Geoff Arnold
Encyclopedia
Geoff Arnold is an English
cricket
er who played 34 Tests
and 14 One Day Internationals for England. His nickname
of "Horse" was based on his initials of GG. He was a seam and swing bowler, who finished his first-class cricket
career, which lasted from 1963 to 1982, with 1130 wickets at an average of 21.91. He played for Surrey
and Sussex
, winning the County Championship
with the former county in 1971. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1972.
, a season during which he claimed 109 wickets. A succession of niggling injuries meant that he had to wait until the early 1970s before he became a fixture in the team. In 1974, he assisted Chris Old
in bowling out India for 42, at Lords
. Surprisingly for an out and out seam bowler, he was fairly successful everywhere except in the West Indies. In 1972-3 series in India
and Pakistan, he claimed 17 wickets (17.43), starting with match figures of 9 for 91 - his best - in the England win in Delhi
. Against both New Zealand and the West Indies the following summer, Arnold delivered 310 overs and took thirty one wickets. He and John Snow
destroyed the New Zealand batting, but their potentially devasting bowling partnership fizzled out at that point. Initially joining Surrey as an allrounder, he made a half century in his second innings for England. Dropped after the 1975 Ashes
series, he remained effective in county cricket
.
In 1978, Arnold moved to Sussex
, as a replacement for the then retired Snow, where he remained for five seasons. In later years he occasionally proved a determined lower order batsman.
After his playing career ended, he returned to Surrey as a bowling coach, and assisted at national level with the upcoming pace bowlers. Arnold subsequently had a stint as bowling coach for Kent
, and is currently performing that role at Northamptonshire
.
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...
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 34 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 14 One Day Internationals for England. His nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
of "Horse" was based on his initials of GG. He was a seam and swing bowler, who finished his 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...
career, which lasted from 1963 to 1982, with 1130 wickets at an average of 21.91. He played for Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
and Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
, winning the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
with the former county in 1971. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1972.
Life and career
Arnold made his England debut in 1967 against PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, a season during which he claimed 109 wickets. A succession of niggling injuries meant that he had to wait until the early 1970s before he became a fixture in the team. In 1974, he assisted Chris Old
Chris Old
Chris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....
in bowling out India for 42, at Lords
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
. Surprisingly for an out and out seam bowler, he was fairly successful everywhere except in the West Indies. In 1972-3 series in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan, he claimed 17 wickets (17.43), starting with match figures of 9 for 91 - his best - in the England win in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. Against both New Zealand and the West Indies the following summer, Arnold delivered 310 overs and took thirty one wickets. He and John Snow
John Snow
John Snow or Jon Snow may refer to:* Jon Snow, British newscaster* John Snow , founder of epidemiology and a major contributor to the development of anaesthesia* John W. Snow, 73rd United States Secretary of the Treasury...
destroyed the New Zealand batting, but their potentially devasting bowling partnership fizzled out at that point. Initially joining Surrey as an allrounder, he made a half century in his second innings for England. Dropped after the 1975 Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
series, he remained effective in 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:...
.
In 1978, Arnold moved to Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
, as a replacement for the then retired Snow, where he remained for five seasons. In later years he occasionally proved a determined lower order batsman.
After his playing career ended, he returned to Surrey as a bowling coach, and assisted at national level with the upcoming pace bowlers. Arnold subsequently had a stint as bowling coach for 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 is currently performing that role at Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
.