Former Yorkshire and England bowler Bob Appleyard dies aged 90

Former Yorkshire and England off-spinner Bob Appleyard MBE has died at the age of 90.

Image courtesy: Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Born in Bradford, Appleyard did not make his first-class debut until he was 27, but took 200 wickets in his first season in 1951.

He made his Test debut in 1954 and had match figures of 7-123 in a victory over Pakistan at Trent Bridge.

Illnesses restricted Bob’s England career to just nine matches but he still went on to claim 31 wickets at an average of 17.87, his best performance being five for 51 against Pakistan in 1954.

During his career, he took 642 wickets at an average of 15.42 for Yorkshire, and 31 in nine Tests for England.

Bill Bowes, considered another of Yorkshire and England’s finest bowlers, rated Bob as one of the best three bowlers he had ever seen, the others being Australian Bill O’Reilly and Staffordshire cricketer S.F. Barnes.

Appleyard retired in 1958 and was made President of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2006 serving for two years.

He was also awarded an MBE in 2007.