Graham Roy Dilley (18 May 1959 – 5 October 2011) was an English international cricketer, whose main role was as a fast bowler. He played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club and Worcestershire County Cricket Clubs, and appeared in 41 Test matches and 36 One Day International (ODIs) for the England cricket team.
Dilley is perhaps best remembered for his tail-end batting with Ian Botham in England's second innings against Australia at Headingley in 1981, reaching his highest Test score of 56 in an eighth-wicket partnership of 117 runs.
Early life
Dilley was born and raised in Dartford, Kent He played his early cricket for Dartford Cricket Club at Hesketh Park and trained as a diamond cutter at Hatton Garden before embarking on a cricketing career with Kent County Cricket Club. He first played for the Kent Second XI in 1976, aged 17. whilst his youngest son, Jonathan, has played cricket for both Gloucestershire and Worcestershire Second XIs. Kent cricketer Graham Johnson was a brother-in-law.
Early cricket career
A fast bowler, Dilley made his first-class cricket debut for Kent at the age of 18 in 1977, against Cambridge University. He failed to take a wicket, and was not selected again until the following season when was again wicketless against the touring Pakistanis. Seven wickets in his third first-class match, against Middlesex, followed, although he took only one wicket in two further matches later in the season. He was, however, selected for England Young Cricketers against their West Indian counterparts.
In 1979, Dilley played 31 senior games for Kent, including taking four wickets for the cost of 41 runs (4/41) in a World Cup warm-up match against the New Zealanders. He finished with 49 first-class wickets at an average of 23.48 runs per wicket.
England selection
The England selectors, looking for a young fast bowler for that winter's tour of Australia, took the bold decision to include the 20-year-old Dilley in the squad. He made his international debut in a One Day International against West Indies on 24 November 1979 at Sydney during the 1979/80 Australian Tri-Series, a triangular tournament that also featured Australia. Dilley opened the bowling and took his first wicket in his third over.
A fortnight later, Dilley appeared in his first Test match, making him the youngest cricketer to play for England in 30 years. England captain Mike Brearley showed confidence in his young bowler and he again opened the bowling. He took two wickets on debut. Australia finished their innings on 244 all out. In England's reply Dilley scored an unbeaten 38 runs, the second-highest score of the innings as England were all out for 228. He batted for 206 minutes, facing 57 balls. The game featured a memorable item on the second-innings scorecard:
:Lillee c Willey b Dilley 19
Although he also played in the second Test, he was replaced by John Lever for the third and final match of the series. Dilley took only seven wickets on that tour – "£7,000 for seven wickets" as the tour manager Alec Bedser commented.|source=Mike Selvey, writing in 2011
Dilley began the 1981 Ashes series strongly, taking 12 wickets in the first two Tests, and was retained for the third Test at Headingley. This game is best remembered for England's sensational victory after following on, and for the heroics of Ian Botham and Bob Willis, but Dilley played his part as well, albeit as a batsman. Coming to the crease in the second innings with England at 135/7, 92 runs in arrears, Dilley had no orders from his captain, Mike Brearley, when he joined Botham at the crease. Botham said, "Right then, let's have a bit of fun",
Injury and recovery
Despite being in and out of the team, Dilley's future as an international player seemed reasonably bright by 1983, and he played a full part in England's 1983 Cricket World Cup campaign. Following the tournament, a neck injury forced him out of the game for a year, He also won the man of the match award for another one-day international performance against the West Indies that winter in which he took 4/46.
In the drawn series against New Zealand the following winter Dilley produced his career-best Test match innings bowling figures, taking 6/38 including the first five wickets to fall at Christchurch. He took a further five-wicket haul at Auckland, and finished the series with 15 wickets at an average of 14.
Later career
For the 1987 season, Dilley moved to Worcestershire. However, Dilley's international career was beginning to wind down by the end of that season, and his final Test was at Edgbaston in the 1989 Ashes series. He made certain that he would not be picked again by accompanying Mike Gatting on the rebel tour to South Africa that winter. also helping Worcestershire to win the Benson and Hedges Cup.
However recurring injury problems led to his retirement at the end of the 1992 season. At Loughborough he coached, among others, Monty Panesar, James Anyon, Ruel Brathwaite, James Adams and Rob Taylor.
Death
Dilley died in a hospice at Leicester on 5 October 2011, aged 52, just one week after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.