'A stellar legacy on and off the field' - Hugh Morris obituary

Image source, Getty Images

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Hugh Morris scored 19,785 first-class runs for Glamorgan at an average of 40.29

ByDafydd Pritchard

BBC Sport Wales

Hugh Morris, who has died at the of 62, enjoyed a distinguished career in which he led from the front both on and off the cricket field.

In playing terms, he was a specialist, and a very accomplished one as an opening batter for Glamorgan and England.

But in terms of his life in cricket as a whole, Morris was an extraordinary all-rounder.

As chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), he oversaw one of the most successful periods in England's Test history.

Morris left on a high - a day after England had secured a third successive Ashes series win in 2013 - and returned home to Glamorgan as the county's chief executive.

He leaves a stellar legacy as a player, captain and administrator, a highly respected and likeable man who made a huge impact on domestic and international cricket.

Born in Cardiff in 1963, Morris made his Glamorgan debut when he was just 17 years old and still at Blundells School in Devon, where he broke several batting records.

After captaining Young England, he then became Glamorgan's youngest skipper in 1986 before relinquishing the role three years later to concentrate on his batting.

That proved to be an astute decision. In 1990, he hit a Glamorgan record 10 centuries and 2,276 runs, which earned him the first of his three England caps the following year.

Morris also led England A on tours to South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka, while he resumed the Glamorgan captaincy in 1993.

He skippered the county to the Sunday League title that year, the county's first major trophy since 1969.

Morris then played a leading role as Glamorgan won the 1997 County Championship before retiring later that year.

Media caption,

The best of Hugh Morris

Far from winding down, Morris embarked on what would be an illustrious post-playing career, first as technical coaching director with the ECB.

Following spells as acting and deputy chief executive, he took the job on a permanent basis and presided over a golden period for the England men's Test team, which peaked with three successive Ashes series wins.

Demonstrating a sense of timing befitting his playing days - and the knack of bowing out on a high - Morris announced his decision to step down from his ECB role a day after England secured a 3-0 Ashes triumph in 2013.

He returned to Glamorgan as chief executive and, while success on the field was scarce, Morris oversaw a large-scale reduction in the county's debts, and he then led efforts to ensure Sophia Gardens was the home of The Hundred franchise Welsh Fire.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Hugh Morris led Glamorgan to their 1993 Sunday League title triumph with the great West Indies batter Sir Viv Richards in the team

Despite his standing in the game, Morris was a friendly and unassuming presence around Glamorgan's home ground in Cardiff, always happy to stop for a chat with supporters and occasionally helping ticket staff on busier matchdays.

He was a patron of Heads Up, a charity supporting research into head and neck cancer, after surviving throat cancer diagnosed in 2002, and was appointed MBE 20 years later for services to cricket and charity.

Morris was diagnosed with bowel cancer in January 2022 and, having returned to work later that year, left his role as Glamorgan chief executive in September 2023 to spend time with his family as he underwent treatment.

When he was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame in 2024, Morris could not be at the ceremony because he was attending a family wedding.

When organisers surprised him by presenting him with the award at his local golf club, Morris was genuinely taken aback - an endearingly sincere reaction from a man who achieved so much yet remained so humble, warm and human throughout.