Background and early years

Agnew was born on 4 April 1960 at West Park Hospital in Macclesfield, Cheshire, to Margaret (née McConnell) and Philip Agnew.^[4][5] His parents' forthcoming marriage was announced in The Times in 1957: Philip Agnew was described as "the only son of Mr and Mrs Norris M. Agnew of Dukenfield Hall, Mobberley, Cheshire" and Margaret as "youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs A.F.V. McConnell of Hampton Hall, Worthen, Shropshire".^[6] The Agnews had a second son in June 1962 and were recorded as living at "Bainton near Stamford, Lincs"; in April 1966, a daughter, Felicity, was born and was announced as "a sister for Jonathan and Christopher".^[7][8] Agnew's paternal grandmother, Lady Mona Agnew, died aged 110 years and 170 days in 2010 and was on the list of the 100 longest-lived British people ever.^[9]

Jonathan Agnew recalls growing up on the family farm and first becoming aware of cricket aged "eight or nine"; his father would carry a radio around and listen to Test Match Special:

"The programme sparked an interest in me, in the same way it has in so many tens of thousands of children down the years, igniting a passion that lasts a lifetime."^[10]

Driven by early enjoyment of the media coverage of cricket, Agnew developed a love for playing the game. At the end of days spent watching cricket on television in a blacked-out room with the commentary provided by the radio, Agnew would go into the garden and practise his bowling for hours, trying to imitate the players he had seen.^[11] Agnew's father, an amateur cricketer, taught him the rudiments of the sport, including an offspin action, as he wanted his son to develop into a bowler like him.^[10] Another family connection to cricket was his first cousin, Mary Duggan, who was a women's Test player for England from 1948 to 1963.^[12]

From the age of eight, Agnew boarded at Taverham Hall School near Norwich.^[13] His first cricket coach was Eileen Ryder and, according to Agnew, after "a couple of years"^[14] a professional arrived at the school: Ken Taylor, a former batsman for Yorkshire who had played three Tests for England in the late 1950s and early 1960s.^[14]

Agnew attended Uppingham School for his secondary education,^[5] and left in 1978 with nine O-levels and two A-levels in German and English.^[12] From the age of 16 he developed his skills as a right-arm fast bowler out of school hours at Alf Gover's cricket school whilst at Surrey County Cricket Club.^[15] That summer, he saw fast bowler Michael Holding take 14 wickets in the 1976 Oval Test match, a performance of pace bowling referred to as "devastating" by cricket writer Norman Preston,^[16] which made a lasting impression on Agnew.^[17] More than 30 years later he wrote of his bowling during his schooldays:

"For an eighteen-year-old bowler I was unusually fast, and enjoyed terrorising our opponents, be they schoolboys (8 wickets for 2 runs and 7 for 11 stick in the memory) or, better still, the teachers in the annual staff match. This, I gather, used to be a friendly affair until I turned up, and I relished the chance to settle a few scores on behalf of my friends – for whom I was the equivalent of a hired assassin – as well as for myself."^[18]

Having played for Surrey under-19s the previous year,^[19] he began playing for Surrey's second XI in 1977,^[20] but Surrey made no move to sign him as a player. At a home match against Hampshire, the teenage Agnew was the only player to stand up to then Surrey coach and former England player Fred Titmus after the latter racially abused the Guyanese-born Surrey player Lonsdale Skinner, an incident of which Agnew later said: "The consequences hadn’t really dawned on me. But clearly it was a career-ender".^[19][21] Leicestershire County Cricket Club did, however, take note of Agnew's impressive performances in local club cricket and for Uppingham School, for whom he took 37 wickets at a bowling average of 8 in 1977,^[5] and signed him while he was still a schoolboy in time for the 1978 season.^[18]

County cricket

On his first-class debut against Lancashire in August 1978,^[22] the 18-year-old Agnew bowled to England international David Lloyd, an opening batsman with nine Test caps.^[23] Reported in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Lloyd "was halfway through a forward defensive push when his off stump was despatched halfway towards the Leicestershire wicket-keeper."^[15] Agnew took one wicket in each innings of the match, and did not bat; Leicestershire won by an innings.^[24]

