| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Kenneth Lever | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1949-02-24)24 February 1949 (age 76) Stepney, London, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Left-arm fast-medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 471) | 17 December 1976 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 19 June 1986 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 35) | 26 August 1976 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 14 February 1982 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967–1989 | Essex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1982/83–1984/85 | Natal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Cambridgeshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:Cricinfo,1 January 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Kenneth LeverMBE (born 24 February 1949)[1] is an English former internationalcricketer who playedTest andOne Day International cricket forEngland. Lever was a left-arm fast-medium bowler who predominantly swung the ball into right-handed batsmen.
The cricket correspondent Colin Bateman remarked that "for 23 years he plied his trade with Essex, becoming the finest left-arm pace bowler in the country. Tough, astute, and entertaining in the dressing room, Lever was, as the title of his autobiography suggests,A Cricketer's Cricketer".[1]
Lever is sometimes unfairly remembered for theVaseline incident during the third test of his debuttour of India in 1976. It was one of the first publicised incidents of 'doctoring' (using unfair means to enhance the swing or seam abilities of the cricket ball by a bowler), when Lever was accused of rubbing vaseline onto one side of the ball so it would swing better.[2] The claim was later rejected and Lever was cleared of any wrongdoing. In the first Test of that series againstIndia inDelhi, Lever had recorded the best Test bowling figures for an English debutant (7–46),[3] a record that stood untilDominic Cork beat it by three runs on his debut against theWest Indies in 1995. Lever finished the match with bowling figures of 10–70, another English debutant's record, which he enhanced with a half century while giving banter.[1]
Lever made his first-class debut forEssex in1967 and would represent the county until1989, in one of the most successful periods in the club's history.
He was also involved in therebel tour to South Africa in 1982 during the apartheid era, where he formed strong links in the country. In the warm-up match against Western Province, Lever broke down after bowling two balls, and subsequent X-rays showed a curvature in his spine. The discovery came as a surprise to Lever, who had bowled with a sore back for the best part of a decade.[4] However, with an exercise regime in place to strengthen the back, Lever would recover in time to be available for the first unofficial Test match. He would later return to play a few matches forNatal in theCurrie Cup.
Due to his involvement in the rebel tour, Lever was banned from representing England for three years, but continued to play well for Essex. The selectors recognized his form and selected him for one final Test cap against thetouring Indians in 1986, at the age of 37.[5] After England lost the first Test, Lever was picked for the second test atHeadingley, replacingRichard Ellison. In India's first innings, Lever hadDilip Vengsarkar caught behind on 61, then trapped captainKapil Dev in front next ball. He dismissed Kapil again in the second innings to finish his final bowling innings with 4/64. Chasing 408 to win, England were dismissed for 128, Lever falling toManinder Singh to give India victory by 279 runs, and a series win.[6]
Lever was appointed anMBE in the1990 Birthday Honours for his services to cricket.[7]
More recently, Lever has taken up teaching physical education atBancroft's School.[8] In 2002, he joined ITC Sports Travel as a tour host, accompanying cricket fans all over the cricket world.[9]