Godfrey Evans
Encyclopedia
Thomas Godfrey Evans CBE
(18 August 1920 – 3 May 1999) was an English cricket
er who played for Kent
and England.
Described by Wisden
as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals
in 91 Test match
appearances between 1946 and 1959 and a total of 1066 in all first-class matches. En route he was the first wicket keeper to reach 200 Test dismissals and the first Englishman to reach both 1000 runs and 100 dismissals and 2000 runs and 200 dismissals in Test cricket. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1951.
against India when he was chosen for the third Test at The Oval
, replacing Paul Gibb
. In a largely rain affected contest he didn't bat or take any dismissals.
Evans was selected as a member of Wally Hammond
's side to tour Australia in 1946/47. After Gibb had played the first Test, Evans got his chance in the second at Melbourne. Australia won the match by an innings having scored 659/8 declared in their first innings, in 173 overs of English bowling Evans failed to concede a single bye
, with Wisden commenting he 'kept wicket magnificently'. Evans didn't concede a bye in Australia's first innings of 365 at Adelaide in the third Test either, this took the tally past 1,000 runs before he conceded his first bye in Ashes Tests. In the Fourth Test at Adelaide, Evans shared in a vital ninth wicket partnership with Denis Compton
, England were in danger of losing the Test at 255/8 but Evans played a fine defensive innings, scoring 10 not out
in 133 minutes, this enabled Compton to complete his second century of the match and Hammond the chance to declare. Evans took 97 minutes before scoring his first run, a Test record which stood until 1999 when beaten by Geoff Allott
.
A short tour of New Zealand followed the Ashes series, rain heavily affected the only Test match but in the MCC
's tour match against Otago
Evans completed his maiden first-class century. His innings of 101 came from 170 runs which were scored while he was at the wicket with Jack Ikin
.
with South Africa, Evans played in all five Tests scoring 209 runs at 41.80 and taking 14 dismissals. In the first Test at Trent Bridge
he scored his maiden Test fifty with an innings of 74 that contained 14 fours. In the fifth Test at The Oval, Evans had scores of 45 and 39 not out, the second innings came in 29 minutes as England looked to score quick runs before a declaration.
England toured the West Indies in January 1948, Evans as first choice keeper played all four Tests scoring 128 runs at 18.28 and claiming seven victims. Of his series performance Wisden wrote: "Evans delighted the native crowds with his spectacular wicket-keeping, but as a batsman he accomplished little".
During the 1948 Ashes
Evans was once again an ever-present, scoring 188 runs at 26.85 and taking 12 dismissals. His most notable act of the series were two missed stumpings as Australia successfully chased down, a Test record, 404 in the fourth Test
at Headingley
. The first chance occurred when Arthur Morris
was on 32, he would score 182, the second chance when Donald Bradman
was on 108, he finished with 173 not out.
in 1948/49 Evans was dropped after 22 consecutive Tests, a record sequence for a wicket-keeper at that time. He did play the first three Tests but after scoring 49 runs in five innings was replaced for the final two Tests by Billy Griffith. Evans regained his place in the team for the home series
against New Zealand in 1949, in the four Test series which ended 0-0 Evans scored 61 runs in four innings and took 12 dismissals.
West Indies were the tourists in 1950
, in the first Test at Old Trafford, Evans made his maiden Test century. He came to the wicket with England 88/5 in the first innings, but together with Trevor Bailey
they recovered the innings with a partnership of 161 runs. Evans score of 104 contained 17 fours with Wisden commenting that he "neglected no opportunity to hit hard". In the third Test Evans added a fifty, his score of 68 coming from 83 added while he was at the wicket. The batting performance coming after he had conceded just two byes in West Indies first innings total of 558. England lost the match by 10 wickets, a second successive defeat. A broken thumb stopped Evans from playing in the fourth Test of the series, his replacement, Arthur McIntyre, scored 4 and 0 as England sustained an innings defeat to lose the series 3-1.
Evans was back in the England team for the 1950/51 Ashes, although McIntyre did remain in the XI, as a specialist batsman, for the first Test. In the Brisbane match Evans took two noteworthy catches, the first from a Neil Harvey
leg glance off the bowling of Alec Bedser
, he moved so quickly to the leg side, that according to Neville Cardus
, he made the catch look easy. The second dismissal was off the bowling of Freddie Brown, a Sam Loxton
cut struck Evans on the gloves and rebounded forward, Evans dived headlong catching the ball inches above the ground. In the second Test at Melbourne, England were 126/7 in their first innings in response to Australia's 194. Evans, batting at nine
, scored 49 which enabled a first innings lead although he failed in the second innings as England unsuccessfully chased 179. Australia won the next two Tests so arrived back at Melbourne for the fifth and final Test with the chance of completing a Whitewash
, however this was averted with an eight wicket win by England. This was, at the fourteenth attempt, Evans' first time on the winning side in an Ashes Test. It also marked Australia's first post-war defeat in their 26th Test.
The end of series report in Wisden commented that: "Evans did not miss one Test catch, but he caught some which became chances only through lightning mental reaction plus acrobatic agility" commenting on his batting added: "Evans played one praiseworthy innings in the second Test but in others inability to curb his natural ebullience caused him to do less than justice to his talents."
The tour ended with a two Tests in New Zealand, Evans played both matches his most noteworthy act occurred in the second Test at Wellington where he conceded 30 byes in New Zealand's second innings total of 189. This was, and remained, the highest number of byes he conceded in a Test innings.
for his performances in the 1950 season, the other four recipients of the award – Sonny Ramadhin
, Alf Valentine
, Everton Weekes
and Frank Worrell
– were members of the victorious West Indian tourists.
