5th July 1993.
A 23-year-old Graham Thorpe reaches his maiden Test century on debut in an Ashes contest at Trent Bridge.
His unbeaten knock of 114 from 280 balls (at number seven) against an Australian attack including Merv Hughes, Brendon Julian and a young Shane Warne was enough to propel the hosts to a draw.
England suffered a humbling 4-1 series defeat, despite winning the 6th and final Test at the Oval, but in Thorpe they unearthed a rock in their middle order. A star who would become one of the world’s leading players.
In an international career spanning 12 years, Thorpe scored an impressive 6744 runs in 100 Tests at an average of 44.66.
This featured 16 centuries and a highest score of 200* in a glorious counter-attacking display against New Zealand at Christchurch in 2003.
The Surrey left-hander also scored 2380 runs in 82 ODI’s at an average of 37.19 across a nine-year limited-overs career.
While his overall stats demonstrate a brilliant cricketer on paper, what set Thorpe apart was his success in an England outfit not accustomed to winning.
Simply put, Thorpe was a man who regularly made himself counted when others around him struggled to keep the XI afloat.
As an example, take the old enemy Australia. England players are often characterised by their ability to deliver in the pressure cooker of Ashes series- something Thorpe was able to achieve.
16 Tests against the Aussies brought the classy left-hander 1235 runs at an average of 45.74, including three tons and a highest score of 138 at Edgbaston in 1997.
Many tourist batters struggled on Australian soil against the quality of McDermott, Warne, McGrath etc., but his average in the country stood at 48.18- all the while England continued to be battered and humiliated by the Aussies.
Proving he was a player for ALL conditions, Thorpe also enjoyed fabulous success in the testing, spin-friendly conditions of the sub-continent in Asia.
Across 10 matches in Asia, he averaged a very healthy 47.85 that propelled the Three Lions to famous series victories in both Sri Lanka and Pakistan over the space of six months.
First hitting a valuable ton in the first Test at Lahore in 2000, Thorpe was a key cog in England famously clinching the series in the dark at Karachi with 64 not-out in their chase of 176.
The Three Lions then battled to a fantastic 2-1 series victory in Sri Lanka, despite being thumped in the first Test, largely in part to the contributions of Thorpe.
With 269 runs at an average of 67.25, including a majestic unbeaten ton in the series-deciding triumph at Colombo, it’s safe to say that England would have struggled to win without the grit and determination of the classy left-hander.
That being said, his career wasn’t without problems or challenges.
A public breakdown in his marriage to first wife Nicola in 2002 plunged him into a deep depression and a battle with alcoholism, leading Thorpe to leave a tour of India and take a long break from the game.
Darker times followed as Thorpe admitted to living behind ‘permanently drawn curtains’ and withdrew from the Ashes tour of 2002/03, but the support of his new girlfriend (later wife) Amanda brought a return to the sport he loved.
First returning for his beloved Surrey- the county he played his whole career with- Thorpe was recalled to the England Test side for the fifth and final Test of the 2003 summer against South Africa at the Oval.
Combining with Marcus Trescothick (219), Thorpe marked his return to the fold with an outstanding 124 as England thrashed the Proteas by nine-wickets to secure a 2-2 series draw.
The decision to recall ‘Thorpey’ was further vindicated by his glorious form over the following two years; the left-hander reeling off centuries against West Indies, New Zealand and South Africa as the Three Lions enjoyed a genuine purple patch in Test cricket.
His landmark 100th Test came against the touring Bangladeshis at Durham in June 2005, however the then 35-year-old was extremely unfortunate to miss out on the remarkable home Ashes triumph as a young Kevin Pietersen was preferred in his place.
Deciding to call time on his playing career soon after, Thorpe embarked on an incredible coaching career which enabled him to pass on his skill and knowledge to the next generation.
After a stint with New South Wales in Australia, working alongside the likes of Steve Smith and David Warner, Thorpe was then England batting coach for nine years between 2013 and 2022.
Yorkshire’s Joe Root was one of many to pay a poignant tribute on Instagram, posting a photo of him and Thorpe celebrating England’s astonishing ODI World Cup victory at Lord’s in July 2019.
The countless other tributes in the recent days indicate just how well respected and revered Thorpe in the cricketing world.
Any young player would be lucky to have half the career of Thorpe…
Left Arm Around 
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