Agnew won a Whitbread Brewery award at the end of his debut season, an achievement he ascribes to the influence of his county captain, Ray Illingworth:^[25] he had taken only six first-class wickets at an average of 35.^[26] Illingworth was quoted in The Times as saying that Agnew was "the second fastest bowler" in England in 1978, behind only Bob Willis.^[27] The award afforded him the opportunity to spend a winter in Australia developing his skills, alongside fellow winners Mike Gatting, Wayne Larkins and Chris Tavaré,^[28] and to be coached by former England fast bowler, Frank Tyson.^[27] All four went on to play Test cricket.^{[note 1]} On that Australia tour, Agnew played his only youth Test, but made headlines when invited to bowl at the touring England team in the nets:

"He struck the captain, Mike Brearley, a nasty blow in the face. It was, Agnew recalls, merely a gentle delivery off two paces that flew off a wet patch; but it did not deter the headline writers. Such early publicity did him no favours, but when a bowler arrives who is young, fast and English, a quiet settling-in period to one of the more difficult apprenticeships in sport is often denied him." – Wisden^[15]

Agnew's 1979 season was disrupted by injury. The Editor's Notes of the 1980 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack reported, under the heading "England's Promising Youngsters", that Agnew had strengthened himself over the winter by felling trees.^[30] Agnew's own account is that 1979–80 was "the worst winter of his life", although his recollection is that he spent it working as a lorry driver.^[31] He did, however, make his List A limited overs debut in 1979, playing just once, against the Sri Lanka touring team – his competitive List A debut followed in 1980, in the Benson & Hedges Cup against Scotland:^[32] he bowled just three overs (for five runs) and did not bat.^[33]

Test cricket

Future captain of West Indies, Viv Richards, was the second player Agnew dismissed in his Test career.

Agnew's career did not initially live up to his early promise. In his first six seasons as a first-class cricketer, his largest haul of wickets was 31 in 1980.^[34] The 1984 season was his breakthrough year: he played 23 first-class matches,^[35] taking 84 wickets at an average of 28.72.^[34] Playing in the warm-up game against Cambridge University, he achieved figures of 8–47 (taking 8 wickets while conceding 47 runs) from 20.4 overs and was included in the first team for the County Championship matches that followed.^[36]

He carried that success forward into the County Championship, picking up wickets for Leicestershire including a ten wicket match haul against Surrey in June,^[37] and five wickets in an innings against Kent in the days leading up to the fifth Test against West Indies.^[38] The England selectors took note and, with the West Indies leading the series 4–0, Agnew and Richard Ellison were given debuts,^[39] in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to avoid the "blackwash".^[40]

Wisden describes how in the first innings, Agnew's accuracy was affected by debutant nerves,^[41] but an improved display in the second innings resulted in figures of 2–51.^[39] Agnew describes how Ian Botham helped him secure both wickets, catching Gordon Greenidge in the slips, and passing on some advice on how to dismiss Viv Richards, Botham's great friend: "Botham said: 'Right. Don't pitch a single ball up at him. Have two men back for the hook, and bowl short every ball.' This I did for three overs or so, by which time Viv was looking a little exasperated, but was definitely on the back foot. Finally I pitched one up, the great man missed it and umpire David Constant ruled that Richards was LBW for 15."^[42] Wisden called the pair of batsmen Agnew's "first illustrious victims in Test cricket".^[41]

England's next match was a one-off home Test against Sri Lanka and Agnew retained his place in the England team. At the time, Sri Lanka were regarded as the minnows of world cricket:^[43] this was only their 12th Test match and their first at Lord's,^[44] but they dominated the match, taking a 121-run lead on first innings and declaring twice.^[45] It was a disappointment for England and, in a batsman-friendly match in which the Sri Lankans racked up 785 runs for just 14 wickets, Agnew suffered. Wisden described England's pacemen as ineffective;^[44] Agnew's match figures were 2–177 off 43 overs.^[45] Poor performance and a muscle injury limited him to bowling a single over on the last day; later, Agnew reflected on other negative aspects of this match: "I felt a complete outsider, not part of the set-up. I think the feeling in the dressing room was that the game had been a bit of a cock-up."^[46]

England toured India and Sri Lanka that winter. Agnew replaced the injured Paul Allott after the second Test. However, he failed to be selected for a Test match, with England's decision to field two spinners (Pat Pocock and Phil Edmonds) in each Test playing a part in limiting Agnew's opportunities.^[47] Agnew played just one first-class match on the tour,^[48] versus South Zone in Secunderabad, achieving match figures of seven wickets at an average of 29,^[49] but he did play in three One Day Internationals (ODIs), two in India and one in Australia.^[50] His debut ODI was promising, as he took 3–38 in a losing cause.^[51] However, in his remaining two ODIs, he proved very expensive, taking no further wickets and conceding more than seven runs an over in each.^[52][53]