The 1951 home Test series
with South Africa proved to be a poor one for Evans, who was dropped for the final two Tests of the summer having scored just seven runs in the first three Tests. His keeping was not up to his usual standards either, in the South Africa second innings at Old Trafford he conceded 13 byes, significant in a low score of 191.
An MCC 'A' team toured India that winter and Evans was approached, however he declined the invitation believing that the constant cricket of the past five years had been the cause for his drop in form.
between the two countries. In the first Test at Leeds, Evans scored 66 in 97 minutes, a vital innings as England were 182/5 when Evans came to the wicket responding to India's 293. England won the match by seven wickets after India collapsed to 0/4 in their second innings. The second Test at Lord's
was a significant match for Evans with bat and gloves. In India's first innings Evans took what Wisden described as a "brilliant stumping off a ball which had turned sharply towards the slips", the dismissal was Evans' 100th at Test level, he became the first English wicket-keeper to reach the landmark and the second keeper after Bert Oldfield
. In England's response Evans scored his second Test century, scoring 104 in 135 minutes with 16 boundaries, his scoring was so quick that he nearly reached 100 in a session, he lunched on 98 not out. He shared a 159-run sixth wicket partnership with Tom Graveney
as England scored quickly to build a 302-run first innings lead. England won the match by eight wickets despite Vinoo Mankad scoring 184 in the second innings.
Evans good batting form continued to the third Test at Old Trafford, where he passed 50 for a third successive Test innings. Again he demonstrated his quick scoring abilities with an innings of 71 in 78 minutes, the other England batsman were more cautious and the total progressed by only 84 while Evans was batting. England dismissed India for 58 and 82 to win the match and the series. The final Test at The Oval was a rain affected draw, Evans scored one to finish the series with an aggregate of 242 runs at 60.50, with the gloves he took eight dismissals.
, Evans took two catches off the bowling of Trevor Bailey as Australia collapsed from 237/3 to 247 all out. In England's innings he scored eight runs batting at eight, as England totalled 144. The match was drawn after rain heavily disrupted the final two days. The second Test at Lord's was also drawn, England went into the final day on 20/3 but were able to bat through to the close losing just four further wickets, Evans came to the wicket after the fall of the sixth wicket with sixty-five minutes of play left, but together with Freddie Brown they batted out the final overs, Evans finished on 11 not out.
The third Test at Old Trafford followed the same course, ending in a draw after rain washed out the fourth day and much of the second, although it was an eventful match for Evans. In Australia's first innings he took three dismissals; however he dropped two earlier chances to dismiss Neil Harvey and Alan Davidson
, the miss of Harvey was costly as he went on to make 122, having been 52 at the time. In England's innings, Evans scored a quick 44 not out in 39 minutes on what was at that stage a wet wicket. Evans took three further dismissals in Australia's second innings as they collapsed to 35/8. At Leeds, more rain and England's defensive batting ensured a fourth draw of the series. Batting first England scored 167 in 109.4 overs, Evans's contribution was 25 runs in 90 minutes. Three England players suffered injuries during the course of the innings; the third of these was Bailey who twisted his knee as he attempted to make his ground after a mix up with Evans. Facing a 99-run deficit, England continued to bat slowly in their second innings adding 275 in 177.3 overs, Bailey batted over four hours with the tail on the final day to leave Australia one hour and fifty-five minutes to chase 177; they were 30 short when play ended.
After four draws, the fifth and final Test at The Oval was the series decider. Australia, after winning the toss for the fifth time in the series, chose to bat first and scored 275, Evans taking four catches. England gained a first innings lead of 31; Evans innings of 28 included two hooked fours from a Ray Lindwall
over. England took control of the match on the third day as the Australian batsmen struggled against spinners Tony Lock
and Jim Laker
and were dismissed for 162. England completed an eight-wicket victory the next day to win the Ashes, which Australia had held since 1934. Evans finished the series with 117 runs at 23.40 and 16 dismissals.
, after losing the first two Tests England came back to draw the series 2-2 with wins in the third and fifth Tests. Evans missed the fourth Test with an injury and was replaced by Dick Spooner
, however Evans returned for the fifth Test where he played the longest innings of his career, batting 142 minutes for 28. Although not the largest innings of his career it was an important one as he shared a 108-run partnership with Len Hutton
, whose double century built England a substantial first innings lead. Evans finished the series with 72 runs at 12.00 and six dismissals.
The tourists to England in 1954
were Pakistan, elected Test members two years previous they caused a shock by beating England in the final Test at The Oval to gain a series draw. In a wet summer all four Test matches were affected by rain. Evans highest two scores of the series – 25 and 31 – came in the first and third Tests, which were both drawn. In the fourth Test he was promoted to number six in the batting order as England omitted Trevor Bailey and chose five specialist bowlers. It proved unsuccessful as England collapsed chasing 168, Wisden noting England's 'tail proved far too long for a Test Match'. Evans scored 0 and 3 in his two innings, but by taking three catches he became the Test record holder for dismissals. A catch to take the wicket of Abdul Kardar
was his 131st dismissal in Tests, taking him past the previous highest total of 130 by Bert Oldfield.
