Bruce Yardley

Yardley died of cancer on 27 March 2019 in Kununurra, Western Australia, at the age of 71.

He coached Western Australia to their first Imparja Cup in 2009–10.

After retiring from competitive cricket Yardley remained involved in the sport as a coach and media commentator. In 1997 he was appointed coach of the Sri Lankan national team. A long-time admirer and supporter of Sri Lankan record breaking off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan it was Yardley who encouraged Murali to add the doosra to his arsenal. He was always adamant that Murali was not a chucker.

Yardley was appointed the Sri Lankan coach in 1997. He later coached Singapore at the 2001 ICC Trophy

Yardley made a surprising comeback to First-Class cricket six-and-a-half years after his retirement when he was named in a Western Australian squad to tour India in 1989, at the age of 41.

Yardley then played for WA against the touring New Zealanders, Victoria, NSW, and South Australia in the 1989-90 summer. He was criticised for abandoning a grade game to commentate with Channel Nine during a Test match. He took ten wickets at 37.60 then retired for good. "I think I have bowled well enough to play Shield again, but the selectors won't pick me", Yardley said.

Yardley toured Sri Lanka in 1983. In the sole Test he took 5-88 and 2-78, bowling in conjunction with Tom Hogan, helping Australia win by an innings.

After being overlooked for the 1983 World Cup in favour of Tom Hogan, Yardley retired from first class cricket.

Yardley and Ray Bright were the two spinners on the 1982 tour of New Zealand.

Yardley kept his spot in the Australian side against England in 1982–83. He took 5-107 and 3-101 in the first Test.

Despite his fine all-round cricket game he was rarely considered for One Day Internationals and in 1981 he was controversially left out of the Ashes squad which toured England (Stuart MacGill, Yardley and fellow West Australian Bruce Reid are the only three bowlers to take 100 wickets for Australia without playing a Test there). Yardley participated in Australia's first tour of Sri Lanka in 1983 and took seven wickets, including a five-wicket haul, in what proved to be his final Test.

Yardley was overlooked for the 1981 Ashes despite being the third highest first class wicket-taker that summer, with 47 wickets at 25.38. The spinners chosen to go to England both had less wickets than Yardley: Graeme Beard (29) and Ray Bright (22).

In the early 1980s Yardley was Australia's first-choice spinner; during this period he took most of his 126 Test wickets, including a Test-best of 7/98 against the West Indies at Sydney in 1981/82. It was for this and other eye-catching performances that he was named the 1981/1982 Benson and Hedges International Cricketer of the Year, winning a new sports car.

Yardley had a return to form during the 1980–81 season. He made 78 in a game against Queensland then took 5–85 against South Australia and 7–62 and 4–36 against Tasmania.

Yardley was overlooked for selection for the 1979 Cricket World Cup in favour of Graeme Porter however he was selected to tour India in 1979.

Yardley toured India in 1979. He was made 12th man for the first Test. He returned to the side for the second test, making 47 as nightwatchman then taking 4–107 before illness meant he was too sick to bowl.

Yardley suffered a form slump at the beginning of the 1979–80 domestic season, which saw him only make 58 runs in five innings, and was dropped from the West Australian side.

Since Yardley had been first selected for Australia, he had missed selection on every side picked to tour England – 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1983. (Although 1979 and 1983 were one-day tournaments, and his form had been poor in 1979–80).

In 1977–78 the Australian Test team had lost a number of its leading players to World Series Cricket. Tony Mann was tried as a spinner but was dropped after four Tests.

1976–77 was Yardley's breakthrough season as he became a full-time spinner. He took 2–44 and 3–40 against South Australia, also scoring a useful 35 runs. Two games later against NSW he took 6–62 then made 97 not out.

In 1974–75 he played for West Australia primarily as a batsman.

In 1973–74 he scored a quick fire 59 in a Gillette Cup game, helping WA beat NSW.

In 1971 Yardley began developing his abilities as a spin bowler and worked on his batting. He gained selection for WA as a batsman in 1973–74. He scored 43 not out against the touring New Zealanders in 1974. He would occasionally bowl as well.

He made his first-class cricket debut in 1966–67, taking one wicket against Queensland. However West Australia were blessed with fast bowlers during this period and he struggled to find a permanent spot, only playing in two games over six seasons. (The second game came against Victoria at the WACA in 1970–71.)

Yardley took six wickets in a game against Windward Islands. In the 4th Test Yardley took 1–48 and 4–40 but Australia collapsed in their second innings and lost the game.

Bruce Yardley (5 September 1947 – 27 March 2019) was an Australian cricketer who played in 33 Test matches and seven One Day Internationals between 1978 and 1983, taking 126 Test wickets.