Agnew began the 1985 season vying with the established England fast bowlers to get back into the Test side. Over the winter, the side had been settled, with Norman Cowans and Chris Cowdrey playing all five Tests. Neil Foster and Richard Ellison shared the third spot alongside the spinners, playing two and three Tests respectively.^[47] Cowdrey and Ellison had struggled with the ball, both averaging more than 70.^[54] However, the side was extensively remodelled for the first Test of that summer's Ashes series.^[55] Of the bowlers who had played the last Test in India, only Cowans had survived the cull and it set the tone for the series. England won the first Test, yet dropped Cowans and Peter Willey, replacing them with Phil Edmonds and Foster. After losing the second Test, and struggling with the ball in the third Test, when Australia made 539 all out in their only innings,^[56] England decided to make further changes.

Agnew had performed consistently in county cricket through June and July,^[57] culminating in what was to be, statistically, his finest moment as a bowler. Playing against Kent, he took 9–70 in the first innings.^[58] His timing was perfect and he was called up for the Fourth Test at Old Trafford to partner Ian Botham and Paul Allott in an all-Cheshire born seam attack. The match finished as a draw, and Agnew failed to take a wicket. He was relegated from an opening bowler in the first innings, to fifth bowler in the second, in which he only bowled nine overs.^[59] He was subsequently dropped again from the side, only for Richard Ellison to cement his place with match-winning performances that helped claim the Ashes for England.^[60]

Later playing career and retirement

In the 1987 season, Agnew achieved the feat of 100 first-class wickets in an English cricket season when he took 101 wickets for his county.^[61] He was the first Leicestershire player to achieve this milestone since Jack Birkenshaw in 1968,^[15] which was the season before the county programme was greatly reduced, making the feat much less common.^{[62][note 2]} By this stage, he was working on local radio during the winters and he found the reassurance of the additional income and career path a major factor in his improved form.^[61] Wisden preferred to attribute his success to "bowling off a shorter run and ... a wicked slower ball added to his armoury".^[15] The achievement led to him being selected as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year.^[15]

Agnew's form remained good: he followed his 1987 feat of taking the second-most wickets in the County Championship^[64] by taking the third-most in 1988.^[65] In 1989, with two years of good form behind him and England losing 4–0 in the 1989 Ashes series,^{[note 3]} Agnew "came frustratingly close to the recall to the England team that I had set my heart on."^[61]

County captain and friend of Agnew, David Gower was England captain, and a number of fast bowlers from around the country called the telephone in the Leicestershire dressing room, to tell Gower that they were injured and unavailable for the Sixth Test.^[61] According to Agnew's account, Gower was at a loss as to whom to call into the squad.^[61]

Agnew recalls that county colleague Peter Willey made a suggestion:

"'What about Agnew?' suggested Peter Willey ... 'He's bowling pretty well at the moment.' David's face lit up. 'Of course!' he said. 'Jonathan, you're in. Go home, get your England stuff ready, and I'll call first thing tomorrow ...' Even though I was approximately the seventeenth choice, this was still fantastic news ... After three disappointing Test appearances, this was my second chance, and the opportunity to set the record straight ... [The following day] the telephone finally rang. 'Got some bad news, I'm afraid,' David began. 'I couldn't persuade Ted Dexter or Mickey Stewart, so you're not in any more. They've gone for Alan Igglesden. Know anything about him?' With that, David must have known his influence as England captain was over – and indeed Graham Gooch succeeded him after that Test. I felt utterly devastated, and knew I would never play for England again, which had been my main motivating force. So when the Today newspaper offered me the post of cricket correspondent the following summer, it was an easy decision to make. I might have been only thirty, which was no age to retire from professional cricket, and I could easily have played for another five years. But it was definitely time to move on."^[66]