Evans made a third tour to Australia in 1954/55. He missed the first Test, after failing to recover from sunstroke. His deputy, Keith Andrew
, came into the team to make his Test debut. Evans returned to the team for the second Test, but fared poorly with the bat scoring three and four. In the third Test at Melbourne he added some useful runs, in the first innings he scored 20 in a 54-run sixth wicket stand with Colin Cowdrey
, in the second he added 22. He took five catches in the match including a leg-side one to dismiss Neil Harvey which began Australia's collapse from 77/2 to 111 all out. Neville Cardus described the catch: "Harvey flicked the seventh ball of the morning (from Tyson
) round the corner and this time Evans dived full length to the right, clutching the ball in his out-stretched glove". In the fourth Test Evans made his highest score of the series, an innings of 37 in 36 minutes, sharing a 51-run partnership with Trevor Bailey. After Australia were dismissed for 111 in their second innings (for the second successive match), it set England a target of 94 to win the match. Evans came to the wicket with only four needed and with only one needed he scored a boundary that won the match and retained the Ashes. The fifth and final Test was disrupted by heavy rain in New South Wales which had also led to the Hunter Valley floods. The match was drawn after no play was possible until the fourth day, Evans scored 10 in England's innings and took two catches.
In the four Tests he played Evans scored 102 runs and took 13 catches. Wisden praised Evans, writing: "Always brimful of energy no matter how exhausting the heat of the day, he was an inspiration to the whole team and especially the bowlers."
s in both Tests. In the intervening tour match with Wellington
he also struggled, scoring one and a duck.
In 1955, South Africa toured England
for a five Test series. Evans played the first three matches before an injury forced him to miss the final two. England won the first Test at Trent Bridge by an innings; Evans contributed 12 runs in England's innings and took two catches, the second was his 150th Test dismissal. In the second Test at Lord's Evans took seven dismissals, a record for his Test career. England won the match despite having trailed by 171 runs on first innings. During the third Test Evans fractured the little finger of his right hand in two places, Tom Graveney kept wicket in his absence. In England's second innings Evans, with hand in plaster, batted at number eleven and scored 36 runs including seven boundaries. He shared a 48-run partnership with Trevor Bailey that increased South Africa's target from 97 to 145. It proved in vain though as the tourists reached the required total with three wickets remaining.
Australia toured in 1956 and Evans was an ever present in the England side who won the Test series 2-1. Evans scored 115 runs at 19.16, three of his seven innings were ducks. His highest score came in the fourth Test at Old Trafford where he scored 47 in 29 minutes with five fours and two sixes. England won the match, and retained the Ashes, after Jim Laker's unprecedented 19 wickets. Evans took nine dismissals in the series but seven of these came in one match – the second Test.
. Evans played in all five Tests of a series that was drawn 2-2. In the second Test Evans scored 62 during England's first innings, he shared in a 93-run sixth wicket stand with Colin Cowdrey, it was the largest partnership of the match. Evans innings was his first Test score of more than fifty runs since 1952. When on four he reached a career total of 2,000 Test runs, only the second wicket-keeper after Les Ames
to achieve the milestone. England led the series 2-1 but lost the final Test at Port Elizabeth in controversial circumstances. The match was played on a pitch that had been re-laid only three months previous, the wicket was slow and the ball kept 'exceptionally low' according to Wisden. The match produced a scoring rate of 1.40, the lowest ever in a Test match. Evans scored 21 in England's second innings but the tourists fell 58 runs short of their target. He also took six catches and in the difficult conditions conceded just one bye. Wisden commented that it was: "an extraordinary performance by an extraordinary man". Evans took a total of 20 dismissals in the series, a record for his career.
In 1957, the West Indies toured
England for a five Test series. England dominated, winning 3-0 (all innings victories) and they were best placed in the two drawn matches. Evans played in all five Tests, scoring 201 runs and taking 15 dismissals. In the second Test at Lord's Evans scored 82 in 115 minutes, batting at number eight he shared a seventh wicket partnership of 174 in 115 minutes with Colin Cowdrey. The stand was an English record for the wicket and was the largest of Evans career. In the fourth Test at Headingley Evans didn't concede a bye and by catching Collie Smith
claimed his 200th Test dismissal, becoming the first to reach the landmark.
New Zealand toured England in 1958
, the hosts won the five Test series 4-0, with three of those victories by an innings. Evans was once again an ever present in the team but his batting was poor with 28 runs at an average 5.60. Nevertheless he did break one record in the series, by playing the fifth Test at The Oval he made his 86th Test appearance passing the previous record held by Wally Hammond
.
In the Reliance ICC Test Player Batting Rankings, he was:
In 1959, India toured England, in the first home series since the Ashes defeat a number of experienced players were dropped. However, Evans remained and in the first Test of the summer he justified his selection with a run-a-ball innings of 73, which contained 12 boundaries. Norman Preston
in Wisden described it as 'daring hitting' which 'reduced the hitherto keen Indian bowling to a thing of shreds and patches'. In the second Test at Lord's Evans missed four stumpings off Tommy Greenhough
in the space of a quarter of an hour, he otherwise kept well and didn't concede a bye in the match. Evans was dropped from the team for the next Test 'in the interests of team building', the reason given by the selectors.
s Ladbrokes
, famously offering odds of 500 to 1 on an England victory against Australia at Headingley in 1981, the match in which Ian Botham
and Bob Willis
fought back from following-on
at 227 runs behind to achieve an improbable victory.
Evans played himself in an episode of the television adaptation of the play Outside Edge
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(18 August 1920 – 3 May 1999) was an English cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played for Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
and England.
Described by Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals
Dismissal (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out . Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting and leave the field permanently for the innings...
in 91 Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
appearances between 1946 and 1959 and a total of 1066 in all first-class matches. En route he was the first wicket keeper to reach 200 Test dismissals and the first Englishman to reach both 1000 runs and 100 dismissals and 2000 runs and 200 dismissals in Test cricket. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1951.
