Former England all-rounder and BBC Test Match Special commentator, Trevor Bailey, has died in a fire accident in Essex, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Thursday.
Fire fighters, who were called in to a smoke-logged flat in Westcliff in Essex on Thursday morning, found the 87-year-old in the kitchen. A woman, believed to be Mr. Bailey's wife, was, however, rescued from the flat.
Mr. Bailey earned 61 Test caps between the years 1949 and 1959. He played county cricket for Essex for more than 20 years and scored 1,000 runs and took 100 wickets in a year several times. He was regarded as one of England's most outstanding post war all-rounders and later became a popular member of the Test Match Special commentary team.
Big contribution
The ECB chairman, Giles Clarke said, “Trevor Bailey was not only one of the finest all-round cricketers this country has ever produced, he was also someone who made an enormous contribution to the game as an administrator and as a writer and broadcaster.
“His loss will be deeply felt by every one within the cricket community and we send our sympathies to his family and many friends.”
