Name:

Tavare, Christopher J

Date of Birth:

27 Oct 1954

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Orpington, Kent

Career:

Test: 1980 - 1989
ODI: 1980 - 1984
First Class: 1974 - 1993

Teams:

England (Country)
Kent (Regional)

1981/82: India pip England amidst Botham vs Kapil battle

Chris Tavare: Ultra defensive blocker batted long hours

Chris Tavare was born on October 27, 1954 in Orpington, Kent. He was an ultra defensive batsman who valued his wicket and scored at a very slow pace.

He made his debut against the West Indies in the 1st Test at Trent Bridge in 1980. After the retirement of Boycott, he moved from No 3 to open the batting, partnering Graham Gooch.

On England's 1981 tour of India, Tavare was at his defensive best. In the Madras Test, he scored 35 painful runs in five-and-a-half hours, eating up 240 balls and indulging in three boundaries. He put on 155 runs for the first wicket with Graham Gooch, who fell first for a comparatively quick 127 off 181 balls.

His 50 in five hours and fifty minutes, against Pakistan in 1982, was the second slowest in the history of the English cricket.

On the 1982/83 Ashes tour, Tavare took 66 balls to get off the mark. He was involved in the final scene of the narrow 3 run win at the MCG. Botham bowled a shortish ball outside off-stump that Thomson sparred at it and it took the edge to Tavare at second slip who got a hand to it but the ball popped up and Geoff Miller, who was at first slip, took the catch.

He retired after the 1989 Ashes series having played 31 Tests, scoring 1755 runs with 2 centuries to his name.

In retirement, he took up teaching at his old school in Seven Oaks, Kent

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter