The Bearded Wonder Is No More

Once a player at a reasonable level and as an ongoing keen follower of cricket, TheEye was shocked and stunned to hear today of the death of Bearders.

The Bearded Wonder, as he was known, was the number-cruncher extraordinaire. The statisticians statistician.

Bill Frindall died aged 69 after contracting Legionnaire's disease. If it happened at a hospital then there will be much fury posted on this site.

Bearders was a fixture of Test Match Special since 1966, taking over from Arthur Wrigley, the BBC's long-standing scorer. He was famous for his accuracy and statistical interjections live on air. A very good bowler when he was young, he was introduced to scoring while still at school, deputising for someone at his local club.

After spending six-and-a-half years in the RAF he was given a trial-run at the BBC of three matches, which he passed with no problem. He later worked with John Arlott, whom he mentions fondly in his 2006 autobiography, Bearders: My Life in Cricket, and Brian Johnston.

His producer at the BBC for 34 years, Peter Baxter is quoted as saying:

"When I joined in 1966 he was already there, it was his first season, and he was still there when I left so he was easily the longest serving member of the team.....he had a dry, laconic sense of humour and was very quick to spot the possible pun. Brian Johnston was another and he almost created Bill as a character; Brian needed props and Bill was a straight man for him."

Outside the TMS box he edited the pocket-sized Playfair Cricket Annual for 23 editions - the traditional add-on to the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack - and many other books. He campaigned for cricket at all levels, too, as President of British Blind Sport and he was a very active member of the Lord's Taverners since 1972.

He edited a regular "Ask Bearders" column on the BBC website where he answered some of the oddest and most obscure questions about cricket rules and statistics that TheEye has not thought to even wonder about. In fact, your humble host has been granted the honour of a reply or two on occasion for questions posed.

In 2004 he was awarded the MBE for his services to the sport, which frankly was the least he deserved.

TheEye is in mourning for a voice heard on the radio on occasions without number. God better have a decent scorebox and a reasonable league going on up there.

RIP Bearders