Graeme Fowler

Infobox Cricketer


nationality = English
country = England
country abbrev = Eng
name = Graeme Fowler
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Left-handed batsman (LHB)
bowling style = Right arm medium (RM)
tests = 21
test runs = 1307
test bat avg = 35.32
test 100s/50s = 3/8
test top score = 201
test overs = 0
test wickets = -
test bowl avg = -
test 5s = -
test 10s = -
test best bowling = -
test catches/stumpings = 10/0
ODIs = 26
ODI runs = 744
ODI bat avg = 31.00
ODI 100s/50s = 0/4
ODI top score = 81*
ODI overs = 0
ODI wickets = -
ODI bowl avg = -
ODI 5s = -
ODI best bowling = -
ODI catches/stumpings = 4/2
date = 26 May
year = 1986
source = http://content.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/12884.html

Graeme ("Foxy") Fowler (born 20 April 1957 in Accrington, Lancashire) is a former professional cricketer who played for Lancashire and England, and later for Durham.

Lancashire and England career

Fowler made his debut in First Class cricket in 1979. He usually opened the batting for both county and country, and his most successful opening partnership was with Gehan Mendis between 1986 and 1993.

He made his Test debut in 1982 when 16 England players were banned for three years for participating in the rebel tour of South Africa during the apartheid era. He played 21 Tests and 26 One Day Internationals in total. His highest Test score was 201, made in a nine-hour innings in Madras (now Chennai); this was the first double century by an English cricketer in India. Mike Gatting also scored a double century in the same innings: this was the first time that two English batsmen had made double centuries in the same Test innings. [http://www.lordstaverners.org/about/90pres.asp]

However, he lost his place in the England team when the rebel tourists were reinstated and he had neck trouble. [ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1699566,00.html Frozen in time: 18 January 1985 | Sport | The Observer ] ] He was not reselected in Tests for the remainder of his career.

Against New Zealand at The Oval in 1983, Fowler scored his first Test hundred (105 off 303 balls), as Chris Tavare and he became the first England openers to score a century in the same Test innings for 23 years. [ [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/128884.html Cricinfo - The real deal ] ] His second Test century came against the West Indies at Lord's in 1984. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/test_match_special/presenter_profiles/2976467.stm BBC SPORT | Cricket | Test Match Special | Presenter profiles | Graeme Fowler ] ]

Fowler's highest One Day International score of 81 not out against Pakistan came during the 1983 World Cup, in which he scored four consecutive half-centuries to help England to the semi-finals, averaging 72.00 for the tournament. [ [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030209/spectrum/main4.htm The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum - Lead Article ] ] These would be the only occasions that Fowler passed fifty in ODIs.

Against Leicestershire in the same year he scored 10 sixes in successive shots and 5 fours to make a century, although Leicestershire were employing non-specialist bowlers. [ [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/247910.html Cricinfo - The record that never was ] ]

He is the only batsman to score two complete hundreds in a match with the aid of a runner. Playing for Lancashire at Southport in 1982, he strained his thigh while fielding on the first day during Warwickshire's innings of 523-4 declared, but batted without a runner to score 26 not out at stumps. He then scored exactly 100 before lunch on the second day with David Lloyd as his runner. In the second innings, Ian Folley ran for him (and acknowledged the crowd's applause for the century) when 'Foxy' scored 128 not out on the third day. In 1987, Fowler scored an unbeaten century in a Sunday League match against Somerset, despite an injury which forced him to bat with a runner. [ [http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=41 Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester ] ]

Post Lancashire career

After leaving Lancashire, Fowler played for Durham and coached at their academy, setting up a Cricket School of Excellence in 1996 [http://www.dur.ac.uk/pr.office/648.htm] [http://www.dur.ac.uk/pr.office/738crick.htm] . Among the players he coached was Andrew Strauss. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2004/11/07/scstra07.xml Strauss right at home on world stage - Telegraph ] ] . Since 1987 he has been a cricket broadcaster and also holds the post of Senior Cricket Coach at Durham University.

Miscellaneous

He wrote a book entitled "Fox on the Run" (ISBN 978-0670815609) describing a difficult county season after being dropped from the England side.According to Lancashire teammate Mike Atherton, Fowler was a constant smoker. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/07/08/scaths308.xml Smoking ban a drag for changing-room addicts - Telegraph ] ]

Fowler also made an appearance playing drums on Roy Harpers 1993 live album, "Unhinged".

References

External links

*cricinfo|ref=england/content/player/12884.html