Ted Dexter

Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = English
country = England
country abbrev = Eng
name = Ted Dexter
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Right-handed batsman (RHB)
bowling style = Right arm medium
tests = 62
test runs = 4502
test bat avg = 47.89
test 100s/50s = 9/27
test top score = 205
test balls = 5317
test wickets = 66
test bowl avg = 34.93
test 5s = 0
test 10s = 0
test best bowling = 4/10
test catches/stumpings = 29/0
FCs = 327
FC runs = 21150
FC bat avg = 40.75
FC 100s/50s = 51/108
FC top score = 205
FC balls = 26249
FC wickets = 419
FC bowl avg = 29.92
FC 5s = 9
FC 10s = 2
FC best bowling = 7/24
FC catches/stumpings = 233/0
debut date = 24 July
debut year = 1958
last date = 27 August
last year = 1968
source = http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/PLAYERS/ENG/D/DEXTER_ER_01001080/

Edward Ralph "Ted" Dexter (born May 15 1935 in Milan, Italy) is a former English cricketer.

He was educated at Norfolk House in Beaconsfield and Radley College, where he played in the first XI from 1950 to 1953, as captain in 1953. He did National Service as a subaltern in Malaya. He entered Jesus College, Cambridge in October 1955, where he played golf and rugby in addition to winning his cricket Blue and playing in the University Match in 1956, 1957 and (as captain) 1958. He was also a fine golfer, but he decided to play cricket for Sussex.

Standing six foot tall, he was a swashbuckling batsman and a capable bowler. He was first selected to play Test cricket for England in 1958, against New Zealand at Old Trafford, scoring a half-century. He was not selected to tour to Australia that winter, but flew out as a replacement for the 3rd Test at Sydney. He became a fixture in the England team from 1959.

He captained Sussex from 1960 to 1965, and became England captain for the tour to India and Pakistan in 1961-62. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1961. Under his captaincy, Sussex won the inaugural Gillette Cup in 1963, and retained the title in 1964. He lost the England captaincy after losing the Ashes 1-0 at home in 1964, but remained in the Test side as a batsman.

His cricket career was virtually ended by a bizarre accident in 1965. His Jaguar car ran out of petrol in west London, and he was pushing it to safety when it pinned him to a warehouse door, breaking his leg. [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/212925.html] [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152846.html] He returned to play a few further first-class matches in 1967 and 1968, and played in two final Tests for the England team against Australia in 1968.

He retired from cricket to concentrate on other interests. He became a cricket writer and broadcaster and founded a PR company. In 1989 he became chairman of the England cricket selectors. He resigned in 1993, after the team's poor performance in the Ashes and in its tour to India. He also became president of the MCC, and was chairman of the MCC's cricket committee until 2003, when he was replaced by Tony Lewis. [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/134024.html] . He was also Chairman of the MCC's "England Committee", which was an administrative role. He was awarded the CBE in the New Year's Honours List in December 2000. [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/87088.html]

Outside cricket, he stood against James Callaghan in Cardiff South East in the 1964 general election, but lost. [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/70778.html]

He married Susan Longfield, the daughter of a former Bengal and Kent cricketer Tom Longfield.

He co-wrote with Clifford Makins the crime novel "Testkill" (1976) where an Australian bowler is murdered during play at a Test match against England at Lord's.

ee also

*Test cricketers born in non Test playing nations

External links

*cricinfo|ref=
* [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/154571.html Cricketer of the Year, 1961]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1080/statistics_lists.html Matches played and detailed statistics for Ted Dexter]