First Test and tour
Evans made his Test debut in 1946Indian cricket team in England in 1946
The Indian cricket team toured England in the 1946 season and played 29 first-class fixtures with 11 wins, 4 defeats and 14 draws. The 1946 season marked a return to normal first-class cricket in England following the end of World War II...
against India when he was chosen for the third Test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, replacing Paul Gibb
Paul Gibb
Paul Gibb was an English cricketer, who played in eight Tests for England from 1938 to 1946. He also played first-class cricket for Cambridge University and Yorkshire, mostly as a batsman but occasionally also keeping wicket.Gibb was educated at St Edward's School, Oxford, and played first-class...
. In a largely rain affected contest he didn't bat or take any dismissals.
Evans was selected as a member of Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Walter Reginald "Wally" Hammond was an English Test cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning his career as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed captain of England...
's side to tour Australia in 1946/47. After Gibb had played the first Test, Evans got his chance in the second at Melbourne. Australia won the match by an innings having scored 659/8 declared in their first innings, in 173 overs of English bowling Evans failed to concede a single bye
Bye (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a bye is a run scored by the batting team when the ball has not been hit by the batsman and the ball has not hit the batsman's body.-Scoring byes:...
, with Wisden commenting he 'kept wicket magnificently'. Evans didn't concede a bye in Australia's first innings of 365 at Adelaide in the third Test either, this took the tally past 1,000 runs before he conceded his first bye in Ashes Tests. In the Fourth Test at Adelaide, Evans shared in a vital ninth wicket partnership with Denis Compton
Denis Compton
Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches, and a footballer...
, England were in danger of losing the Test at 255/8 but Evans played a fine defensive innings, scoring 10 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
in 133 minutes, this enabled Compton to complete his second century of the match and Hammond the chance to declare. Evans took 97 minutes before scoring his first run, a Test record which stood until 1999 when beaten by Geoff Allott
Geoff Allott
Geoffrey Ian Allott is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 10 Tests and 31 ODIs from 1996 to 2000. He retired from all cricket in 2001, following series of injuries....
.
A short tour of New Zealand followed the Ashes series, rain heavily affected the only Test match but in the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
's tour match against Otago
Otago Volts
The Otago Volts are a first class cricket team representing the Otago Cricket Association, one of six major associations that make up New Zealand Cricket....
Evans completed his maiden first-class century. His innings of 101 came from 170 runs which were scored while he was at the wicket with Jack Ikin
Jack Ikin
John Thomas Ikin, known as Jack Ikin was an English cricketer, who played in eighteen Tests from 1946 to 1955...
.
Ever present
In the 1947 home seriesSouth African cricket team in England in 1947
The South African cricket team toured England in the 1947 season to play a five-match Test series against England.England won the series 3-0 with 2 matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at Trent Bridge – match drawn...
with South Africa, Evans played in all five Tests scoring 209 runs at 41.80 and taking 14 dismissals. In the first Test at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
he scored his maiden Test fifty with an innings of 74 that contained 14 fours. In the fifth Test at The Oval, Evans had scores of 45 and 39 not out, the second innings came in 29 minutes as England looked to score quick runs before a declaration.
England toured the West Indies in January 1948, Evans as first choice keeper played all four Tests scoring 128 runs at 18.28 and claiming seven victims. Of his series performance Wisden wrote: "Evans delighted the native crowds with his spectacular wicket-keeping, but as a batsman he accomplished little".
During the 1948 Ashes
1948 Ashes series
The 1948 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Starting on 10 June 1948, England and Australia played five Tests. Australia had not lost a Test since the Second World War and were strong favourites...
Evans was once again an ever-present, scoring 188 runs at 26.85 and taking 12 dismissals. His most notable act of the series were two missed stumpings as Australia successfully chased down, a Test record, 404 in the fourth Test
Fourth Test, 1948 Ashes series
The Fourth Test of the 1948 Ashes series was one of five Tests in a cricket series between Australia and England. The match was played at Headingley Stadium at Leeds from 22 to 27 July with a rest day on 25 July. Australia won the match by seven wickets to take an unassailable 3–0 series lead...
at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
. The first chance occurred when Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris
Arthur Robert Morris MBE is a former Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side, which made an undefeated tour of...
was on 32, he would score 182, the second chance when Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
was on 108, he finished with 173 not out.
Drop and return
On the tour of South AfricaEnglish cricket team in South Africa in 1948-49
The England national cricket team toured South Africa in the 1948-49 season. The tour was organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club and the side played five Test matches as England and 16 other first-class matches as "MCC". Two of the first-class matches took place in Rhodesia...
in 1948/49 Evans was dropped after 22 consecutive Tests, a record sequence for a wicket-keeper at that time. He did play the first three Tests but after scoring 49 runs in five innings was replaced for the final two Tests by Billy Griffith. Evans regained his place in the team for the home series
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1949
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1949 season. The team was the fourth official touring side from New Zealand, following those in 1927, 1931 and 1937, and was by some distance the most successful to this date...
against New Zealand in 1949, in the four Test series which ended 0-0 Evans scored 61 runs in four innings and took 12 dismissals.
West Indies were the tourists in 1950
West Indian cricket team in England in 1950
The West Indies cricket team toured England in the 1950 season to play a four-match Test series against England.West Indies won the series 3-1 with no matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at Old Trafford – England won by 202 runs...
