Name:

Knight, Barry Rolfe

Date of Birth:

18 Feb 1938

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England

Date Died:

10 Nov 2025

Career:

Test: 1961 - 1969

Teams:

Essex (Regional)
England (Country)

Illy ushers in new era: Eng beat Windies (1969)

Barry Knight was a versatile all-rounder of the 1960s. Knight was born in Chesterfield in 1938, when, as he put it, “Adolf Hitler was named Time magazine’s ‘Man of the Year’ and Don Bradman’s batting average never fell below 100. I was raised not far from the Yorkshire border and as Fred Trueman once said to me, ‘Lad, for the lack of 20 miles, you could have been a good bloke’. The family moved to east London, and young Barry spent part of the Second World War evacuated to Norfolk.

He attended East Ham Grammar School, while the former Middlesex cricketer Harry Lee took charge of his early cricketing education in twice-weekly sessions at the Chiswick Indoor Cricket School. He was spotted playing cricket by Trevor Bailey, the Essex and England cricketer. He was offered a contract with the club when he was only 15.

He represented England in 29 Test matches between 1961 and 1969, scoring 812 runs at an average of 26.19, including two centuries, with a highest score of 127. With his medium-pace bowling, he claimed 70 Test wickets at an average of 31.75, highlighting his value as a dependable all-round contributor.

In a substantial first-class career spanning 379 matches, Knight played county cricket for Kent, Essex, and Leicestershire. He scored 13,336 runs at an average of 25.69, registering 12 centuries and 66 half-centuries, and also took 1,089 wickets at an average of 24.06, with best figures of 8 for 69.

Known for his athleticism, sharp cricketing mind, and commitment to the game, Knight later became a respected coach, cricket writer and commentator, contributing to the sport well beyond his playing days. He migrated to Sydney and setup a coaching school.

He died on November 10, 2025, aged 87.