Former England Batter And Northamptonshire Legend Wayne Larkins Dies Aged 71
Wayne Larkins, affectionately known as 'Ned,' has passed away at the age of 71 following a brief illness. He was a gifted and fearless opening batter who played 13 Test matches and 25 one-day internationals for England between 1979 and 1991, amassing a total of 1,084 runs. One of his standout performances came in 1989 when he scored a brilliant 124 against Australia in Hyderabad. He was also part of the England side that reached the World Cup final in 1979 at Lord's, facing the mighty West Indies.
On the domestic front, Larkins was a stalwart for Northamptonshire, where he enjoyed a long and prolific career. Across more than 700 appearances in both first-class and limited-overs cricket for the county, he accumulated nearly 30,000 runs. He later went on to represent Durham, and after that, continued playing in the minor counties with Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire before retiring from the game in 2001. He continued his legendary batting heroics in Durham too scoring 40,000 runs and samshing 85 hundreds to his name. Over his career, Larkins tallied an impressive 59 centuries in first-class matches and 26 in List A games.
Paying tribute, Northamptonshire described him as 'unquestionably one of the most exciting and naturally talented English top-order batsmen of his generation.' The club added, 'He feared no one with the new ball and could inflict severe damage on the very best.'
His wife, Debbie, shared a heartfelt message, saying: 'Ned loved everyone he met and everyone loved him. People were drawn to his infectious energy. He lit up every room and never wanted the party to finish.'
She added, 'He loved his soulmate of a wife and his precious daughters so much. He will be partying up in the sky, drinking a toast to everyone and to his own life. We are devastated but we'll never forget his undeniably unique presence and his impact on our lives. We will carry him in our hearts forever.'
Wayne Larkins will be remembered not only for his brilliance on the field but also for the joy and warmth he brought to those around him.
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