, in the first Test at Old Trafford, Evans made his maiden Test century. He came to the wicket with England 88/5 in the first innings, but together with Trevor Bailey
Trevor Bailey
Trevor Edward Bailey CBE was an England Test cricketer, cricket writer and broadcaster.An all-rounder, Bailey was known for his skilful but unspectacular batting...
they recovered the innings with a partnership of 161 runs. Evans score of 104 contained 17 fours with Wisden commenting that he "neglected no opportunity to hit hard". In the third Test Evans added a fifty, his score of 68 coming from 83 added while he was at the wicket. The batting performance coming after he had conceded just two byes in West Indies first innings total of 558. England lost the match by 10 wickets, a second successive defeat. A broken thumb stopped Evans from playing in the fourth Test of the series, his replacement, Arthur McIntyre, scored 4 and 0 as England sustained an innings defeat to lose the series 3-1.
Second Ashes tour
Evans is a grand keeper. On this tour he proved that he is the outstanding keeper in the world today. I have never seen a better keeper than TallonDon TallonDonald "Don" Tallon was an Australian cricketer who played 21 Test matches as a wicket-keeper between 1946 and 1953...
as he was in England in 1948...but that time has passed. Evans is now the world best. That's the way things go and the way we Australians are supposed to like it. Evans reminds me always of a fox terrierFox TerrierFox Terrier refers primarily to two different breeds of the terrier dog type: the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier. Both of these breeds originated in the 19th century from a handful of dogs who are descended from earlier varieties of British terriers, and are related to other modern...
. He simply cannot stand still whilst on the cricket field. He moves with short, quick steps, dives, literally dives, at the ball when it it returned badly out of his reach... - Bill O'ReillyBill O'Reilly (cricketer)William Joseph "Bill" O'Reilly , often known as Tiger O'Reilly, was an Australian cricketer, rated as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. Following his retirement from playing, he became a well-respected cricket writer and broadcaster.O'Reilly was one of the best spin bowlers to...
Evans was back in the England team for the 1950/51 Ashes, although McIntyre did remain in the XI, as a specialist batsman, for the first Test. In the Brisbane match Evans took two noteworthy catches, the first from a Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
leg glance off the bowling of Alec Bedser
Alec Bedser
Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
, he moved so quickly to the leg side, that according to Neville Cardus
Neville Cardus
Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus CBE was an English writer and critic, best known for his writing on music and cricket. For many years, he wrote for The Manchester Guardian. He was untrained in music, and his style of criticism was subjective, romantic and personal, in contrast with his critical...
, he made the catch look easy. The second dismissal was off the bowling of Freddie Brown, a Sam Loxton
Sam Loxton
Samuel John Everett "Sam" Loxton OBE is a former Australian cricketer, footballer and politician. Among these three pursuits, his greatest achievements were attained on the cricket field; he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951...
cut struck Evans on the gloves and rebounded forward, Evans dived headlong catching the ball inches above the ground. In the second Test at Melbourne, England were 126/7 in their first innings in response to Australia's 194. Evans, batting at nine
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
, scored 49 which enabled a first innings lead although he failed in the second innings as England unsuccessfully chased 179. Australia won the next two Tests so arrived back at Melbourne for the fifth and final Test with the chance of completing a Whitewash
Whitewash (sport)
A whitewash is an informal term in sport describing a game or series in which the losing person or team fails to score.A whitewash may be in a single game where the loser fails to score any points or goals, or in a series where the loser fails to win a game...
, however this was averted with an eight wicket win by England. This was, at the fourteenth attempt, Evans' first time on the winning side in an Ashes Test. It also marked Australia's first post-war defeat in their 26th Test.
The end of series report in Wisden commented that: "Evans did not miss one Test catch, but he caught some which became chances only through lightning mental reaction plus acrobatic agility" commenting on his batting added: "Evans played one praiseworthy innings in the second Test but in others inability to curb his natural ebullience caused him to do less than justice to his talents."
The tour ended with a two Tests in New Zealand, Evans played both matches his most noteworthy act occurred in the second Test at Wellington where he conceded 30 byes in New Zealand's second innings total of 189. This was, and remained, the highest number of byes he conceded in a Test innings.
1951
At the start of the 1951 season Evans was chosen as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the YearWisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
for his performances in the 1950 season, the other four recipients of the award – Sonny Ramadhin
Sonny Ramadhin
Sonny Ramadhin was a West Indian cricketer, and a dominant bowler of the 1950s. He was the first West Indian cricketers of Indian origin, and was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1951.- Biography and career :...
, Alf Valentine
Alf Valentine
Alfred Louis Valentine, April 28, 1930–11 May 2004 , was a West Indian cricketer in the 1950s and 1960s. He is most famous for his performance in the West Indies' 1950 tour of England, which was immortalised in the Victory Calypso.-The 1950 tour:...
, Everton Weekes
Everton Weekes
Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes, KCMG, GCM, OBE is a leading former West Indian cricketer. Along with Frank Worrell and Clyde Walcott, he formed what was known as "The Three Ws" of West Indian cricket.-Youth and early career:...
and Frank Worrell
Frank Worrell
Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
– were members of the victorious West Indian tourists.
The 1951 home Test series
South African cricket team in England in 1951
The South African cricket team toured England in the 1951 season to play a five-match Test series against England.England won the series 3-1 with 1 match drawn.-South African team:...
with South Africa proved to be a poor one for Evans, who was dropped for the final two Tests of the summer having scored just seven runs in the first three Tests. His keeping was not up to his usual standards either, in the South Africa second innings at Old Trafford he conceded 13 byes, significant in a low score of 191.
An MCC 'A' team toured India that winter and Evans was approached, however he declined the invitation believing that the constant cricket of the past five years had been the cause for his drop in form.
