GRAHAM THORPE

'Graham Paul Thorpe' MBE (born August 1 1969 in Farnham, Surrey) is an English cricketer who played for Surrey and England.
Naturally right-handed in everything but batting, when he was six years old Thorpe changed his stance to make it harder for his two elder brothers to get him out and because the boundary in his garden was shorter on the leg-side for a left-hander.
Thorpe made his debut for Surrey in 1988, and his international debut in 1993. He scored a century (114 not out) in the second innings of his debut Test match, against Australia at Trent Bridge. Developing into a very highly-regarded player, he was named as one of the ''Wisden'' Cricketers of the Year in 1998.
Thorpe hit only one four in his hundred against Pakistan at Lahore in November 2000. It also contained seven threes, 12 twos and 51 singles. He hit another boundary before being dismissed for 118. No other batsman has scored 100 runs in a Test with just one boundary.
In the 2002 season, Thorpe had well-publicised marital difficulties which seriously affected his play and his focus on the game. Seemingly disillusioned with constant touring away from his family, he announced his retirement from the one-day game and changed his mind several times on whether to tour Australia, eventually pulling out of the tour entirely. However, in 2003 a rested Thorpe, with family problems behind him, returned to the England team in the fifth Test against South Africa at his home ground of the Oval, where he was welcomed with a standing ovation. Thorpe scored a century, and remained in the side until he played his 100th Test against Bangladesh in June 2005.
He announced his retirement from Test cricket after the England selectors chose Kevin Pietersen instead of him in the first Test of The Ashes in July 2005, and his retirement from domestic cricket in August 2005. He coached New South Wales as a batting coach in two seasons starting in 2005/6 and played for UTS-Balmain in the Sydney First Grade competition. Thorpe was named as assistant coach of New South Wales in 2007 replacing Matthew Mott who was promoted to the position of coach.^[1]

Thorpe was created a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on 17 June 2006. ^[2]
Thorpe made his debut as a summariser for BBC Radio's Test Match Special programme during the final test of India's 2007 tour of England.

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References

1. ''Melbourne Age'', "Thorpe new NSW cricket assistant coach" 6 July 2007
2. Thorpe/Ferguson head honours list bbc.co.uk Friday, 16 June 2006

External links

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★ ''The 11...Graham Thorpe knocks''