Philippe-Henri Edmonds (born 8 March 1951) is a former
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er who represented
England at international level and
Middlesex at county level. After retiring he became a successful, albeit controversial,
corporate executive.
Edmonds played most of his cricket as a lower-order right-handed batsman, and bowled slow left-arm orthodox spin. Possessing a textbook action and a pace bowler's temperament
[ – he was known to bowl the odd bouncer when riled – he was also able to use his height (standing over six feet tall) to flight the ball above the batsman's eye line. Edmonds was renowned as one of the most entertaining and colourful characters in the game, whose mood could range from abrasive to charming, and remained a strong-minded and free-spirited individual throughout his career.][Bateman, pp. 56-57]
Early life and early career
Edmonds was born in Lusaka
Lusaka (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about . , the city's population was ab ...
. His father was a British businessman and his mother was from Belgium. Whilst living in Lusaka he was educated at Gilbert Rennie High School, which in his biography he later said had magnificent academic and sporting facilities. He moved to England in 1966 and completed his secondary education at the Skinners' School and then Cranbrook School in Kent before enrolling at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, as a student of land economy.
Edmonds made his first-class debut for Cambridge University against Warwickshire on 24 April 1971. He opened the batting, making 10 and 3, and bowled without success as Warwickshire won by 109 runs. However, in the following match, against Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
, he recorded his first 5-wicket haul
In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five–for" or "fifer") occurs when a bowler takes five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded by critics as a notable achievement, equivalent to a century from a batsman.
Taking ...
in an innings, taking 5/50, and backed this up with 4/48 in the second innings to help Cambridge University to a seven-wicket win. After taking 7/56 in the first innings of the annual University Match against Oxford University, finishing the match with his first 10-wicket haul
In cricket, a ten-wicket haul occurs when a bowler takes ten wickets in either a single innings or across both innings of a two-innings match. The phrase ten wickets in a match is also used.
Taking ten wickets in a match at Lord's earns the bow ...
in a first-class match, Edmonds made his debut for Middlesex in a thrilling match against Essex at Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...
on 4 August. He bowled solidly, returning figures of 2/51 and 3/42, and was the last batsman in with Middlesex still needing 16 runs off the final two overs to win. In the end, Middlesex ran out of time and had to defend the final ball to escape with a draw, which they managed.
Edmonds made his debut for England in the third Test of the 1975 Ashes series
Following the 1975 Cricket World Cup, the Australian cricket team remained in England in the 1975 season to play a four-match Test series against England.
For England, the principal resistance came from veteran opening batsman John Edrich and ...
at Headingley. Defending a first innings of 288, England managed to dismiss Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
for 135, with Edmonds taking a stunning 5/28. His first Test wicket was Greg Chappell, caught by Derek Underwood, and then he trapped Ross Edwards
Ross Edwards (born 1 December 1942) is a former Australian cricketer. Edwards played in 20 Test matches for Australia, playing against England, West Indies and Pakistan. He also played in nine One Day Internationals including the 1975 Crick ...
in front next ball to be on a hat-trick. However, the match had to be abandoned after vandals ruined the pitch, and the result was declared a draw.
County and international career
At county level, Edmonds' Middlesex career coincided with that of John Emburey. The left- and right-arm spin combination was a powerful contribution towards Middlesex's success in the 1980s. They also combined at England level, although the pair often competed for the same place in the Test team.
After playing for Eastern Province in the Currie Cup competition during the 1975–76 season, Edmonds returned to England and straight into the English county season. Although Edmonds was more renowned for his exploits with the ball, he could also deliver on occasion with the bat when needed. One such instance was the county match against Northamptonshire early in Middlesex's championship-winning 1976 season. In the second innings of that match, Middlesex appeared on the verge of losing by an innings when Edmonds came to the crease. He proceeded to bat aggressively but also sensibly, supported by Mike Gatting and Fred Titmus
Frederick John Titmus (24 November 1932 – 23 March 2011) was an English cricketer, whose first-class career, mostly for Middlesex with a shortish stint for Surrey, spanned five decades. He was the fourth man after W.G. Grace, Wilfred Rhod ...
. By the time Edmonds was dismissed on 93 – at that time his highest first-class score – made in 90 minutes with 12 fours and four sixes, Middlesex had built a 136-run lead. He then took two catches to help hinder Northamptonshire's run chase, turning what earlier looked like a sizeable defeat into a draw. Edmonds went further with the bat later that season in a match for T N Pearce's XI against the touring West Indies cricket team, recording his first first-class century, 103 not out. Edmonds also starred with the ball in this game in a rare defeat for the West Indies on this tour (although admittedly they had rested fast bowlers Andy Roberts and Michael Holding for the game), taking 9 for 98 in the match.
