Expert players of spin bowling used different methods to succeed. For Brian Lara nimble footwork was the key. For Inzamam-ul-Haq it was coming down the track and bludgeoning the bowling. For Andy Flower, the sweep was his bed and butter. Among the greatest players of playing spin was England’s Graham Thorpe. But his methods were quite the contrast.
Thorpe played spinners on the front foot mostly. Just a nudge here and there, pick up singles and twos, keep rotating the strike. But if his partner was susceptible against spin, he would change his methods. He would occupy the strike most of the time. Not that he was always a front foot player. When the spinners bowled it short, he was quick to cut or pull depending on the line.
Thorpe played all his First Class cricket in Surrey. The Oval, Surrey’s home ground is tailormade for players to develop their skills against spin and it is at Surrey that he learned the art of playing spin. Then he mastered that art in Asia.
When England won in Pakistan in 2000 after four decades, Thorpe was a thorn in the opposition’s flesh scoring heavily. Fittingly he scored the winning runs to clinch the series in the fading light of Karachi.
The next year England were in Sri Lanka. They were beaten soundly by an innings in the first Test in Galle. But how well Thorpe fought back in the remaining two Test matches. England’s coach Duncan Fletcher had developed a method to nullify Muttiah Muralitharan. Their strategy was a negative one where you would rarely score runs. Thorpe was allowed to flourish freely and he took Murali on successfully. England went on to record a come from behind 2-1 series victory.
When we talk about the 1993 Ashes, all what we discuss is Shane Warne’s ball of the century. But Thorpe had his moments too. Warne’s moment was in the first Test at Old Trafford. Thorpe rose to brilliance in the third Test at Trent Bridge scoring a hundred on debut. He became the first Englishman in ten years to do so.
Thorpe was not all about playing spin. He was equally good at handling pace. On his first Ashes tour to Australia, he scored a hundred in Perth, a pace bowlers’ paradise.
Post retirement his role as a batting coach helped numerous players to develop their game. He passed away just three days after turning 55. His insights on batting will be missed.
