Angus Fraser
Encyclopedia
Angus Robert Charles Fraser (born 8 August 1965, Billinge Higher End
, Wigan
, Lancashire
, England
) is the current Managing Director of Cricket of Middlesex County Cricket Club
, and a former English
cricket
er and journalist.
Fraser played in forty six Test matches
and forty two One Day Internationals for England. Cricket commentator Colin Bateman commented that Fraser was "a reliable, intelligent and hard-working bowler".
in Harrow, Middlesex. Perhaps his finest hour came in the Barbados
Test match
of the 1993/94 West Indies tour, when Fraser took 8-75 in the first innings
to help set up a famous victory, West Indies' first defeat at Bridgetown for more than half a century. His career-best first-class cricket
figures, 8-53, were also taken in a Test against the same opposition, this time at Port of Spain
, Trinidad and Tobago
in 1997/98. Despite taking eight wickets in an innings, he did not win the Man of the Match
award, which went to Carl Hooper
from the winning West Indies side.
His ODI high score of 38 not out, scored late in the innings at number 10 and including a massive six off Steve Waugh
, almost brought England back from the brink of defeat against Australia during the 1990/91 tour (Australia won by three runs). Another fine moment with the bat was in a last-wicket second-innings stand with Robert Croft
to save the third Test at Old Trafford
against South Africa in 1998. Throughout his career he used a bat nicknamed the "Gussy Hitter", the design for the blade was put together by his mother.
Despite his Lancashire birthplace, Fraser played all of his county cricket
for Middlesex
, in a first-class career running from 1984 to 2002, and served as the county captain
from 2001 until his retirement in 2002. He served as the cricket correspondent of The Independent
newspaper (2002–2009), until his appointment to the newly created role of Managing Director of Cricket by Middlesex in January 2009. He is also a regular contributor to the BBC
's Test Match Special
.
In the 1996 edition of Wisden
, he was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year
He currently now resides in Pinner
with his wife and two children, Alexander and Bethan. In 2008, Fraser in his first managerial role secured the U15 Middlesex Schools Association County Cup with The John Lyon School, with his son playing in the squad. He bowled against Sachin Tendulkar for his first century.
Higher End
Higher End or Billinge Higher End is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.-Governance:Billinge lies within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire...
, Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is the current Managing Director of Cricket of Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
, and a former English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricket
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 journalist.
Fraser played in forty six 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...
and forty two One Day Internationals for England. Cricket commentator Colin Bateman commented that Fraser was "a reliable, intelligent and hard-working bowler".
Life and career
Fraser was educated at the Gayton High SchoolHarrow High School
Harrow High School is a state secondary school in the London Borough of Harrow in the north-west of London. The headteacher is Paul Gamble. The school is a specialist Sports College. It is not to be confused with the independent school Harrow School, situated nearby at Harrow on the...
in Harrow, Middlesex. Perhaps his finest hour came in the Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
Test match
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...
of the 1993/94 West Indies tour, when Fraser took 8-75 in the first innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
to help set up a famous victory, West Indies' first defeat at Bridgetown for more than half a century. His career-best first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
figures, 8-53, were also taken in a Test against the same opposition, this time at Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
, Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
in 1997/98. Despite taking eight wickets in an innings, he did not win the Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award, which went to Carl Hooper
Carl Hooper
Carl Llewellyn Hooper is a former West Indian cricket player and captain.-Career:He was a right-handed batsman and off-spin bowler, who came to prominence in the late 1980s in a side that included such players as Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Malcolm Marshall and Courtney Walsh and represented...
from the winning West Indies side.
His ODI high score of 38 not out, scored late in the innings at number 10 and including a massive six off Steve Waugh
Steve Waugh
Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler...
, almost brought England back from the brink of defeat against Australia during the 1990/91 tour (Australia won by three runs). Another fine moment with the bat was in a last-wicket second-innings stand with Robert Croft
Robert Croft
Robert Damien Bale Croft is a Welsh cricketer who has played international cricket for both England and Wales. He is an off-spin bowler who plays for Glamorgan and captained the county from 2003 to 2006...
to save the third Test at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (cricket)
Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...
against South Africa in 1998. Throughout his career he used a bat nicknamed the "Gussy Hitter", the design for the blade was put together by his mother.
Despite his Lancashire birthplace, Fraser played all of his county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
for Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
, in a first-class career running from 1984 to 2002, and served as the county captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
from 2001 until his retirement in 2002. He served as the cricket correspondent of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
newspaper (2002–2009), until his appointment to the newly created role of Managing Director of Cricket by Middlesex in January 2009. He is also a regular contributor to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Test Match Special
Test Match Special
Test Match Special is a British radio programme covering professional cricket, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 , Five Live Sports Extra and the internet to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world...
.
In the 1996 edition of Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
, he was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
He currently now resides in Pinner
Pinner
- Climate :Pinner's geographical position on the far western side of North West London makes it the furthest London suburb from any UK coastline. Hence the lower prevalence of moderating maritime influences make Pinner noticeably warmer in the spring and the summer compared to the rest of the capital...
with his wife and two children, Alexander and Bethan. In 2008, Fraser in his first managerial role secured the U15 Middlesex Schools Association County Cup with The John Lyon School, with his son playing in the squad. He bowled against Sachin Tendulkar for his first century.