The upcoming Test series between New Zealand and England has been renamed the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy in honor of Martin Crowe and Graham Thorpe, two cricket legends who left a lasting impact on the sport.
The trophy, crafted from wood sourced from bats belonging to both players, is a collaboration between New Zealand Cricket (NZC), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and the players’ families.
It will be unveiled on Thursday morning at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval, just before the series opener. The unveiling will be done by Deb Crowe (Martin’s sister) and former England captain Michael Atherton during the national anthem ceremony.
Crowe, remembered as New Zealand’s greatest batter, passed away in 2016. Thorpe, known for his grit and determination, died earlier this year.
Both enjoyed stellar Test careers — Crowe scored 5444 runs at an average of 45.36, including 17 centuries, while Thorpe ammased 6744 runs with an average of 44.66 and 16 tons.
The bats used to create the trophy have sentimental value. Crowe’s bat is the Gunn and Moore he used to score a century at Lord’s in 1994 agains England, while Thorpe’s Kookaburra was the one he wielded during his back-to-back hundreds against New Zealand in 1997.
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Both players also became mentors, shaping the careers of many cricketers, including some who are part of this series.
Joe Root, who worked closely with Thorpe during his coaching stint with England, spoke warmly about the tribute.
“It is absolutely an honour,” said Root. “What a great man. For me personally, to have someone who you watched growing up and took a lot from, then to get the opportunity to work with him as a coach.”
“The amount he put into to my game, to have the opportunity to play for something with his name on it is really quite special and a nice way to remember his legacy and a player.
“It’s a side that he had a lot of success against, a brilliant double hundred. He told us many times about that innings here in Christchurch [an unbeaten 200 in 2002]normally over a glass of sauvignon blanc.
“It’s a really fitting way to remember two of England and New Zealand’s great players. How both sides play represents how they played the game pretty well.
“I expect a really exciting series, like the previous one was. It will be a really fitting way to remember two brilliant players.”
Squads
England: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young
Tour Itinerary:
First Test: 28 November-2 December 2024, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Second Test: 6-10 December 2024, Basin Reserve, Wellington
Third Test: 14-18 December 2024, Seddon Park, Hamilton
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