NEW DELHI: England players paid tribute to Hugh Morris, the former England and Glamorgan batter who passed away at the age of 62 last week, by wearing black armbands during the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia at the SCG on Sunday. He had been battling bowel cancer during an "extremely difficult" final few years.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, England finished the opening day of the final Test on top despite multiple interruptions for bad light and rain. Harry Brook (78) and Joe Root (72) shared an unbeaten 154-run partnership to guide the visitors to 211/3 before stumps were called early due to rain.
A player, administrator and leader who shaped Welsh cricket
An accomplished opening batter, Morris appeared in three matches for England and led Glamorgan to the county championship in 1997, his final season before retirement. Over his first-class career, he amassed 19,785 runs at an average of 40.29.
He then served the ECB in a number of roles for 16 years, including as CEO during a successful period for the men's national team.
Morris returned to Glamorgan in 2013 as its CEO and helped the team stave off financial issues.
Dan Cherry, the current Glamorgan CEO, said Morris was "a great player, a tireless administrator, and a fine human being of great dignity and integrity."
"Hugh leaves us with an outstanding legacy, not least a stadium here at Sophia Gardens of international calibre - a far cry indeed from the ground when he first played for Glamorgan as a teenager - plus a Welsh Fire franchise (in The Hundred competition) poised for even greater success in the cricketing landscape of the 2020s and beyond," Cherry said.
