Graham Thorpe: England & Surrey great dies aged 55 – one of the finest batsmen of his generation

But it wasn’t all success.

After previously missing tours due to the challenges of life on the road, Thorpe’s first marriage publicly ended in 2002.

He subsequently took an indefinite break from cricket and, although initially making himself available, withdrew from England’s 2002–03 Ashes team to play against Australia.

Thorpe would miss more than a year at international level, but he returned with what he described as his finest innings.

After being recalled for the final Test of the summer at The Oval in 2003, he scored 124 runs in the first innings against South Africa.

In his signature style, he raised his arms and punched the air after reaching three figures, prompting an emotional and prolonged applause from the home crowd in the stands.

“There were times when I thought I would never play again, but more importantly I had to erase the memory of my departure from cricket last year,” he said afterwards.

“I didn’t want to leave cricket like that, and you couldn’t have written it better to get a century on your home soil.”

That innings marked the beginning of a revival for Thorpe in the latter years of his career.

After his return he scored 1,635 runs at an average of 56.37 as England fared better under new captain Michael Vaughan.

Thorpe, called the grandfather of the team by Vaughan,, external hit five centuries during that period, including one with his trademark tenacity, when he batted with a broken finger against the West Indies.

He played his 100th Test match against Bangladesh at the start of the 2005 season, but it turned out to be his last.

After playing in five unsuccessful Ashes series, Thorpe was sidelined when Vaughan’s team regained the urn in 2005, being favoured by younger batsmen Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen.

After his retirement that summer, Thorpe began coaching in Australia with New South Wales.

He soon returned to Surrey and in 2010 was again involved with the England team, as batting coach of the developing Lions team, before moving to assist the senior side.

He stepped down from his role as assistant coach in February 2022 following a 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, but was also part of the defence team for England’s 50-over World Cup win in 2019.

After leaving England, he was appointed manager of the Afghan men’s team in March 2022. However, he was ill and could not coach any matches.

Thorpe was a household name on the international stage for almost three decades, both as a player and coach.