Batting at his best
Evans would play India the following year, as he returned to the Test team for the home seriesIndian cricket team in England in 1952
The Indian cricket team toured England in the 1952 season. The team played four Test matches, losing three of them and drawing the other one. In all first-class matches, they played 29, winning four and losing five, with the rest drawn.-The Indian team:...
between the two countries. In the first Test at Leeds, Evans scored 66 in 97 minutes, a vital innings as England were 182/5 when Evans came to the wicket responding to India's 293. England won the match by seven wickets after India collapsed to 0/4 in their second innings. The second Test at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
was a significant match for Evans with bat and gloves. In India's first innings Evans took what Wisden described as a "brilliant stumping off a ball which had turned sharply towards the slips", the dismissal was Evans' 100th at Test level, he became the first English wicket-keeper to reach the landmark and the second keeper after Bert Oldfield
Bert Oldfield
William Albert Stanley "Bert" Oldfield was an Australian cricket player. He played for New South Wales and the Australian cricket team as wicket-keeper....
. In England's response Evans scored his second Test century, scoring 104 in 135 minutes with 16 boundaries, his scoring was so quick that he nearly reached 100 in a session, he lunched on 98 not out. He shared a 159-run sixth wicket partnership with Tom Graveney
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney in Riding Mill, Northumberland, is a former English cricketer and was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club for 2004/5. He went to Bristol Grammar School...
as England scored quickly to build a 302-run first innings lead. England won the match by eight wickets despite Vinoo Mankad scoring 184 in the second innings.
Evans good batting form continued to the third Test at Old Trafford, where he passed 50 for a third successive Test innings. Again he demonstrated his quick scoring abilities with an innings of 71 in 78 minutes, the other England batsman were more cautious and the total progressed by only 84 while Evans was batting. England dismissed India for 58 and 82 to win the match and the series. The final Test at The Oval was a rain affected draw, Evans scored one to finish the series with an aggregate of 242 runs at 60.50, with the gloves he took eight dismissals.
Ashes success
In the first Test of the 1953 AshesAustralian cricket team in England in 1953
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1953 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.England won the final Test to take the series 1-0 after the first four Tests were all drawn. England therefore recovered the Ashes for the first time since losing them in...
, Evans took two catches off the bowling of Trevor Bailey as Australia collapsed from 237/3 to 247 all out. In England's innings he scored eight runs batting at eight, as England totalled 144. The match was drawn after rain heavily disrupted the final two days. The second Test at Lord's was also drawn, England went into the final day on 20/3 but were able to bat through to the close losing just four further wickets, Evans came to the wicket after the fall of the sixth wicket with sixty-five minutes of play left, but together with Freddie Brown they batted out the final overs, Evans finished on 11 not out.
The third Test at Old Trafford followed the same course, ending in a draw after rain washed out the fourth day and much of the second, although it was an eventful match for Evans. In Australia's first innings he took three dismissals; however he dropped two earlier chances to dismiss Neil Harvey and Alan Davidson
Alan Davidson (cricketer)
Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...
, the miss of Harvey was costly as he went on to make 122, having been 52 at the time. In England's innings, Evans scored a quick 44 not out in 39 minutes on what was at that stage a wet wicket. Evans took three further dismissals in Australia's second innings as they collapsed to 35/8. At Leeds, more rain and England's defensive batting ensured a fourth draw of the series. Batting first England scored 167 in 109.4 overs, Evans's contribution was 25 runs in 90 minutes. Three England players suffered injuries during the course of the innings; the third of these was Bailey who twisted his knee as he attempted to make his ground after a mix up with Evans. Facing a 99-run deficit, England continued to bat slowly in their second innings adding 275 in 177.3 overs, Bailey batted over four hours with the tail on the final day to leave Australia one hour and fifty-five minutes to chase 177; they were 30 short when play ended.
After four draws, the fifth and final Test at The Oval was the series decider. Australia, after winning the toss for the fifth time in the series, chose to bat first and scored 275, Evans taking four catches. England gained a first innings lead of 31; Evans innings of 28 included two hooked fours from a Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
over. England took control of the match on the third day as the Australian batsmen struggled against spinners Tony Lock
Tony Lock
Graham Anthony Richard Lock was an English cricketer, who played primarily as a left-arm spinner. He played in forty nine Tests for England taking 174 wickets at 25.58 each.-Life and career:...
and Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
and were dismissed for 162. England completed an eight-wicket victory the next day to win the Ashes, which Australia had held since 1934. Evans finished the series with 117 runs at 23.40 and 16 dismissals.
Retaining the Ashes
England toured the West Indies in 1953/54English cricket team in West Indies in 1953-54
The English Cricket Team in the West Indies in 1953-54 played five Test matches, five other first-class matches and seven other games, three of them on a two-week stop-over in Bermuda that included Christmas....
, after losing the first two Tests England came back to draw the series 2-2 with wins in the third and fifth Tests. Evans missed the fourth Test with an injury and was replaced by Dick Spooner
Dick Spooner
Richard Thompson Spooner was an English cricketer, who played for Warwickshire and England.A latecomer who did not play first-class cricket until he was 28, Spooner was a quick-witted left-handed batsman who could open the innings or bat further down the order, and a reliable wicket-keeper whose...
, however Evans returned for the fifth Test where he played the longest innings of his career, batting 142 minutes for 28. Although not the largest innings of his career it was an important one as he shared a 108-run partnership with Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
, whose double century built England a substantial first innings lead. Evans finished the series with 72 runs at 12.00 and six dismissals.
