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Full name Keith William Robert Fletcher
Born May 20, 1944, Worcester
Current age 64 years 67 days
Major teams England,Essex
Nickname Gnome
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak
Height
5 ft 11 in
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100
50
6s
Ct
St
Tests
59
96
14
3272
216
39.90
7
19
6
54
0
ODIs
24
22
3
757
131
39.84
1134
66.75
1
5
4
0
First-class
730
1167
170
37665
228*
37.77
63
222
644
0
List A
428
394
62
9948
131
29.96
2
63
133
0
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
Tests
59
13
285
193
2
1/6
1/6
96.50
4.06
142.5
0
0
0
ODIs
24
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
First-class
730
2980
2296
51
5/41
45.01
4.62
58.4
1
0
List A
428
132
111
4
1/4
1/4
27.75
5.04
33.0
0
0
0
Career statistics
Test debut
England v Australia at Leeds, Jul 25-30, 1968 scorecard
Last Test
Sri Lanka v England at Colombo (PSS), Feb 17-21, 1982 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut
Australia v England at Melbourne, Jan 5, 1971 scorecard
Last ODI
Sri Lanka v England at Colombo (SSC), Feb 14, 1982 scorecard
ODI statistics
First-class span
1962 - 1988
List A span
1963 - 1988
Profile
Keith Fletcher was a fine craftsman, especially clever in his use of the crease against spinners on a turning pitch, but lack of assertiveness kept him in the second rank of England batsman, despite the fact that ten more runs would have given him an average of 40. The same flaw contributed to the termination of his five-year contract as England coach midway through its term, in 1995. Despite his gifts, and popularity, he was always happier in the small pond of Essex, whom he captained to three Championships, including their first in 1979. At Test level a somewhat apologetic air seemed to bring out the bully in fast bowlers: he never fully recaptured his composure after the attentions of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson in 1974-75. One ball in particular left a lasting mental scar - a flyer from Thommo at Sydney that ricocheted at such pace from gloves to cap-badge that Fletcher was almost caught at cover. Seven years later, 47 Tests after he had apparently been finally discarded, the selectors turned to him to captain England in India after Mike Brearley's retirement. But Fletcher became illogically defensive after defeat in the first Test at Bombay. He convinced himself that the umpires would protect India if England made a winning opening, and appeared to settle for a 0-1 series defeat, playing out five successive dreary draws. "The Gnome" never forgave Peter May, understandably, when the then chairman of selectors appointed a new captain, Bob Willis, without observing the courtesy of telling Fletcher he'd been sacked. But the decision was the right one. John Thicknesse
