Ex-England & Northants batter Larkins dies aged 71

Wayne Larkins, a former England and Northamptonshire baseball player, passed away at the age of 71.

Larkins, who was a member of the England side that reached the 1979 World Cup final, was a nicknamed “Ned.” He played 13 Test matches and 25 one-day international matches between 1979 and 1991.

He scored 29 929 runs with 60 centuries for Northamptonshire in 716 appearances across first-class and one-day formats.

The Northants team’s first major trophy, the Gillette Cup, was won by the team in 1976 with the opening batter.

Before resuming his professional football career in 2001, he moved to Durham and spent a short time in Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire Minor Counties.

He feared no-one with the new ball and threatened to do much harm to the very best, according to Northamptonshire, one of the most exciting and naturally talented English top-order batsmen of his generation.

Debbie Larkins’ wife, “Ned loved everyone he met and everyone loved him.” His infectious energy won over the audience. He never wanted the party to end, and he lit up every room.

He cherished his daughters and wife so dearly. He’ll be toasting everyone and his own life by going to parties up in the sky. We are devastated, but we’ll never forget how profoundly special he was and how he impacted our lives.