John Emburey

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John Emburey
England
Personal information
Full name John Ernest Emburey
Nickname Embers, Ernie, Knuckle
Born 20 August 1952 (1952-08-20) (age 55)
Peckham, England
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Role Bowler
Batting style Right-handed
Bowling style Right arm off break
International information
Test debut (cap 480) August 24, 1978: v New Zealand
Last Test July 30, 1995: v West Indies
ODI debut (cap 52) January 14, 1980: v Australia
Last ODI March 20, 1993: v Sri Lanka
Domestic team information
Years Team
1973-1995 Middlesex
1982/83-83/84 Western Province
1996-97 Northamptonshire
Career statistics
Tests ODIs FC LA
Matches 64 61 513 536
Runs scored 1713 501 12021 3865
Batting average 22.53 14.31 23.38 15.77
100s/50s 0/10 0/0 7/55 0/2
Top score 75 34 133 50
Balls bowled 15391 3425 112862 26399
Wickets 147 76 1608 647
Bowling average 38.40 30.86 26.09 25.98
5 wickets in innings 6 0 72 3
10 wickets in match 0 n/a 12 n/a
Best bowling 7/78 4/37 8/40 5/23
Catches/stumpings 34/- 19/- 458/- 181/-

As of August 22, 2007
Source: CricketArchive

John Ernest Emburey (born 20 August 1952 in Peckham) is a former English cricketer who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England.

[edit] Playing career

Emburey was a right arm spin bowler and a slightly eccentric lower-order batsman with the style of a grafter. He was more notable as an economical performer than a "demon" spin bowler, but on his day could leave the best batsmen groping outside off-stump. One of his dangerous balls was his arm ball outswinger.

Emburey was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1984.

Emburey was briefly made England Test captain in 1988, the notorious "Summer of four captains"([1]). Mike Gatting was sacked after the first Test match against the West Indies and Emburey was appointed for two matches, both of which were lost. Emburey too was fired and was replaced by Chris Cowdrey (regarded as a 'specialist captain') for the fourth Test. (Cowdrey lasted just one match, replaced in turn by Graham Gooch).

Emburey was the only cricketer to go on both the England rebel tours to South Africa in 1981/2 and 1989/90; the rebels were banned from Test match cricket because of the apartheid régime.

Later in his test career Emburey tended to be picked for single Tests in England, as happened in 1993 against Australia and 1995 against the West Indies.

At county level, Emburey's Middlesex career coincided with that of Phil Edmonds. The right and left arm spin combination was a powerful contribution towards Middlesex's successes in the 1980s. They also combined at England level, although the pair often competed for the same place in the Test team. A highlight of Emburey's Middlesex career was taking 12 wickets in a single day in a championship match at Lord's in 1980.

Emburey holds the dubious distinction of being the highest England test run-scorer never to have made a test century.

Until Mark Pettini beat it in 2006, Emburey held the batting record for the highest innings made entirely from boundaries. Despite his chronic lack of footwork, he scored 46 for the England XI against Tasmania at Hobart in 1986-87, with ten fours and a six.

He was second choice for the post of Indian National Coach after Graham Ford rejected the role. He also has rejected the role.

[edit] Coaching and other activities

Emburey has coached Northamptonshire CCC and Middlesex CCC, as well as commentating. In February 2008, he signed on as the coach of the Ahmedabad Rockets, one of the expansion teams in the second season of the Indian Cricket League.

[edit] External reference

Preceded by
Mike Gatting
English national cricket captain
1988
Succeeded by
Graham Gooch