View source for Keith Fletcher

{{short description|English cricketer}}
{{for multi|the footballer|Keith Fletcher (footballer)|the Massachusetts politician|Keith Falconer Fletcher}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name               = Keith Fletcher
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}}
| image              = 
| country            = England
| fullname           = Keith William Robert Fletcher
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1944|5|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place        = [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], Worcestershire, England
| batting            = Right-handed
| bowling            = Leg break
| columns            = 4
| column1            = [[Test cricket|Test]]
| matches1           = 59
| runs1              = 3,272
| bat avg1           = 39.90
| 100s/50s1          = 7/19
| top score1         = 216
| deliveries1        = 285
| wickets1           = 2
| bowl avg1          = 96.50
| fivefor1           = 0
| tenfor1            = 0
| best bowling1      = 1/6
| catches/stumpings1 = 54/–
| column2            = [[One Day International|ODI]]
| matches2           = 24
| runs2              = 757
| bat avg2           = 39.84
| 100s/50s2          = 1/5
| top score2         = 131
| deliveries2        = –
| wickets2           = –
| bowl avg2          = –
| fivefor2           = –
| tenfor2            = –
| best bowling2      = –
| catches/stumpings2 = 4/–
|             column3 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
|            matches3 = 730						
|               runs3 = 37,665
|            bat avg3 = 37.77
|           100s/50s3 = 63/222
|          top score3 = 228[[not out|*]]
|         deliveries3 = 2,980		
|            wickets3 = 51
|           bowl avg3 = 45.01
|            fivefor3 = 1
|             tenfor3 = 0
|       best bowling3 = 5/41
|  catches/stumpings3 = 644/–
|             column4 = [[List A cricket|LA]]
|            matches4 = 428						
|               runs4 = 9,948
|            bat avg4 = 29.96
|           100s/50s4 = 2/63
|          top score4 = 131
|         deliveries4 = 132	
|            wickets4 = 4
|           bowl avg4 = 27.75
|            fivefor4 = 0
|             tenfor4 = 0
|       best bowling4 = 1/4
|  catches/stumpings4 = 133/–
| date               = 13 April
| year               = 2022
| source             = http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/12854.html CricInfo
}}
'''Keith William Robert Fletcher''' {{post-nominals|OBE}} (born 20 May 1944<ref name="Cap">{{cite book |title=If The Cap Fits |last=Bateman |first=Colin |year=1993 |publisher=Tony Williams Publications |isbn=1-869833-21-X |pages=[https://archive.org/details/ifcapfits0000unse/page/68 68–69] |url=https://archive.org/details/ifcapfits0000unse/page/68 }}</ref>) is an English former [[first-class cricket]]er who played for [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex]] and [[England cricket team|England]]. He later became England's team manager. His nickname was "The Gnome of Essex", so christened by his Essex teammate, [[Ray East]], because Fletcher's [[winklepickers]] had begun to curl up at the toes due to wear.<ref name="Cap"/><ref>[http://content-www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/12854.html Keith Fletcher] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070514145808/http://content-www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/12854.html |date=14 May 2007 }}. Cricinfo.com</ref>

Cricket writer Colin Bateman noted that "Fletcher was a tough cookie, a shrewd man who could bluff opponents like the most disarming of poker players. He evoked loyalty in his teammates and admiration from his opponents, even when they were beaten by the sucker punch". Bateman added "the sacking of Fletcher as England captain remains one of English cricket's shabbiest sagas".<ref name="Cap"/>

Fletcher played 59 [[Test cricket|Test matches]] and 24 [[One Day International]]s. His Test tally of 3,272 runs came at an average of 39.90.<ref name="Cap"/>

==Life and career==
Keith started playing for his village side while living with his parents in [[Caldecote, South Cambridgeshire|Caldecote]], Cambridgeshire, before moving to [[Royston, Hertfordshire]] to play for the local cricket club's second team at the age of 13. It was not long before he moved up to play for the first team.

It was while playing for Royston that Fletcher hit his first-ever century, and he produced his finest bowling figures, taking 9–20 on his first-team debut.

His [[county cricket]] career at Essex began at the age of 17.<ref name="Cap"/> He toured Pakistan with the [[Marylebone Cricket Club Under-25 cricket team in Pakistan in 1966–67|MCC Under-25 side in 1966–67]], and made his England Test debut in 1968 at [[Headingley Cricket Ground|Headingley]] against [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]]. A baptism of fire, he found hostility from the [[Yorkshire]] crowd who felt that [[Phil Sharpe (cricketer)|Phil Sharpe]] should have been preferred, and Fletcher's experience was not helped by dropping regulation catches at [[Slip (cricket)|slip]]. A first innings [[Duck (cricket)|duck]] seemed to be the portent of his early introverted batting stints in the national team.<ref name="Cap"/>

However, Fletcher was a [[Wisden Cricketer of the Year]] in 1974.

