Former England paceman Fred Trueman dead

LONDON: England’s fast bowling legend Fred Trueman, who once reduced India to 0 for 4 in his debut Test in 1952, died on Saturday due to lung cancer.

Trueman, 75, regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers of all times, was the first cricketer to capture 300 wickets, a landmark he reached at the Oval in 1964.  Trueman was diagnosed with a form of a lung cancer in May this year.

His final Test haul of 307 wickets was a world record which stood until 1976 when it was broken by West Indies off spinner Lance Gibbs.

The right arm fast bowler, known as ‘Fiery’ Fred, made a spectacular entry into the Test arena when he reduced India to four wickets down without a run on the board in the second innings at his home ground of Headingley in 1952. Trueman claimed 4-27 as he dismissed Pankaj Roy, Madhav Mantri and Vijay Manjrekar in his opening spell while his new ball partner Alec Bedser accounted for Dattajirao Gaekwad. He finished with match figures of seven for 116.

In the same series, he claimed his career-best 8-31 at the Old Trafford to record the then best figures by any fast bowler. Born at Stainton at Yorkshire, Trueman began his first-class career in 1949 and took more than 2000 wickets in more than 20 years of playing for England, Yorkshire and Derbyshire. The bowling record of most wickets might have been improved several notches up by the modern cricketers, yet Trueman’s average of 21.57 and strike rate of a wicket every 49 balls is still among the best.