Wayne Larkins dies, aged 71: Fearless ‘Ned’ a Bazballer ahead of his time

Wayne Larkins, who has died after a short illness aged 71, was an England cricketer ahead of his time and would have been in huge demand in the franchise Twenty20 era.

Larkins played 13 Tests and 25 ODIs for England at a time when it was easier to get into the England side than it is now, but also much easier to be dropped from it too.

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Instead it was the county circuit where he dominated, playing for Northamptonshire as a hard-hitting, right-handed opener between 1972-91 before joining Durham for four years when they were granted first-class status.

County attacks from the era would fear being “Nedded” by Larkins, whose driving through – and frequently over – extra cover could take apart any attack at a time when counties boasted some of the best overseas players in the world.

His finest hour came in Jamaica when he hit the winning runs as England shocked the West Indies to take a 1-0 lead in the 1989-90 series. Larkins was playing his seventh Test, eight years after his previous appearance.

Photographs of the moment show him raising both arms in the air with a thick chest pad – almost like a pillow – visible underneath his shirt to protect his ribs from the bouncers of Patrick Patterson, Ian Bishop and Courtney Walsh at a time when an English batsman playing in the Caribbean was taking his life in his own hands.

Larkins was back in favour because Graham Gooch had been appointed England captain and, like many professionals on the circuit, respected Larkins far more than the England selectors.

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Gooch picked Larkins for the 50-over Nehru Cup in India in 1989 and a hundred against Australia sealed his place on the West Indies tour.

Gooch wanted Larkins as his opening partner because he was fearless, could play fast bowling and take the attack back to the West Indies after years of England subjugation.

Sadly, Larkins was past his best by then. He was 36 and despite a half-century in the next Test in Trinidad, the runs dried up and he was dropped at the end of the tour. He did not play for England in the summer of 1990 but was recalled for the 1990-91 Ashes tour. Two half-centuries at the MCG were a last hurrah but by then Mike Atherton had emerged as Gooch’s opening partner and the following summer against West Indies Graeme Hick became available and that was the end for Ned.

It was an era where players were paid little and the authorities could not care less about time away from home and families. Larkins spent his entire tour fee for the Ashes phoning his wife in the UK.

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Larkins enjoyed life off the field and his approach would have chimed nicely with the modern-day Bazballers.

Despite his naturally attacking strokeplay, Larkins played only 25 ODIs. A three-year ban for a rebel tour in the early 1980s limited his international appearances, although he played a lot more for England despite taking the South African money.

His second appearance in ODI cricket was the 1979 World Cup final at Lord’s against the mighty West Indies where he played as an all-rounder, batting at No 7 to bowl seam in probably the most lop-sided team to play a World Cup final. Larkins was out first ball to Joel Garner and his two overs costs 21 runs as Viv Richards and Collis King took England apart.

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It was the county circuit where Larkins was at home. He built a yin and yang opening partnership with Geoff Cook for Northants that lasted a decade and was among the most reliable on the circuit. He was part of the Northants team that won the club’s first title, the Gillette Cup, in 1976 and scored a 1,000 Championship runs every year from 1978-1985.

When Andrew Strauss became England team director in 2015 he organised a reunion for every player who had played ODI or Test cricket, giving them a cap embossed with their number. Larkins was astonished, and chuffed, that a number of players told him that night he was their inspiration as a player.