Chris Tavaré
Encyclopedia
Christopher James Tavaré (icon; born 27 October 1954, Orpington
, Kent
, England
) is an English
retired cricket
er, who played in thirty one Tests
and twenty nine One Day Internationals from 1980 to 1989.
and Oxford University
, where he graduated with a degree in zoology
. He played cricket
for Oxford University
, Kent
and Somerset
as an attacking right-handed batsman.
He adapted his natural game to meet the requirements of the Test side, becoming a notorious blocker. In 1981, at Old Trafford he scored 69 and 78, but was at the crease for twelve hours. His 50 in five hours and fifty minutes, against Pakistan in 1982, was the second slowest in the history of the English game. Amongst his slowest crawls was to score just 35 runs, in six and a half hours, at Madras
in the 1981/2 season.
The Test selectors finally discarded Tavaré in 1984, after twenty five Test appearances, following another time consuming score of 14 against the Sri Lankans
.
He captained
Kent for three years, before he was replaced by Chris Cowdrey
in 1986. He moved to Somerset as captain in 1989, following a successful benefit
in 1988. He was recalled for one Test Match against Australia in 1989.
In the Reliance ICC Test Player Batting Rankings , he was:
Tavaré is currently a biology teacher at his alma mater, Sevenoaks School. Tavaré is first cousin of the comedian, Jim Tavaré
.
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, 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 an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
retired 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, who played in thirty one Tests
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 twenty nine One Day Internationals from 1980 to 1989.
Life and career
Tavaré was educated at Sevenoaks SchoolSevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School is an English coeducational independent school located in the town of Sevenoaks, Kent. It is the oldest lay school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432. Almost 1,000 day pupils and boarders attend, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years. There are approximately equal numbers of...
and Oxford University
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where he graduated with a degree in zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
. He played 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...
for Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
, Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
and Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset 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 Somerset...
as an attacking right-handed batsman.
He adapted his natural game to meet the requirements of the Test side, becoming a notorious blocker. In 1981, at Old Trafford he scored 69 and 78, but was at the crease for twelve hours. His 50 in five hours and fifty minutes, against Pakistan in 1982, was the second slowest in the history of the English game. Amongst his slowest crawls was to score just 35 runs, in six and a half hours, at Madras
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium
The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium is a cricket stadium in Chennai , India, named after M. A. Chidambaram, the former President of BCCI and the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. The stadium was formerly known as Madras Cricket Club Ground or Chepauk Stadium. Commonly known as Chepauk, its first match was...
in the 1981/2 season.
The Test selectors finally discarded Tavaré in 1984, after twenty five Test appearances, following another time consuming score of 14 against the Sri Lankans
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
He captained
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...
Kent for three years, before he was replaced by Chris Cowdrey
Chris Cowdrey
Christopher Stuart "Chris" Cowdrey is an English former cricketer. Cowdrey played for Kent, Glamorgan and England as an all-rounder...
in 1986. He moved to Somerset as captain in 1989, following a successful benefit
Benefit (sports)
A benefit or testimonial is a match or season of activities granted by a sporting body to a loyal sportsman to boost their income before retirement. Often this is in the form of a match for which all the ticket proceeds are given to the player in question.There have been occasions when a...
in 1988. He was recalled for one Test Match against Australia in 1989.
In the Reliance ICC Test Player Batting Rankings , he was:
- Highest Batting Rating - 646 on 11 August 1983 (v New Zealand, Lord's, 3rd Test)
- Highest Batting Ranking - 18th on 11 August 1983 (v New Zealand, Lord's, 3rd Test)
Tavaré is currently a biology teacher at his alma mater, Sevenoaks School. Tavaré is first cousin of the comedian, Jim Tavaré
Jim Tavare
Jim Tavaré is an English stand-up comedian, actor and musician. He is best known for his work on The Sketch Show on ITV which won a BAFTA award and also plays the role of Tom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.-Life and career:Tavaré was born in Essex,...
.