Bruce Yardley

Bruce Yardley (5 September 1947 – 27 March 2019) was an Australian cricketer who played in 33 Test matches and seven One Day Internationals between 1978 and 1983, taking 126 Test wickets.

Known to his teammates as 'Roo', Yardley was an off-spin bowler who began as a fast-medium pace seamer.

In his late 20s Yardley switched to off-spin and had success at club and then state level.

His technique was slightly unusual in that he bowled at near medium pace, spinning the ball off his middle finger rather than the index finger like conventional off-spinners.

A handy number-eight batsman who scored four Test half-centuries his batting was often characterised by a "Yardley yahoo" over the top of slips which opposition teams sometimes attempted to counter by using a fly slip.

Yardley was an exceptional fielder in the gully region taking 31 catches in his 33 Tests including a number of spectacular efforts.

He was also the recipient of some fine fielding being the bowler when John Dyson took his catch of the century to dismiss West Indian Sylvester Clarke.

He made his first-class cricket debut in 1966–67, taking one wicket against Queensland.

However West Australia had fast bowlers during this period and he struggled to find a permanent spot, only playing in two games over six seasons.

(The second game came against Victoria at the WACA in 1970–71. )

In 1971 Yardley began developing his abilities as a spin bowler and worked on his batting.

He gained selection for WA as a batsman in 1973–74.

In 1973–74 he scored a quick fire 59 in a Gillette Cup game, helping WA beat NSW.

He scored 43 not out against the touring New Zealanders in 1974.

He would occasionally bowl as well.

In 1974–75 he played for West Australia primarily as a batsman.

After a decade in First-Class cricket Yardley had 14 First-Class matches, scoring 246 runs at 14.47 and picking up six wickets at 61.83.

He had bowled only 923 deliveries (153.5 six-ball overs).

1976–77 was Yardley's breakthrough season as he became a full-time spinner.

He took 2–44 and 3–40 against South Australia, also scoring a useful 35 runs.

Two games later against NSW he took 6–62 then made 97 not out.

For the season he scored 171 runs at 28.50 and picked up 19 wickets at 25.73.

In 1977–78 the Australian Test team had lost a number of its leading players to World Series Cricket.

Tony Mann was tried as a spinner but was dropped after four Tests.

Yardley had a strong domestic season.

He scored 51 in 65 minutes in a game against South Australia, then took 7–44.

This saw him leap into contention for the spinner's spot for the fifth Test, the other contenders being Jim Higgs and Graham Whyte.

In the early 1980s Yardley was Australia's first-choice spinner; during this period he took most of his 126 Test wickets, including a Test-best of 7/98 against the West Indies at Sydney in 1981/82.

It was for this and other eye-catching performances that he was named the 1981/1982 Benson and Hedges International Cricketer of the Year, winning a new sports car.

However he had to purchase this car from his fellow players from that year.

The car was put into the team's prize pool with other prizes which included cash which at the end of the year was divided depending on how much you played.

Despite his fine all-round cricket game he was rarely considered for One Day Internationals and in 1981 he was controversially left out of the Ashes squad which toured England (Stuart MacGill, Yardley and fellow West Australian Bruce Reid are the only three bowlers to take 100 wickets for Australia without playing a Test there).

Yardley participated in Australia's first tour of Sri Lanka in 1983 and took seven wickets, including a five-wicket haul, in what proved to be his final Test.

After retiring from competitive cricket Yardley remained involved in the sport as a coach and media commentator.

In 1997 he was appointed coach of the Sri Lankan national team.

A long-time admirer and supporter of Sri Lankan record breaking off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan it was Yardley who encouraged Murali to add the doosra to his arsenal.

He was always adamant that Murali was not a chucker.

Yardley spent several years as Regional Cricket Officer for the Western Australian Cricket Association which involved responsibility for promoting cricket and increasing participation in the South West region through school visits/programs and cricket carnivals.

He was a regular cricket commentator on TV and radio.

Yardley began playing grade cricket with Midland-Guildford as a fast medium bowler.