Agnew formally retired from playing professional cricket at the end of the following season: Leicestershire's last match of the 1990 Championship season was his last first-class game.^[67] Aged 30,^[68] Agnew took 1–42 in Derbyshire's only innings and scored 6 in his only turn to bat.^[22][67] In 1992, two years after retirement, Leicestershire experienced an injury crisis before their NatWest Trophy semi-final against Essex. Agnew answered a request to assist and played, finishing the match with figures of 12–2–31–1 (bowling twelve overs, including two maiden overs, and taking one wicket for 31 runs). Leicestershire won the match and progressed to the final, but Agnew chose not to play.^[69]

Playing style and career summary

Agnew's best first-class bowling figures were 9 for 70 and he took six ten-wicket hauls in 218 matches. In the 1988 Cricketer of the Year editorial on Agnew,^{[note 4]} Wisden noted that "his pace comes from a whippy wrist action and co-ordination ... In the field, Agnew has at times appeared to be moving with his bootlaces tied together, but his long run-up was one of the more graceful in the game. However, it was the shortening of that run-up, and a cutting-down of pace, which led to ... achievements [late in his career]"^[15]

As a batsman, Agnew had some highs, but it was his weaker suit. His highest first-class batting score was 90, starting initially as nightwatchman in 1987 against Yorkshire, at North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough. Wisden commented, "Agnew hit a spectacular, career-best 90 from 68 balls, including six sixes and eight fours, and then took the first five Yorkshire wickets to fall".^[70] Wisden commented that Agnew was no all-rounder, but he could "certainly bat ... on his day he can destroy anything pitched up around off stump."^[15] The same piece noted his usual playing style, "playing hard but always with a sense of fun".^[15]

Agnew reflects on his playing career as having had two periods:

"My career could be divided up into two sections: the first being when I was an out-and-out fast bowler and played for England when I probably should not have done; and the second being when I slowed down a bit, learned how to swing the ball and did not play for England when I probably should have done.^[71]

His final Test was only twelve months after his England debut, and his first and last ODIs were played less than a month apart. Cricket commentator Colin Bateman opined, "his fleeting taste of Test cricket should have been added to in 1987 and 1988 when he was the most consistent fast bowler in the country, taking 194 wickets, but in 1989, when England were desperate for pace bowlers, his omission amounted to wanton neglect by a regime which questioned his desire".^[72] In 1988, when Agnew was selected as a Cricketer of the Year, Wisden recorded this verdict on the contrariness of Agnew's Test career: "Asked about Agnew's omission, the chairman of selectors, P. B. H. May, expressed concern about his fitness – rather a baffling statement to make about someone who bowled more overs than any other fast bowler in the Championship."^[15]

Notable broadcasting incidents

View of Galle International Stadium, as seen from Agnew's ramparts commentary position

In 2001, Agnew was part of the BBC team that was sent to Sri Lanka to cover England's Test match series.^[93] As a result of confusion and a row over broadcasting rights, the BBC team found itself barred from the Galle International Stadium, where the first Test was to take place.^[93] Agnew and Pat Murphy refused to be defeated and "decamped to the fort ramparts overlooking the ground and broadcast their programme from there. With both team and equipment protected from the sun by an umbrella held by Mr Agnew's driver, Simmons, it made a colourful scene."^[93] The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive, Tim Lamb became involved in discussions and the Test Match Special team were allowed to return to the ground.^[93]

The Daily Telegraph called Agnew and Murphy's effort, "new heights of ingenuity".^[94] Agnew's reaction to the event was, "It's a sad day for everyone involved in English cricket. Is it really that cricket is getting so greedy that everyone who wants to come and report on the game for the good of the game is going to have to be charged for it?"^[94] However, he remained upbeat about the situation: "Actually I get rather more of a panoramic view of it from up here than I did yesterday in my commentary box. There's a little road that runs round the back of the ground. All manner of people are trundling up and down – buses, bikes and little three wheeled tuk-tuks – it's rather fun."^[94]

Agnew's interview with Lily Allen provoked a row.

