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John Kenneth Lever (born 24 February 1949) is an English former international who played Test cricket and One Day International cricket for England. Lever was a left-arm fast-medium bowler who predominantly swung the ball into right-handed batsmen.
The cricket correspondent Colin Bateman remarked that "for 23 years he plied his trade with Essex, becoming the finest left-arm pace bowler in the country. Tough, astute, and entertaining in the dressing room, Lever was, as the title of his autobiography suggests, A Cricketer's Cricketer".
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Mid-Day – Sports news, indian sports news, international sports news & lot moreLever made his first-class debut for Essex in 1967 and would represent the county until 1989, in one of the most successful periods in the club's history.
He was also involved in the rebel tour to South Africa in 1982 during the apartheid era, where he formed strong links in the country. In the warm-up match against Western Province, Lever broke down after bowling two balls, and subsequent X-rays showed a curvature in his spine. The discovery came as a surprise to Lever, who had bowled with a sore back for the best part of a decade. However, with an exercise regime in place to strengthen the back, Lever would recover in time to be available for the first unofficial Test match. He would later return to play a few matches for Natal in the Sunfoil Series.
Due to his involvement in the rebel tour, Lever was banned from representing England for three years, but continued to play well for Essex. The selectors recognized his form and selected him for one final Test cap against the touring Indians in 1986, at the age of 37. After England lost the first Test, Lever was picked for the second test at Headingley, replacing Richard Ellison. In India's first innings, Lever had Dilip Vengsarkar caught behind on 61, then trapped captain Kapil Dev in front next ball. He dismissed Kapil again in the second innings to finish his final bowling innings with 4/64. Chasing 408 to win, England were dismissed for 128, Lever falling to Maninder Singh to give India victory by 279 runs, and a series win.
Lever was appointed an MBE in the 1990 Birthday Honours for his services to cricket.
More recently, Lever has taken up teaching physical education at Bancroft's School. Bancroft's School staff list In 2002, he joined ITC Sports Travel as a tour host, accompanying cricket fans all over the cricket world.
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