His debut century for England did not occur until Fletcher's 20th Test appearance. He went on to score six more centuries, at a rate of one every eight Tests, his highest Test score of 216 coming against [[New Zealand cricket team|New Zealand]] in 1975. His cricketing nous was used by both [[Tony Lewis]] and [[Tony Greig]] when they led the national team, but like many England batters of his era he struggled against Australia, and particularly in dealing with the bowling of [[Jeff Thomson]] and [[Dennis Lillee]] in 1974–5; he did make one Test centuries in that [[the Ashes|Ashes]] series, in the final test when Thomson and Lillee were incapacitated by injury. He was dropped by England after the Centenary Test of 1977, and not recalled for over four years. Following [[Mike Brearley]]'s retirement as England captain and [[Ian Botham]]'s short tenure, Fletcher re-appeared to [[Captain (cricket)|captain]] the side to [[India national cricket team|India]] in 1981–82. The series did not go well, with negative tactics from both teams, and poor [[Umpire (cricket)|umpiring]] decisions, which saw Fletcher flick off the [[Wicket|bails]] with his bat after being given out in the Second Test.<ref name="Cap"/> Worse was to follow for Fletcher when [[Geoffrey Boycott]] was sent home, and Fletcher's belated awareness that half of his touring party, led by his county teammate [[Graham Gooch]], were preparing for a [[South African rebel tours|rebel tour]] to South Africa. Fletcher's [[List of England cricket captains|captaincy of England]] saw a 1–0 series defeat over six [[Test cricket|Tests]] against India, before his only victory in a Test match as captain, in a one-off Test against [[Sri Lanka national cricket team|Sri Lanka]]. Fletcher took all the blame, despite turning down the chance to join the rebels himself because of his loyalty to the England cause. He was then ignominiously sacked by the chairman of selectors, [[Peter May (cricketer)|Peter May]].<ref name="Cap"/>

Fletcher also captained Essex successfully in two spells (1974–1985 and 1988). As Bateman noted, Fletcher "turned a county of cheerful losers into an even happier bunch as the most successful side in the country through the 1980s".<ref name="Cap"/> He captained Essex to three [[County Championship]]s, in 1979, 1983 and 1984.  He was appointed an OBE in the [[1985 New Year Honours]].

From 1993 to 1995, Fletcher served as England team coach. During this period, the side played 26 Test matches, of which they lost 15 and won only five.

Later, Fletcher returned to Essex as first-team coach, stepping down in 2001, to be replaced by his former teammate [[Graham Gooch]]. He is currently the manager of the Essex U15s team.{{CN|date=October 2024}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cricinfo|id=12854}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box |
 before=[[Mike Brearley]] |
 title=[[English national cricket captains|English national cricket captain]] |
 years=1981/2 |
 after=[[Bob Willis]] |
}}
{{succession box|
 before=[[Brian Taylor (cricketer)|Brian Taylor]]<br>[[Graham Gooch]]|
 title=[[:Category:Essex cricket captains|Essex cricket captain]]|
 years=1974–1985<br>1988|
 after=[[Graham Gooch]]<br>[[Graham Gooch]]|
}}
{{s-end}}
{{English cricket team coaches}}
{{England Test cricket captains}}
{{England ODI cricket captains}}
{{England 1975 Cricket World Cup squad}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Keith}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:England One Day International cricketers]]
[[Category:England Test cricketers]]
[[Category:English cricketers of 1969 to 2000]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]
[[Category:England Test cricket captains]]
[[Category:Essex cricket captains]]
[[Category:International Cavaliers cricketers]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Wisden Cricketers of the Year]]
[[Category:Cricketers at the 1975 Cricket World Cup]]
[[Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers]]
[[Category:English cricketers]]
[[Category:T. N. Pearce's XI cricketers]]
[[Category:Young England cricketers]]
[[Category:Marylebone Cricket Club Under-25s cricketers]]
[[Category:Marylebone Cricket Club President's XI cricketers]]
[[Category:Marylebone Cricket Club Touring Team cricketers]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Worcester, England]]
[[Category:Coaches of the England cricket team]]