Fred Trueman dies at 75

By DANIEL BOFFEY, Mail on Sunday

Last updated at 22:00 01 July 2006


The world of cricket was mourning the death last night of Fred Trueman, England’s greatest fast bowler and one of its most popular commentators.

The Yorkshire legend, who was 75, died after a short battle with lung cancer.

For cricket lovers, his greatness is in the statistics – the first bowler ever to take 300 Test wickets, finishing with 307 from only 67 matches, and 2,304 first-class wickets, at an average of 18, in a 20-year career.

After helping Yorkshire dominate English cricket in the Sixties, he switched careers to lucrative after-dinner speaking and a 26-year stretch with BBC’s Test Match Special.

Listeners relished his bluff approach to life and considerable self-belief. Asked for a suitable title for his forthcoming biography, he is said to have offered ‘The Definitive Volume on T’Greatest Fast Bowler That Ever Drew Breath’.

Born in Stainton, Yorkshire, Frederick Sewards Trueman became known as Fiery Fred as much for his clashes with authority as for his bowling technique.

And the anecdotes were legion. He would tell batsmen on their way from the pavilion to the crease: ‘Don’t close t’gate, you won’t be long out ’ere!’

After the short-lived marriage between his daughter and the son of Hollywood beauty Raquel Welch he said: ‘My run-up lasted longer.’

His friend, chat-show host Michael Parkinson, said yesterday: ‘He was a huge character, full-blooded, and a funny man.The greatest fast bowler we ever produced and one of the greatest of all time.’

Yesterday, as the flags were lowered at Headingley, Trueman’s home ground, where England were playing Sri Lanka, cricketers and friends from round the world paid tribute to him.

Former Prime Minister Sir John Major said: ‘England has lost a national treasure and history has gained a legend.’

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