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Graham Roope, the Surrey batsman (see photo above), slip fielder and
occasional medium pace bowler, holds a prime position in the TV archives
of Test cricket. He was the other batsman when Geoffrey Boycott reached
his 100th hundred in the Headingley Test of 1977. Roope held his place
for just over a year at that time, but faded from the scene when Clive
Radley was preferred for the Ashes tour of 1978-79. Roope made his debut
for Surrey in 1964, but did not come to international attention until
he found a place in Tony Lewis' MCC team which toured cricketing
outposts in Ceylon and the Far East in early 1970. There he played for
MCC against Malaysia. Lewis was impressed enough with his play to take
him on the tour of India in 1972-73. He made his Test debut in Green
Park, Kanpur, replacing an out of form Dennis Amiss as opening bat and
scoring 22. He made 10 and 26 not out in the fifth Test v India, but
then got a pair against Sri Lanka, who had yet to gain Test status.
Against Pakistan he batted at number five in two Tests with a top score
of 27. He did not return until that 1977 Headingley Test, scoring 34
there and 38 at the Oval. It was enough to get him in Mike Brearley's
team to Pakistan and New Zealand. He also scored 56 and 33 not out in
Karachi, 50 at Christchurch and 68 at Auckland. He made 69 against
Pakistan at Lord's in 1978, but lost his place later that summer. He
scored 37 against Pakistan in an ODI in Lahore. (Bob Harragan).
Roope also played Non-League football as goalkeeper for a number of clubs including Corinthian Casuals, Wimbledon, Hayes, Guildford City, Ramsgate, Kingstonian, Woking, and Margate.
He moved to Yorkshire, where he became a coach at Ampleforth College and Woodhouse Grove School and played for Hall Park in the Airedale and Wharfedale League. He was also a cricket commentator for BBC Radio Leeds
Graham Roope died suddenly of a heart attack in St George's, Grenada, while on a charity cricket tour.
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