From his 1975 debut Test until his last one, against Pakistan in 1987, Edmonds only played 51 out of a possible 126 Tests for England. Whilst this could in part be attributed to playing form and the afore-mentioned competition for the spinner spot with his Middlesex teammate John Emburey, his confrontational and outspoken nature also meant that he did not always convey a good impression to the national selectors. During England's 1984–85 tour of India, England were playing India in Calcutta, and the hosts played at a snail's pace towards an inevitable draw. Edmonds, fielding at square leg
Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the striking batter, to limit the number of runs that the striker scores and/or to get a batter out by either catching a hit ball before ...
, produced a copy of '' The Daily Telegraph'' and proceeded to read. He contributed more significantly in this Test series however by taking 14 wickets as England surprisingly beat India, also taking 15 wickets in each of two series against Australia as England regained the Ashes in 1985 and retained them in 1986-7.
In spite of his success in his debut Test, Edmonds only played one more Test over the next two years. After fellow left-arm slow bowler Underwood Underwood may refer to:
People
*Underwood (surname), people with the surname
Places
United States
* Underwood, Shelby County, Alabama
* Underwood, Indiana
* Underwood, Iowa
* Underwood, Minnesota
* Underwood, New York
* Underwood, North Dakota
* ...
joined World Series Cricket in 1977, however, Edmonds was recalled for the 1977-8 tour of Pakistan, where he took his best Test figures in his fourth Test, 7/66, which remain the best Test match innings figures by an England bowler in Pakistan. Later that winter in his sixth Test he made his first Test half-century, but in the remainder of his Test career added only one more fifty (his highest Test score, 64), and no further five-wicket haul
In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five–for" or "fifer") occurs when a bowler takes five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded by critics as a notable achievement, equivalent to a century from a batsman.
Takin ...
s.
Edmonds also played in 29 one-day internationals for England, including England's first appearance in a world cup final in 1979, where he returned the best bowling figures of any England bowler, although on the losing side against the West Indies.
After an on-field absence of five years, Edmonds played his final first-class match in June 1992, in a draw against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. He had been serving as a member of Middlesex' selection committee and volunteered to replace Phil Tufnell, who was recovering from an appendix operation. He showed that he had lost none of his skill, combining with his former partner-in-crime John Emburey and taking 4/48 in Nottinghamshire's first innings.
Business career
Since retiring from cricket, Edmonds has enjoyed a successful career in business, serving as chairman of Middlesex Holdings, White Nile Petroleum Company and Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Middlesex which has effectively been subsumed within the ceremonial ...
.[ As of July 2012, he had an estimated fortune of 14 million ]pound
Pound or Pounds may refer to:
Units
* Pound (currency), a unit of currency
* Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom
* Pound (mass), a unit of mass
* Pound (force), a unit of force
* Rail pound, in rail profile
Symbols
* Po ...
s.[
Edmonds was also the chairman of ]Central African Mining & Exploration Company
The Central African Mining and Exploration Company plc (CAMEC) was a mining company active in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in other parts of Africa. It was acquired by Eurasian Natural Resources Corporatio ...
(CAMEC) Plc,[ a company which was bought by ]Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation
Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation PLC (ENRC) was a public, Kazakhstan/Central African-focused, multinational leading diversified natural resources company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It had activities in integrated mining, proc ...
in September 2009.
Personal life
He was married to the author Frances Edmonds between 1976 and 2007. They have a daughter, Alexandra.
See also
* List of Test cricketers born in non-Test playing nations
References
Bibliography
*.
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmonds, Phil
1951 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Lusaka
Zambian people of British descent
Zambian people of English descent
Zambian emigrants to the United Kingdom
British people of Belgian descent
Alumni of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Cambridge University cricketers
Chairmen of Middlesex County Cricket Club
Eastern Province cricketers
England One Day International cricketers
England Test cricketers
English cricketers
English cricketers of 1969 to 2000
Middlesex cricketers
People educated at The Skinners' School
People educated at Cranbrook School, Kent
Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers
Cricketers who have taken five wickets on Test debut
Oxford and Cambridge Universities cricketers
D. B. Close's XI cricketers
T. N. Pearce's XI cricketers