Keith Andrew
Encyclopedia
Keith Vincent Andrew was an English
cricket
er who played in two Tests
, in 1954-55 and in 1963.
, Oldham
, Lancashire
, Andrew was a fine wicketkeeper who might have played more times for England
, but for the fact that his batting was never more than adequate, and his career coincided with that of Godfrey Evans
. He was recruited out of the Lancashire League by Northamptonshire
and became the county's regular wicketkeeper in 1954. He was a success straight away, and Wisden 's 1955 edition noted that he was "above the ordinary, a very quick perception enabling him to seize almost every chance".
Andrew was chosen as the second string wicketkeeper to Godfrey Evans, on the 1954-55 MCC tour of Australia and New Zealand
, and found himself in the Test team for the first match of the tour at Brisbane
when Evans was affected by sunstroke. The Test was a disaster for England: captain Leonard Hutton put the Australians
in to bat and they proceeded to make 601 before declaring and winning the match by an innings and 154 runs. A lacklustre fielding performance contributed to the defeat, and Andrew was not innocent: he dropped Arthur Morris
off Alec Bedser
before he had scored, and Morris went on to make 153.
Evans recovered in time for the second Test, and had one of his best series, so Andrew did not get another chance as England recovered to retain The Ashes
. Evans then remained as first-choice wicketkeeper for England in both home and away series for the next four years and when he did finally retire, he was succeeded not by Andrew but by a succession of wicketkeepers with better batting credentials – Roy Swetman
, Geoff Millman
, John Murray
and Jim Parks
. Andrew's only other Test came in the first match of the 1963 series against West Indies
, when England again fielded out to a big total, this time of more than 500, a follow-on and a heavy defeat.
By the time of his second Test appearance, Andrew was also county captain of Northamptonshire, a post he held for five seasons from 1962. In 1965, he led the county to second place in the County Championship
, failing by four points to lead them to their first Championship title, and equalling the highest placing it had achieved. He retired after the 1966 season.
In retirement, Andrew became an influential youth coach and administrator, acting as director of coaching of the National Cricket Association.
Andrew died in December 2010, at the age of 81.
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 who played in two 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...
, in 1954-55 and in 1963.
Life and career
Born in GreenacresGreenacres, Greater Manchester
Greenacres , or archaically Greenacres Moor, is an area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the west side of the River Medlock opposite the village of Lees....
, Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, 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...
, Andrew was a fine wicketkeeper who might have played more times for England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
, but for the fact that his batting was never more than adequate, and his career coincided with that of Godfrey Evans
Godfrey Evans
Thomas Godfrey Evans CBE was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England.Described by Wisden as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals in 91 Test match appearances between 1946 and 1959 and a total of 1066 in all first-class matches...
. He was recruited out of the Lancashire League by 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...
and became the county's regular wicketkeeper in 1954. He was a success straight away, and Wisden 's 1955 edition noted that he was "above the ordinary, a very quick perception enabling him to seize almost every chance".
Andrew was chosen as the second string wicketkeeper to Godfrey Evans, on the 1954-55 MCC tour of Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and found himself in the Test team for the first match of the tour at Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
when Evans was affected by sunstroke. The Test was a disaster for England: captain Leonard Hutton put the Australians
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
in to bat and they proceeded to make 601 before declaring and winning the match by an innings and 154 runs. A lacklustre fielding performance contributed to the defeat, and Andrew was not innocent: he dropped Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris
Arthur Robert Morris MBE is a former Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side, which made an undefeated tour of...
off Alec Bedser
Alec Bedser
Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
before he had scored, and Morris went on to make 153.
Evans recovered in time for the second Test, and had one of his best series, so Andrew did not get another chance as England recovered to retain The 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...
. Evans then remained as first-choice wicketkeeper for England in both home and away series for the next four years and when he did finally retire, he was succeeded not by Andrew but by a succession of wicketkeepers with better batting credentials – Roy Swetman
Roy Swetman
Roy Swetman is an English former cricketer, who played in eleven Tests as a wicket-keeper from 1959 to 1960.-Life and career:...
, Geoff Millman
Geoff Millman
Geoffrey Millman was an English cricketer, who played in six Tests for England from 1961 to 1962.The cricket correspondent, Colin Bateman, remarked, "a neat, unobtrusive wicketkeeper and gritty batsman, Geoff Millman was a reliable county performer called up by his country as No.2 to John Murray...
, John Murray
John Murray (cricketer)
John Thomas Murray MBE is a former English cricketer. He played in twenty one Tests for England between 1961 and 1967.-Life and career:...
and Jim Parks
Jim Parks junior
Jim Parks is an English former cricketer. He played in forty six Tests for England, between 1954 and 1968...
. Andrew's only other Test came in the first match of the 1963 series against West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
, when England again fielded out to a big total, this time of more than 500, a follow-on and a heavy defeat.
By the time of his second Test appearance, Andrew was also county captain of Northamptonshire, a post he held for five seasons from 1962. In 1965, he led the county to second place in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
, failing by four points to lead them to their first Championship title, and equalling the highest placing it had achieved. He retired after the 1966 season.
In retirement, Andrew became an influential youth coach and administrator, acting as director of coaching of the National Cricket Association.
Andrew died in December 2010, at the age of 81.