Former England batsman Graham Roope dead

LONDON: Former England batsman Graham Roope, remembered more as an outstanding slip fielder, passed away while on a charity tour in Grenada. He was 60.

A veteran of 21 Test matches between 1973 and 1978, Roope's highest score was 77 against Australia at The Oval in 1975.

Roope, however, was more known to be an exceptional slip fielder who pouched 603 catches in 403 first-class matches. And he probably owed it to his early days as a brilliant amateur goalkeeper for Corinthian Casuals.

Roope scored seven fifties but a Test ton eluded him throughout his career.

He was also the non-striking partner when Geoff Boycott completed his 100th first-class hundred.