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Jack Russell (cricketer, born 1963)

Jack Russell
Personal information
Full name Robert Charles Russell
Born (1963-08-15) 15 August 1963 (age 53)
Stroud, Gloucestershire, England
Height 5 ft 8.5 in (1.74 m)
Batting style Left-handed
Bowling style Right arm off break
Role Wicket-keeper
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 536) 25 August 1988 v Sri Lanka
Last Test 24 March 1998 v West Indies
ODI debut (cap 96) 22 November 1987 v Pakistan
Last ODI 25 October 1998 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years Team
1981–2004 Gloucestershire
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 54 40 465 479
Runs scored 1,897 423 16,861 6,626
Batting average 27.10 17.62 30.93 24.09
100s/50s 2/6 –/1 11/89 2/25
Top score 128* 50 129* 119*
Balls bowled 56
Wickets 1
Bowling average 68.00
5 wickets in innings
10 wickets in match n/a n/a
Best bowling 1/4
Catches/stumpings 153/12 41/6 1,192/128 465/98
Source: Cricinfo, 20 August 2009

Robert Charles "Jack" Russell, MBE, (born 15 August 1963) is a retired English international cricketer, now known for his abilities as an artist, as a cricket wicketkeeping coach, and a football goalkeeping coach.

Russell was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. He gained the support he needed to become a first-class cricketer from his father, John, at Stroud Cricket Club, and at Archway School. Two days before his fourteenth birthday, he saw a catch on television: McCosker, caught Knott, bowled Greig, at Headingley in 1977. Russell himself has commented: "Low-down, one-handed, across first-slip. Brilliant. I thought then that I would like to be able to do that. That's where it started; that was the inspiration [for becoming a wicket keeper]."

The other inspiration cited was the death of his brother, David, of a brain haemorrhage; Russell quickly rededicated himself. Archway School's sports master, Ricky Rutter, guided Russell towards Gloucestershire County Cricket Club; and, as a result, Russell stayed at Archway for one year of Sixth-Form college. He then headed to Bristol Technical College to study accountancy, leaving before completion to join Gloucestershire full-time in 1981.

It was not until his late teens that it was pointed out that he would turn into an international wicket-keeper, as he was a budding fast bowler that was building up a good reputation at junior level. He was clocked at 75 mph at the age of 14, although the only issue was that the majority of his bowling was waist-high. He then moved onto unorthodox off-breaks, which were deemed illegal right from the start, and so he started to keep wicket for his school.


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