In 2004, the Zimbabwe government banned media from following the England cricket team tour of the country.^[95] Agnew's reaction was combative, appearing on BBC Breakfast and giving his opinion that the ban presented the ECB with a chance to withdraw from the controversial tour and that they should take the opportunity.^[95]

In the summer of 2008, then England captain Michael Vaughan reacted testily on-air to questions by Agnew about his batting form. When Vaughan resigned shortly thereafter, Mike Atherton, writing in The Times, commented that it had been an out-of-character outburst that was a portent of the resignation.^[96] When Atherton had himself been England captain, Agnew had led the calls for Atherton to resign over a controversy known as the "dirt in the pocket" affair.^[95] Fellow BBC commentator Jack Bannister felt that Agnew's comments were inappropriate, but only to the extent that he had referred to his friendship with Atherton: Bannister advised Agnew that he should continue to be honest and forthright as a reporter.^[97]

Agnew was involved in a minor controversy regarding an appearance by Lily Allen on Test Match Special in 2009.^[98] The Daily Telegraph reported that "the cricket-loving Allen struck up an instant rapport with Agnew, and the BBC received largely positive feedback for the 30-minute interview", but Will Buckley, writing for The Observer, described Agnew's "amorous ambitions" as "positioned ... firmly on the pervy side of things".^[99] Agnew was furious, noting he "gave ... Will Buckley 24 hrs to apologise for calling me a pervert, and he has declined ... As you can imagine, I have taken being called a pervert quite badly."^[98] Allen herself supported Agnew: "[I] really think this Will Buckley guy should apologise to ... [Agnew], he was nothing but kind and gentlemanly to me during our interview. I don't know 1 person that agrees with The Observer on this one."^[98] Buckley eventually apologised.

"Leg over" incident

Agnew has been known to laugh at or include occasional sexual innuendo while on air.^[100][101] One example took place in August 1991, when Agnew was commentating with Brian Johnston. In a review of the day, Johnston was describing how Ian Botham, while batting, had overbalanced and tried, but failed, to step over his stumps. Botham was consequently given out hit wicket. Agnew's comment on this action was: "He just didn't quite get his leg over."^[102] Botham had attracted a number of headlines during his career for his sexual exploits and in British English, "getting one's leg over" is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse.^[103]

The comment led to Johnston becoming incapacitated by laughter.^[104] He initially tried to continue his summary, before becoming unable to speak for laughing, at one point saying "Aggers, for goodness' sake, stop it" as he struggled to regain his composure.^[105]

The incident was heard by thousands of commuters driving home from work, many of whom were forced to stop driving because they were laughing so much:^[102][104] a two-mile traffic jam at the entrance to the Dartford Tunnel was reportedly caused by drivers unable to pay the toll due to laughter.^[102] Fourteen years later, in 2005, Agnew's line, "Just didn't quite get his leg over" was voted "the greatest sporting commentary of all time" by listeners to BBC Radio 5 Live.^[2] The other eight finalists included Kenneth Wolstenholme's "They think it's all over – it is now!" and Ian Robertson's "This is the one. He drops for World Cup glory ... It's up! It's over! He's done it! Jonny Wilkinson is England's hero yet again".^[2] Agnew and Johnston secured 78% of the votes.^[2]

Personality

During Agnew's playing career, a dispute with team-mate Phillip DeFreitas attracted media attention: when DeFreitas poured salt over Agnew's lunch, Agnew responded by throwing DeFreitas' cricket bag and kit from the dressing room balcony.^[110] Former England cricketer Derek Pringle has written about Agnew's sense of humour, describing him as "hysterical".^[111] The pair toured Sri Lanka together on England B's 1986 tour.^[112] Pringle recalls that one hot day when England were in the field, Agnew came in for lunch: "It's ****ing red hot on the field, and when you come off it's ****ing red hot in the dressing-room," Agnew screamed. "Then, what do you get for lunch, ****ing red hot curry?"^[111]

Assisted suicide allegation

It was reported in various newspapers in 2013 that Agnew had offered to accompany Brian Dodds, his second wife's ex-husband, to the Dignitas assisted suicide clinic in Zurich after Dodds was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Dodds died in England from the disease in 2005.^[113]

BBC reprimand

In 2019, journalist Jonathan Liew wrote an article in which he expressed concern about some of the language used in the media to describe Jofra Archer’s selection for England. Liew wrote “Who doesn’t love morale and camaraderie, after all? – Until you begin to question why Archer is deemed such a grave threat to it.” Agnew called Liew a "“sad racist troll after clickbait” on Twitter,^[114] adding “Fucking disgrace. You have massive chips on your shoulders… you are a racist.” Agnew then went on to describe Liew as "strange" and "a cunt" followed by questioning “who the fuck are you”. Agnew was reprimanded by the BBC;^[115] he also deleted his Twitter account.^[114] In October 2022 a conversation between Agnew and Liew was published by The Observer in which both expressed regret over the incident.^[19]