England spinner Titmus dies at 78
Former England and Middlesex spinner Fred Titmus died on Wednesday after a long illness. He was 78.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: March 23, 2011 07:00 PM IST
Former England and Middlesex spinner Fred Titmus died on Wednesday after a long illness. He was 78.
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Titmus made 53 Test appearances for England and took 153 wickets during a first-class career that which became renowned for its longevity, spanning a remarkable 33 seasons between 1949 and 1982.
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Titmus made his debut for Middlesex as a 16-year-old in 1949, before bowing out in 1982 at the age of 50 years and 276 days.
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"Middlesex County Cricket Club are deeply saddened to report the death of Middlesex and England legend Fred Titmus, who died this morning after a long illness," a statement on Middlesex's website read.
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"All of our thoughts and best wishes are with his wife Stephanie and family.
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"Fred will be deeply missed by all those who played with him and by all those who were fortunate enough to have seen him performing for Middlesex and England."
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As well as bowling, Titmus developed a reputation as a handy lower-order batsman and even opened for England on six occasions.
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He was also a talented footballer, playing professionally for Watford after earlier playing for Chelsea's junior side.
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