Graham Dilley

I awoke this morning to the news of the demise of Steve Jobs; a sad loss to his family and to those millions of Apple users.


I went to sleep last night with the news of the very premature death of the great Graham Dilley of Kent and England at the age of 52.

Dilley was an integral part of my youth as a cricket fan and who (of those who follow the beautiful game) will ever forget the wonder of the 1981 Ashes test at Headingley?


England following on and at odds of 500/1 to win against a rampant Australia. Botham and Dilley at the crease with seemingly everything lost.


Botham, of course, scored a magnificent century and the series went on to be known as Botham's Ashes - but he couldn't have done it without the tenacious, larger-than-life GRaham Dilley at the other end scoring a career best 56. The man was a bowler, not a batsman, and yet he knuckled down and did all the right things when the chips were down.


There will be many obits from people who actually knew Graham DIlley in the papers and online, many (if not all) will be of greater insight than this - but I'm saddened by the loss of a childhood (adolescence) hero. Thank you, Graham, for all the thrills.


All this is not to mention the best line on a scorecard that I can remember, is there anyone who could forget: Lillee, caught Willey, bowled Dilley?