The former Oxfordshire fast bowler Terry Strange died on 8 September aged 89. Although availability limited his appearances for the county, Terry took 89 wickets in 41 matches at an average of 23.79. He made his debut against Cornwall in 1953, taking 3 wickets in each innings and making what was to be his top score of 48 not out batting at number 10. Terry recalled how, as a newcomer to the team, the captain Will Inge just threw him the ball and told him to set his own field! When batting with Inge, the instruction was simply “run when I tell you!”.

Terry’s most productive season was in 1962 when in 5 matches he took 22 wickets at an average of 16.50 and recorded his best figures of 6-33 against Bucks at Ascott Park. His final season for the county was as late as 1970 when, aged 37, he played 6 Championship matches. That year also included one of Terry’s favourite memories – bowling against the England Test players Tom Graveney and Basil D’Oliveira in the Gillette Cup match against Worcestershire at Morris Motors. He returned the respectable figures of 9 overs for 21 runs in Oxfordshire’s defeat.

Terry’s club cricket was initially for the YMCA and later the Oxford XIII Club. On retiring from cricket aged 48, he switched to golf and was still managing 3 rounds a week when well into his eighties.

One of his playing contemporaries, Robin Winstone, remembers Terry as always being immaculately turned out. He didn’t always try to bowl fast but could up his pace if desired. Robin also recalls him as an excellent fielder, being one of the best throwers from the deep.

Some of Terry’s other colleagues have sent the following recollections of him:

My memories of Terry Strange are not only that he was a very good bowler, he also loved playing cricket. You would never witness any histrionics that you see these days. If he took a wicket or bowled “a jaffa” (which he frequently did) he would simply turn and walk back to his mark ready to deliver the next ball and always with a smile on his face. He tended to swing the ball away from the right-handed batsman and bowled with a somewhat low arm but with a smooth run up and textbook action. The ball would appear to gain pace off the wicket and hit the bat hard. He was one of the very few bowlers that I never saw Mike Smith (the county wicket-keeper at the time) stand up to the wicket and yet Terry was one of the most consistent line and length bowlers in both club and Minor County cricket. It is fair to say that he would have gained more LBW decisions had it not been the policy of umpires to give a batsman not out if they played forward. As a loyal and hugely respected club cricketer it was only unavailability that prevented him playing more Minor County games for Oxfordshire. During his career all ten two-day games were played midweek and in August. A person’s employment took priority and they were only permitted two weeks holiday. Terry gave me unstinting encouragement when I came into the Oxfordshire team as a youngster and was a man respected and admired both on and off the field. 

Mike Nurton

Terry was quite a quick bowler, but I don’t remember any particular type of swing – he certainly hit the seam and could produce very awkward bounce. A quiet, unobtrusive man, most at home with his excellent mates in the Thirteen Club. When I opened the batting for North Oxford, his bounce was more than awkward – and those were helmetless days!

Alan Crossley

My own recollections are of a fine fast bowler with such a modest and even temperament. I never once saw him kick the turf, complain about the ball, or mutter insults to anyone. If he’d been hit for four it was back to his mark and come in again with renewed energy. A joy for any captain to have in his team.

Andrew Moss