‘A wonderful player of pace and spin’ – Marcus Hook tribute piece after the loss of former Surrey star Graham Thorpe

The cricketing world is in mourning following the death of Graham Thorpe at the age of 55. When one looks back over Thorpe’s career for Surrey and England, just two words, terms often overused in sport, come to mind – ‘legend’ and ‘great’.

As soon as the awful news reached me, I was transported – as I often was when I thought of Thorpey – back to his county debut in 1988, which I count myself fortunate to have witnessed.

Against Leicestershire, on a well-grassed Oval pitch and with every ball seemingly with a batter’s name on it, Thorpe made 15 and 16. Not much but, even at the age of 19, it was obvious the lad had class.

Thorpe went on to become the eighth Englishman to win 100 Test caps, to round off an international career that included 6,744 Test runs at an average of 44.66 and 2,380 in 82 ODIs.

He was a wonderful player of both pace and spin, as well as being one of the modern game’s supreme accumulators. Indeed, less than half of Thorpe’s runs for his country (42 per cent) came from boundaries.

Australia’s Ricky Ponting called him England’s “best-ever” batting technician.

When his England commitments allowed, Thorpe played a number of vital knocks for Surrey, notably during the club’s Adam Hollioake-led period of dominance in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Thorpe’s 12,054 first-class runs for Surrey, at an average of 44.97 between 1998 and 2005, included a match-winning 177 against Sussex in 1991, when no other player on either side managed more than 50.

Similarly, in 1996, he was the game’s only centurion when he made 185 and 68 against Derbyshire and when he hit 222 against Glamorgan in 1997, the next best individual score was 76.

Arguably Thorpe’s finest knock for the South Londoners was his 164 against Hampshire at Guildford in 1999, en route to Surrey winning the County Championship for the first time in 28 years.

Such was the impact Thorpe had on the game, the internet was awash with tributes following the news of his death on Monday.

“His skill was unquestioned and his abilities and achievements across a 13-year international career brought so much happiness to his team-mates and England and Surrey CCC supporters alike,” said an ECB statement.

“Later, as a coach, he guided the best England men’s talent to some incredible victories across all formats of the game.”

Alec Stewart said: “Having known Thorpey since he was 16 years old, I’m absolutely devastated and heartbroken to have lost my great mate.

“As a cricketer, his record speaks for itself and will rightly be remembered as one of Surrey and England’s finest-ever players. As a person, he was even more special.

“My thoughts at this very sad and distressing time are with his wife Amanda and children and all those who were fortunate enough to have known him. RIP you little legend.”

Former Surrey team-mate Azhar Mahmood wrote: “I had the honour of playing alongside Thorpey at Surrey for years, sharing many great times both on and off the field. He was not only an inspiring cricketer but also a true gentleman.

“Graham’s passion for the game was unmatched, and his character as a human being left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him. Thorpey, you have left a huge legacy and great memories of the dressing room at Surrey that we will all treasure.”

Former England colleague Jeremy Snape added: “Such tragic news – Thorpey was an incredible player, a wise and humorous team-mate and a top man. We’ll never forget his tenacity and talent.”

Simon Hughes (formerly of Middlesex, aka The Analyst) remarked: “What a wonderful player. A brilliant coach and fantastic guy, who concealed his fragility bravely.”

Selected at Trent Bridge for the third match of the 1993 Ashes and dismissed by the combative Merv Hughes in the first innings, Thorpe struck an undefeated 114 in the second to become England’s first debutant centurion since Frank Hayes, 20 years earlier.

In January 1995, he swatted another century against Australia, 123, on a fast pitch at Perth that drew comparisons with a similar innings on the same ground a few years earlier by a young Sachin Tendulkar.

Thorpe was heroic in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in winter of 2000-01, his unbeaten 64 in the fading light of Karachi to seal England’s first series win in Pakistan for 39 years being the feature.

“Literally five to 10 minutes after we came off, it was pitch black,” said Thorpe.

His match-winning 113 not out on a turning wicket in Colombo in 2001, against the likes of Muralitharan, is regarded as one of the finest innings ever played for England.

The following year, Thorpe hit a Test career-best 200 not out (off just 231 balls) against New Zealand in Christchurch, after which he said: “It was very satisfying to score two hundred – a hundred each for both my children. It’s been a tough time from that point of view, but it was also very much towards the team as well.”

Against South Africa in 2003, he made 124, adding 268 in tandem with Marcus Trescothick, to set-up a nine-wicket victory.

Rory Dollard’s valedictory, for the Press Association, sums it up the best: “Most England fans might happily forget the 90s entirely were it not for the emergence of Thorpe. He proved himself a dependably elite performer in an environment where chaos and collapse never seemed far away.

“During a period when Australian dominance was at its relentless peak, the fact that Thorpe averaged more against the Baggy Greens than his career mark (45.74 against 44.66) spoke volumes of his ability to rise to a challenge.”

PICTURES: PA