Day 2, A Day for Thorpey...

Today would have been the 56th birthday of the great Surrey and England batsman, Graham Thorpe. Tragically however he took his own life last year after a prolonged struggle with depression. In his playing days Thorpe was instantly recognisable for the headband that he wore under his batting helmet, which was revealed on the many occasions when he scored a century.


Today at the Oval was a celebration of Thorpey’s life, but at the instigation of his widow and daughters, it also served as a fund raising and awareness raising event for the mental health charity Mind. Specially designed headbands were on sale at the ground, all the proceeds for which will go to the charity. Over £100,000 was raised today and you can find more details be going here


All the players from both sides wore the headbands before the start of play, and many wore them throughout the day. Even the umpires were involved as you can see in the background of the photo.

The play on this second day was a real roller coaster ride, as first England and then India appeared to take full control of the match, and with three days still to go it is impossible to say who will come out on top. In a game such as this, a tough but calm competitor like Graham Thorpe would have been in his element