Full Name Bruce Nicholas French Name Bruce French Born ( 1959-08-13 ) 13 August 1959 (age 64) Birth Place Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire, England Relations Neil French (brother)Jake Ball (nephew) | Nickname Frog Batting style Right-hand bat Bowling style – |
Bruce Nicholas French (born 13 August 1959 in Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire, England) is a former English cricketer, who played in sixteen Tests and thirteen ODIs for England from 1985 to 1988. A wicket-keeper/batsman, French played his first Test against India at Headingley, Leeds in 1986, and his last Test against New Zealand in Wellington in March 1988.
French played his county cricket exclusively for Nottinghamshire. Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, described French as "a wicketkeeper of the highest calibre".
Life and career
French served as understudy to Paul Downton on two tours, before making his Test debut in 1986. He had a run in the side until a finger injury gave Jack Russell his opportunity behind the stumps.
French's best performance with the bat at Test level, came against Pakistan in the 1987 Test at Old Trafford, when he scored 59 in a rain-affected drawn match.
In his sixteen Test matches, French scored 309 runs at an average of 18.11, took thirty eight catches and made one stumping.
French had a mixed experience on his tours. These included being bitten by a dog, being hit by a spectator thrown ball whilst practising, and then knocked down by a car as he arrived at hospital for treatment. French also saved two young girls from drowning while on a Test tour in Pakistan, when he came across them by chance.
After his Test playing days were over, French joined the 1990 rebel tour to South Africa.
French enjoys mountaineering, and had a spell coaching wicket-keeping for the England cricket team. He coaches Matt Prior, the English wicket-keeper, and has been regarded as an excellent coach of high skills and knowledge.