy too.
 
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