Roger Prideaux

For the politician, see Roger Prideaux (MP).

Roger Prideaux

Personal information
Full name	Roger Malcolm Prideaux
Born	(1939-07-31) 31 July 1939 Chelsea, London, England
Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling style	Right-arm medium
International information
National side	English
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class Matches 3 446 Runs scored 102 25136 Batting average 20.39 34.29 100s/50s –/1 41/130 Top score 64 202* Balls bowled 12 333 Wickets – 3 Bowling average – 58.66 5 wickets in innings – – 10 wickets in match – – Best bowling – 2/13 Catches/stumpings –/– 301/–
Source: [1]

Roger Malcolm Prideaux (born 31 July 1939, Chelsea, London) is an English former cricketer, who played in three Tests for England from 1968 to 1969.

Life and career

A talented, stroke playing opening batsman, he won blues at Cambridge University from 1958 to 1960, and began his first-class cricket career at Kent. Moving to Northants, he scored a thousand runs in his first season, formed a powerful opening combination with the pugnacious Colin Milburn and captained the county from 1967 to 1970. He marked his Test debut in 1968, against Australia at Headingley with a fine 64, but missed the final Test of the series, at the Oval, with pleurisy. His absence allowed the selection of Basil D'Oliveira, and the subsequent controversy led to the abandonment of the 1968/9 tour to South Africa, for which Prideaux had been selected. He played in two Tests on tour against Pakistan, but was dropped thereafter.

In 1967, Prideaux was elected as the first chairman of the fledgling Professional Cricketers' Association. Prideaux ended his long career at Sussex, batting in the middle order. He also played for Orange Free State in the early 1970s, and later emigrated to South Africa.

His wife, Ruth, was also involved in international cricket, managing and coaching the England women's cricket team. Under her maiden name of Ruth Westbrook, she had earlier played eleven Tests between 1957 and 1963. They are one of the few married couples who have both played Test cricket.