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Full name John Augustine Snow
Born October 13, 1941, Peopleton, Worcestershire
Current age 66 years 359 days
Major teams England, Sussex, Warwickshire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

Batting and fielding averages

Mat

Inns

Runs

Ave

100

Tests

772

13.54

ODIs

4.50

21.95

First-class

346

451

110

4832

73*

14.17

125

List A

182

133

1209

12.86

Bowling averages

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

Tests

12021

5387

202

7/40

10/142

26.66

2.68

59.5

ODIs

538

232

4/11

16.57

2.58

38.4

First-class

346

60958

26695

1174

8/87

22.73

2.62

51.9

List A

182

8882

4855

251

5/15

19.34

3.27

35.3

Career statistics

Test debut

England v New Zealand at Lord's, Jun 17-22, 1965 scorecard

Last Test

England v West Indies at Leeds, Jul 22-27, 1976 scorecard

Test statistics

ODI debut

Australia v England at Melbourne, Jan 5, 1971 scorecard

Last ODI

England v Australia at Leeds, Jun 18, 1975 scorecard

ODI statistics

First-class span

1961 - 1977

List A span

1963 - 1980

For eight years from the mid-1960s John Snow was, by some margin, England's best fast bowler. If he'd been Australian he would have been an automatic pick for every Test when fit. But he was strong-willed and difficult, and, being subject to the whims of English panels of selectors, he won only 49 Test caps. Even more absurdly, he went on only three tours. He was dropped twice in unusual circumstances: by Sussex for "not trying", and by England for barging India's Sunil Gavaskar off his feet at Lord's in 1971. Gavaskar, the non-striker, had crossed Snow's running line in going for a quick single after the ball had been pushed towards mid-on. Two years earlier, in Pakistan, Snow had cost himself another cap by bowling fast bouncers at Tom Graveney, the vice-captain, on a dangerous net pitch in Lahore the day before a Test. The son of a Church of England clergyman, Snow was a strange mixture altogether. Away from cricket, until he mellowed, he could be unapproachable. But his artistic flair was manifest in two published books of poetry, and in retirement he unexpectedly set up a successful travel agency. For England he reached his peak in West Indies and Australia, where his 31 Test wickets in 1970-71, combined with 1305 runs from Boycott and Edrich, were Ray Illingworth's main weapon in winning back the Ashes. In rhythm, accuracy, pace and possession of a vicious bouncer, Snow had much in common with Glenn McGrath of Australia as a spearhead. But in one respect they widely differed: Snow never needed to resort to sledging to make a batsman feel uncomfortable. His air of menace said it all.
John Thicknesse

Nov 13, 2005

John Snow chats to Joel Garner in Antigua © Cricinfo Ltd

Nov 13, 2005

John Lever, John Snow and Neal Radford in Antigua © Cricinfo Ltd

Aug 21, 1975

John Snow. Frightening. And frighteningly fast as well. © AllSportUK

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