Full Name

Jonathan Philip Agnew

Born

April 04, 1960, Macclesfield, Cheshire

Age

63y 350d

Nicknames

Spiro, Agers

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Bowling Style

Right arm Fast

Height

6ft 4in

Education

Uppingham School

Other

Commentator

Jonathan Agnew's career as the BBC's cricket correspondent has been so successful, it's easy to forget that he ever played the game. But, as a thrusting seam bowler in the 1980s, he played three Tests for England before taking up his position in the commentary box. Agnew embodies the authoritative, but endearingly juvenile approach of the Test Match Special team, and as a player he was always looking for the fun element of the game.

When conditions were in his favour, Agnew could be genuinely quick, although he abandoned out-and-out pace in favour of more control in 1987, and enjoyed his best season with 101 wickets for Leicestershire. The most consistent English pace bowler in county cricket in 1987 and 1988, he was ignored by selectors despite a dearth of fast bowling talent.

Agnew was drafted into the Leicestershire side in 1978 on the back of an excellent season for Uppingham (37 wickets at 8) and he took a wicket with his fourth ball in first-class cricket. In 1984 he won his first caps, against West Indies and Sri Lanka, and the following summer made his final appearance, against Australia. He struggled in all three games. In 1987 he began work as a sports producer with BBC Radio Leicester, in 1988 wrote an entertaining book on the life of a county pro - Eight Days A Week - and in 1990-91 covered England in Australia for the now defunct Today newspaper. Later that year he retired at the age of 30 on being appointed as the BBC's cricket correspondent.

He had one last day in the sun. In 1992 he answered a plea by an injury-strapped Leicestershire to appear for them in the NatWest semi-final; he took 1 for 31 in 12 parsimonious overs to help to his old side through to the final.
Martin Williamson

Jonathan Agnew Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100s50s4s6sCtSt
Tests34310510.002835.71000000
ODIs31122*-366.66000010
FC2182324921189011.57--02--390
List A1476125335269.30--00--190

Bowling

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
Tests3655237342/512/9793.254.05138.0000
ODIs3312612033/383/3840.005.7142.0000
FC218-35388194856669/70-29.253.3053.1-376
List A147-681346241585/305/3029.264.0743.1220
Jonathan Agnew portrait

Explore Statsguru Analysis

Test
ODI

Debut/Last Matches of Jonathan Agnew

Recent Matches of Jonathan Agnew

MatchBatBowlDateGroundFormat
Leics vs Essex--1/3112-Aug-1992LeicesterList A
Leics vs Hampshire--2/4427-Jun-1990LeicesterList A
Leics vs Scotland--3/2012-May-1990LeicesterList A
Leics vs Essex----10-May-1990ChelmsfordList A
Leics vs Notts1*1/3401-May-1990NottinghamList A

Photos of Jonathan Agnew

Jonathan Agnew and Rahul Dravid discuss the match on radio
Stuart Broad interviews BBC commentator Jonathan Agnew as they take part in the Sport Relief mile in Chittagong
<i>Test Match Special</i>'s Phil Tufnell, Jonathan Agnew and Henry Moeran (from left) sit by the boundary
BBC Test Match Special commentators Geoffery Boycott and Jonathan Agnew pose for photographs at Eden Park
Jonathan Agnew takes a break while woolly WG Grace gets the headset on
A portrait of Jonathan Agnew wearing headphones