CRICKET: Lock dies after long struggle

Tony Lock, the former England left-arm spinner, has died at his home in Perth, Western Australia, aged 65. He had been suffering from lung cancer for some time.

The "spin twins", Lock and Jim Laker - who died in 1986 - weaved their spell during Surrey's glory years when they won the County Championship in seven successive years from 1952-58. Lock took 100 wickets in a season each year from 1951-62, reaching a peak of 216 at an average of 14.39 in 1955.

He emigrated to Perth in 1963, where he played for the state side, but Leicestershire persuaded him to return to England as their captain in 1965 and he played three seasons for them.

During a 25-year first-class career he took 2,844 wickets at an average of 19.23, including 174 Test wickets in 49 matches at 25.58. He also scored 10,342 runs. Alec Bedser, the former chairman of Test selectors and a county colleague of Lock for both Surrey and England, described him as "a great team man. He was a natural - a very fine slow left-arm bowler and a wonderful fielder close to the wicket".

Obituary, page 20