The tourists to England in 1954
Pakistani cricket team in England in 1954
The Pakistani cricket team toured England in the 1954 season. The team played four Test matches against England, winning one, losing one and drawing two. These were the first Test matches played between the two sides...
were Pakistan, elected Test members two years previous they caused a shock by beating England in the final Test at The Oval to gain a series draw. In a wet summer all four Test matches were affected by rain. Evans highest two scores of the series – 25 and 31 – came in the first and third Tests, which were both drawn. In the fourth Test he was promoted to number six in the batting order as England omitted Trevor Bailey and chose five specialist bowlers. It proved unsuccessful as England collapsed chasing 168, Wisden noting England's 'tail proved far too long for a Test Match'. Evans scored 0 and 3 in his two innings, but by taking three catches he became the Test record holder for dismissals. A catch to take the wicket of Abdul Kardar
Abdul Kardar
Abdul Hafeez Kardar or Abdul Kardar was an international cricketer, who is one of the only three players to have played Test cricket for both India and Pakistan; the other two being Amir Elahi and Gul Mohammad...
was his 131st dismissal in Tests, taking him past the previous highest total of 130 by Bert Oldfield.
Evans made a third tour to Australia in 1954/55. He missed the first Test, after failing to recover from sunstroke. His deputy, Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
Keith Vincent Andrew was an English cricketer who played in two Tests, in 1954-55 and in 1963.-Life and career:...
, came into the team to make his Test debut. Evans returned to the team for the second Test, but fared poorly with the bat scoring three and four. In the third Test at Melbourne he added some useful runs, in the first innings he scored 20 in a 54-run sixth wicket stand with Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
, in the second he added 22. He took five catches in the match including a leg-side one to dismiss Neil Harvey which began Australia's collapse from 77/2 to 111 all out. Neville Cardus described the catch: "Harvey flicked the seventh ball of the morning (from Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...
) round the corner and this time Evans dived full length to the right, clutching the ball in his out-stretched glove". In the fourth Test Evans made his highest score of the series, an innings of 37 in 36 minutes, sharing a 51-run partnership with Trevor Bailey. After Australia were dismissed for 111 in their second innings (for the second successive match), it set England a target of 94 to win the match. Evans came to the wicket with only four needed and with only one needed he scored a boundary that won the match and retained the Ashes. The fifth and final Test was disrupted by heavy rain in New South Wales which had also led to the Hunter Valley floods. The match was drawn after no play was possible until the fourth day, Evans scored 10 in England's innings and took two catches.
In the four Tests he played Evans scored 102 runs and took 13 catches. Wisden praised Evans, writing: "Always brimful of energy no matter how exhausting the heat of the day, he was an inspiration to the whole team and especially the bowlers."
Third Ashes success
After the Ashes there was a two Test series in New Zealand, Evans had a poor tour with the bat, scoring duckDuck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
s in both Tests. In the intervening tour match with Wellington
Wellington Firebirds
The Wellington Firebirds are one of six New Zealand first-class cricket teams that make up New Zealand Cricket.It is based in Wellington. It competes in the State Championship first class competition, the State Shield domestic one day competition and the State Twenty20 Cricket Tournament.The...
he also struggled, scoring one and a duck.
In 1955, South Africa toured England
South African cricket team in England in 1955
The South African cricket team toured England in the 1955 season to play a five-match Test series against England.England won the series 3-2 with no matches drawn.-South African team:...
for a five Test series. Evans played the first three matches before an injury forced him to miss the final two. England won the first Test at Trent Bridge by an innings; Evans contributed 12 runs in England's innings and took two catches, the second was his 150th Test dismissal. In the second Test at Lord's Evans took seven dismissals, a record for his Test career. England won the match despite having trailed by 171 runs on first innings. During the third Test Evans fractured the little finger of his right hand in two places, Tom Graveney kept wicket in his absence. In England's second innings Evans, with hand in plaster, batted at number eleven and scored 36 runs including seven boundaries. He shared a 48-run partnership with Trevor Bailey that increased South Africa's target from 97 to 145. It proved in vain though as the tourists reached the required total with three wickets remaining.
Australia toured in 1956 and Evans was an ever present in the England side who won the Test series 2-1. Evans scored 115 runs at 19.16, three of his seven innings were ducks. His highest score came in the fourth Test at Old Trafford where he scored 47 in 29 minutes with five fours and two sixes. England won the match, and retained the Ashes, after Jim Laker's unprecedented 19 wickets. Evans took nine dismissals in the series but seven of these came in one match – the second Test.
Milestones
England toured South Africa in 1956/57English cricket team in South Africa in 1956-57
The England cricket team toured South Africa in the 1956-57 season. The tour was organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club and the side played five Test matches as England and 15 other first-class matches as "MCC"...
. Evans played in all five Tests of a series that was drawn 2-2. In the second Test Evans scored 62 during England's first innings, he shared in a 93-run sixth wicket stand with Colin Cowdrey, it was the largest partnership of the match. Evans innings was his first Test score of more than fifty runs since 1952. When on four he reached a career total of 2,000 Test runs, only the second wicket-keeper after Les Ames
Les Ames
Leslie Ethelbert George Ames, CBE was an outstanding wicket-keeper and batsman for the England cricket team and Kent County Cricket Club. In his obituary, the Wisden of 1991 described him as the greatest wicket-keeper-batsman of all time...
to achieve the milestone. England led the series 2-1 but lost the final Test at Port Elizabeth in controversial circumstances. The match was played on a pitch that had been re-laid only three months previous, the wicket was slow and the ball kept 'exceptionally low' according to Wisden. The match produced a scoring rate of 1.40, the lowest ever in a Test match. Evans scored 21 in England's second innings but the tourists fell 58 runs short of their target. He also took six catches and in the difficult conditions conceded just one bye. Wisden commented that it was: "an extraordinary performance by an extraordinary man". Evans took a total of 20 dismissals in the series, a record for his career.
