Graham Barlow
Encyclopedia
Graham Derek Barlow is a former cricket
er and was a middle-order
batsman
for Middlesex
and, briefly, for England. He was also an England under-23 Rugby Union
cap,
A stylish, confident and powerful player, Barlow was an important figure in the powerhouse Middlesex team of the late 1970s and early 1980s under Mike Brearley
. He was described as a natural athlete, and his quick running between the wickets, often in partnership with the equally fleet of foot Clive Radley
, and later in profitable partnerships with Wilf Slack
, was a feature of his play. Barlow won many one-day games for his team. He was an outstanding fieldsman, ranked alongside Derek Randall
and the youthful David Gower
in the covers. He ran out many batsmen with a fine sense of anticipation, good ground coverage and a fast and accurate arm.
He played three test matches
, but was unable to play the major innings, which might have cemented himself in the England team. His debut One Day International saw his best innings, an unbeaten 80 against a strong West Indies side, but he struggled in five more ODIs after that. He made a strong start in the first-class matches of his 1976–77 tour to India, but could not translate that form into the Test arena, and was dropped after another failure against Australia in 1977. In five Test innings, Barlow never reached double figures, and defensive flaws saw him ultimately overlooked.
He continued as a prolific player for Middlesex, often opening the batting, but ironically for such a fit and athletic player his career was ended prematurely by a persistent back injury
. He turned to coaching and, in 2001, moved to New Zealand
, taking charge of the Central Districts Stags
in 2004. He later resided in Whangarei
, teaching English
at Whangarei Boys' High School.
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 and was a middle-order
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...
batsman
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
for Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
and, briefly, for England. He was also an England under-23 Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
cap,
A stylish, confident and powerful player, Barlow was an important figure in the powerhouse Middlesex team of the late 1970s and early 1980s under Mike Brearley
Mike Brearley
John Michael Brearley OBE is a former cricketer who captained the England cricket team in 31 of his 39 Test matches, winning 17 and losing only 4. He was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2007–08.-Early life:...
. He was described as a natural athlete, and his quick running between the wickets, often in partnership with the equally fleet of foot Clive Radley
Clive Radley
Clive Thornton Radley MBE is an English former cricketer, who played eight Tests and four One Day Internationals for England...
, and later in profitable partnerships with Wilf Slack
Wilf Slack
Wilfred Norris "Wilf" Slack was an English cricketer, who played in three Test matches and two One Day Internationals for England in 1986....
, was a feature of his play. Barlow won many one-day games for his team. He was an outstanding fieldsman, ranked alongside Derek Randall
Derek Randall
Derek William Randall is an English former cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire, and Tests and ODIs for England in the late 1970s and early 1980s....
and the youthful David Gower
David Gower
David Ivon Gower OBE is a former English cricketer who became a commentator for Sky Sports. Although he eventually rose to the captaincy of the England cricket team during the 1980s, he is best known for being one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of the modern era. Gower played 117 Test...
in the covers. He ran out many batsmen with a fine sense of anticipation, good ground coverage and a fast and accurate arm.
He played three test matches
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...
, but was unable to play the major innings, which might have cemented himself in the England team. His debut One Day International saw his best innings, an unbeaten 80 against a strong West Indies side, but he struggled in five more ODIs after that. He made a strong start in the first-class matches of his 1976–77 tour to India, but could not translate that form into the Test arena, and was dropped after another failure against Australia in 1977. In five Test innings, Barlow never reached double figures, and defensive flaws saw him ultimately overlooked.
He continued as a prolific player for Middlesex, often opening the batting, but ironically for such a fit and athletic player his career was ended prematurely by a persistent back injury
Back injury
Back injuries result from damage, wear, or trauma to the bones, muscles, or other tissues of the back. Common back injuries include sprains and strains, herniated disks, and fractured vertebrae. The lumbar is often the site of back pain. The area is susceptible because of its flexibility and the...
. He turned to coaching and, in 2001, moved to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, taking charge of the Central Districts Stags
Central Districts Stags
The Central Districts Stags are a New Zealand first class cricket team based in central New Zealand. It competes in the State Championship first class competition and the State Shield domestic one day competition...
in 2004. He later resided in Whangarei
Whangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
, teaching English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at Whangarei Boys' High School.