Cricketer killed on train line as he fled police

 

Tuesday 19 June 2012 11:17 BST
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Tom Maynard, 23, toured with the England Lions earlier this year
Tom Maynard, 23, toured with the England Lions earlier this year

A young cricketer tipped for a bright international future with England was killed yesterday after trying to evade police by crossing a London Underground line. The body of Tom Maynard, 23, was found on the tracks near Wimbledon Park Station and pronounced dead at the scene at 5am.

Mr Maynard, who had played a county match for Surrey just hours earlier, was stopped by police after a black Mercedes was spotted being driven "erratically" shortly after 4am.

After the car was flagged down, the driver ran off and, less than an hour later, a body was discovered on the District Line tracks. He is believed to have died either after being electrocuted or hit by a train.

His death was mourned throughout the game with tributes from Michael Vaughan, former captain of England, accompanied by those from current players, including his Surrey team-mate Kevin Pietersen, and even the coach of Australia, Mickey Arthur.

Arthur said: "He was certainly flamboyant, had a lot of potential and a lot of talent. Who knows where he would have ended up?" Vaughan wrote on Twitter: "Someone with so much talent and so much to look forward to. Why is life so cruel sometimes?"

Last week, Mr Maynard, son of the former England and Glamorgan player Matthew, was disciplined by Surrey for staying out late during a County Championship match against Sussex in Horsham. On Sunday evening he played a Twenty20 match for Surrey against Kent in Beckenham. Mr Maynard never played for England but earlier this year toured Bangladesh and Sri Lanka with England Lions, the feeder side for the national team.

He was a hard-hitting batsman who joined Surrey last year having begun his career with his father's county.

Hugh Morris, England's managing director and a former team-mate of Matthew's, said: "In many respects he played just like his old man did. Matthew played for England and Tom was very much on that pathway."

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