Graham Dilley

Graham Dilley (born Graham Roy Dilley, 18 May 1959, Dartford, Kent) is a former English cricketer, whose main role was as a fast bowler. He played first-class cricket for Kent and Worcestershire, and appeared in forty one test matches and thirty six ODIs for England.

Cricket correspondent, Colin Bateman, commenting on his effectiveness noted, "... when it all worked, it worked beautifully".

Life and career

Early career

Dilley was born and raised in Dartford, and attended Dartford West Boys' School, prior to joining Kent for county cricket.

Dilley made an immediate impact in county cricket when he made his debut in the 1977 season. He was a surprise inclusion for the 1979/80 England touring team to Australia, making him the youngest cricketer to play for England in thirty years when he entered the field during the Perth Test. He took only seven wickets on that tour - "£7,000 for seven wickets" as the tour manager Alec Bedser commented.

Dilley made his first class debut for Kent at the age of eighteen in 1977, against Cambridge University, but did not take a wicket and had to wait until the next season for another chance. His next game, in June 1978, was against the touring Pakistanis, but again he went wicketless. It was only in his third first-class match, against Middlesex, that he made his presence felt,...
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