Legendary former Worcestershire spinner and captain Norman Gifford MBE has died at the age of 85.
Slow left-armer Gifford, who played in 15 Test matches for England, played for Worcestershire for 22 years between 1960 and 1982, taking 1,615 first-class wickets and winning the County Championship in 1964 and 1965 and again, as captain, 10 years later.
He also led the Pears to the Sunday League title in 1971.
Gifford, who is second to leg-spinner Reg Perks on Worcestershire’s all-time list of wicket-takers, claimed more than 100 wickets in a season three times, with his best haul of 133 in 1961.
He took five wickets in an innings 76 times and finished with 10 in a match on 12 occasions.
In a statement,, external Worcestershire said: “Everyone at Worcestershire County Cricket Club would like to offer their sincere condolences to the family, who are all in our thoughts.”
Gifford played well into his forties and spent five years with Warwickshire after leaving New Road, playing his final game – aptly at Worcestershire – in August 1989, at the age of 48.
He captained the Bears between 1985 and 1987 and finished with 471 wickets in first-class and List A cricket in his time at Edgbaston.
In Gifford’s first season as skipper he took 100 wickets in a season for the fourth time in his career, claiming 104 in 1985.
He ended his career with 2,068 wickets in 710 first-class matches.