Famous Cricketers No 93 - Keith Fletcher O.B.E.

c C.S.Cowdrey b D.L.Underwood 8 118 10-0 649. Essex v Surrey, Kennington Oval, August 25, 27, 28 (Essex won by 82 runs) * c C.J.Richards b S.T.Clarke 22 314-8d 327-8d 1 b M.A.Lynch 0 274-5d 179 650. Essex v Middlesex, Chelmsford, August 29, 30, 31 (Match drawn) * c C.T.Radley b J.E.Emburey 5 329 - - - - 223 not out 14 233-4d 5 0 20 0 218-2 651. Essex v Lancashire, Old Trafford, September 8, 10 (Essex won by ten wickets) * c C.Maynard b L.L.McFarlane 40 446 229 did not bat - 14-0 229 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Championship 22 33 4 932 131 32.13 3 3 21 Other Essex matches 3 4 1 124 59 41.33 - 1 1 Season 25 37 5 1056 131 33.00 3 4 22 Career 651 1062 151 35013 228* 38.43 62 202 586 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i Championship 5 0 20 0 - - - Other Essex matches 4 2 8 0 - - - Season 9 2 28 0 - - - Career (6b) 428.5 60 } 2252 50 5-41 45.04 1 (8b) 46.3 2 1985 Keith Fletcher became the first county captain to have led his side to victory in all four major competitions when Essex won the John Player League and the National Westminster Trophy. For good measure the team also reached the final of the Benson and Hedges Cup, when they lost to Leicestershire and they finished fourth in the County Championship. Runs did not flow for Fletcher as in the past and he managed to score fifty or over on only seven occasions, and without moving on to a century. Interestingly he did not bat in eleven of his team’s innings and was not out for less than twelve on four other occasions, a strong sign of giving the younger players responsibility. They clearly responded to his trust in them. During the final John Player League match, in which they achieved the title, Fletcher announced that he was to retire as captain but continue as vice-captain to stand in for his successor, Graham Gooch, when he was on Test duty. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 652.$ Essex v Cambridge University, Fenner’s, April 20, 22, 23 (Match drawn) * not out 56 339-6d 222-6d did not bat - 327-4d 69-2 653. Essex v MCC, Lord’s, April 24, 25, 26 (Match drawn) * c J.E.Emburey b N.G.Cowans 1 162 377-9d did not bat - 258-5 654. Essex v Nottinghamshire, Trent Bridge, May 1, 2, 3 (Match drawn) * c B.N.French b C.E.B.Rice 8 273 227 not out 5 297-5d 302-7 1 655. Essex v Surrey, Kennington Oval, May 25, (27), 28 (Surrey won by seven wickets) * lbw b T.E.Jesty 16 336-6d 10-0d forfeited 327-3 1 656. Essex v Leicestershire, Chelmsford, June 1, 3, 4 (Match drawn) * c N.G.B.Cook b G.J.Parsons 41 213 392-7d did not bat - 162-3 57