Chris Tavaré

Another in the series: 'My Top 10 Blockers'.

Chris Tavaré

Chris Tavaré is a much maligned player by many of today's wham, bam thank you mam cricket fans.
Only traditionalists appreciated the way he moulded himself to be one of the most attritional batsmen of the modern era.
Chris could play shots, as displayed by many of the superb one day innings he played. Including a superb 83 not out, tonked in just 127 balls against New Zealand in 1983. At Leeds against India in 1982 he hammered his way to 66 off just 120 balls. Chris could slog with the best of them in the one dayers..
In fact in 28 ODI's, and over 1,400 balls faced he managed 2 sixes. Hardly the fayre of a blocker.


Tavaré was drafted into the England team to do a specific job. Quite simply he was tasked with not getting out. 
It was a challenge Chris took up superbly. He simply eliminated all shots from his game. 
Runs became unimportant, crease occupation was the new Holy Grail for him.
Once established in the Test side there was no moving him. 

In 56 Test Match Innings he managed a strike rate of 30.60 per 100 balls. Astonishing in these days of T20 batsmen. He never hit a 6 in Test Matches.

In just two Tests at home to the 1981 Aussies Chris batted for fourteen and a half hours scoring 179 runs at a strike rate of just 29.39. The Aussies hated every minute of it. The only saving grace for the Aussies was that they didn't have to worry about their field placing.

Chris's signature innings was his remarkable effort in Madras in January 1982 to carve out a superb draw for England against India's Gavaskar, Viswanath and Co.
India had knocked a game killing 481 in their first innings, taking two and a half days in the process. England needed to kill time and play for the draw. In stepped Tavaré.

Following Keith Fletcher's instruction to occupy the crease, Tavaré did just that and not much else.
Chris occupied the crease for five and a half hours, and accumulated just 35 runs in the process.

Gooch, batted at the other  for a mere three and three quarter hours in compiling a worthless 127 runs.
Chris was proving to be a worthy successor to the legendary Geoff Boycott as opening bat for England.

Some argue that attritional cricket is not entertaining. I disagree. There is no greater spectacle in cricket than to witness a batsman so determined to protect his wicket that he forsakes any attempt to take any risk for the mere reward of a few runs. It takes a special player to do it successfully.


To be unwilling to yield while the opposition throw everything they can at you, including constant verbal abuse, is a skill to behold.
Chris would make any World XI Test team for his sheer annoyance factor.


Tavaré knew his place in the team as this card he wrote testifies.

The Highlight of Tavaré's Career.