In 1957, the West Indies toured
West Indian cricket team in England in 1957
The West Indies cricket team toured England in the 1957 season to play a five-match Test series against England.England won the series 3-0 with two matches drawn...
England for a five Test series. England dominated, winning 3-0 (all innings victories) and they were best placed in the two drawn matches. Evans played in all five Tests, scoring 201 runs and taking 15 dismissals. In the second Test at Lord's Evans scored 82 in 115 minutes, batting at number eight he shared a seventh wicket partnership of 174 in 115 minutes with Colin Cowdrey. The stand was an English record for the wicket and was the largest of Evans career. In the fourth Test at Headingley Evans didn't concede a bye and by catching Collie Smith
Collie Smith
O'Neil Gordon 'Collie' Smith was a West Indian cricketer....
claimed his 200th Test dismissal, becoming the first to reach the landmark.
New Zealand toured England in 1958
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1958
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1958 season. In a notably wet summer when the touring side lost the equivalent of 29 full days of cricket, the side lost four of the five Test matches...
, the hosts won the five Test series 4-0, with three of those victories by an innings. Evans was once again an ever present in the team but his batting was poor with 28 runs at an average 5.60. Nevertheless he did break one record in the series, by playing the fifth Test at The Oval he made his 86th Test appearance passing the previous record held by Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Walter Reginald "Wally" Hammond was an English Test cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning his career as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed captain of England...
.
In the Reliance ICC Test Player Batting Rankings, he was:
- Highest Rating - 442 on 17 July 1952 (v India, Old Trafford, 3rd Test)
- Highest Ranking - 24th on 5 January 1951 (v Australia, Sydney, 3rd Test)
Final Tests
Evans made his fourth tour to Australia in 1958/59, however it was a disappointing one for him and the team. England went into the series as favourites having won the previous three Ashes series but lost convincingly 4-0. Evans played three Test matches, missing the third with a finger injury and despite returning for the fourth a recurrence of that injury resulted in him missing the fifth. With the bat Evans scored 27 runs in six innings, four of his innings totalled four. Wisden wrote that Evans was among several established players who showed a 'decline in power'.In 1959, India toured England, in the first home series since the Ashes defeat a number of experienced players were dropped. However, Evans remained and in the first Test of the summer he justified his selection with a run-a-ball innings of 73, which contained 12 boundaries. Norman Preston
Norman Preston
Norman Preston, MBE was an English cricket journalist.He began his career with the old Pardon's Cricket Reporting Agency in 1933 and served on three overseas tours as Reuters' correspondent. He succeeded his father, Hubert Preston, as editor of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack and was in charge for...
in Wisden described it as 'daring hitting' which 'reduced the hitherto keen Indian bowling to a thing of shreds and patches'. In the second Test at Lord's Evans missed four stumpings off Tommy Greenhough
Tommy Greenhough
Thomas "Tommy" Greenhough was an English cricketer, who represented Lancashire during the 1950s and 1960s, as well as playing four Tests for England....
in the space of a quarter of an hour, he otherwise kept well and didn't concede a bye in the match. Evans was dropped from the team for the next Test 'in the interests of team building', the reason given by the selectors.
Records and statistics
| Batting | Fielding | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition | Matches | Runs | Average | High score | 100s/50s | Catches | Stumpings |
| Australia | 31 | 783 | 17.79 | 50 | 0/1 | 64 | 12 |
| India | 7 | 315 | 52.50 | 104 | 1/3 | 7 | 5 |
| New Zealand | 14 | 142 | 10.92 | 27 | 0/0 | 22 | 6 |
| Pakistan | 4 | 63 | 12.60 | 31 | 0/0 | 6 | 1 |
| South Africa | 19 | 511 | 18.25 | 74 | 0/2 | 46 | 13 |
| West Indies | 16 | 625 | 27.17 | 104 | 1/2 | 28 | 9 |
| Overall | 91 | 2,439 | 20.49 | 104 | 2/8 | 173 | 46 |
After cricket
After his retirement from professional cricket Evans became a cricket expert for bookmakerBookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
s Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes plc is a British based gambling company. It is based in Rayners Lane in Harrow, London owned by Bhavin Kakaiya. From 14 May 1999 to 23 February 2006, when it owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States, it was known as Hilton Group plc...
, famously offering odds of 500 to 1 on an England victory against Australia at Headingley in 1981, the match in which Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
and Bob Willis
Bob Willis
Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...
fought back from following-on
Follow-on
Follow-on is a term used in the sport of cricket to describe a situation where the team that bats second is forced to take its second batting innings immediately after its first, because the team was not able to get close enough to the score achieved by the first team batting in the first innings...
at 227 runs behind to achieve an improbable victory.
Evans played himself in an episode of the television adaptation of the play Outside Edge
Outside Edge
Outside Edge is a play by Richard Harris about a cricket team trying to win a game of cricket whilst sorting out their various marital problems.-Plot:...
.
External links
- David FrithDavid FrithDavid Edward John Frith is a leading cricket writer and historian. Cricinfo describes him as "an author, historian, and founding editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly".-Life and career:...
, Ebullient keeper with eternal charm, The Independent, May 4, 1999 - Norman Harris, Obituary, The Independent, May 4, 1999