Wayne Larkins, former England and Northamptonshire batter, died at the age of 71. According to the official website of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, the former player was suffering from a brief illness. The news about the ex-batter.

Larkins appeared in 13 Tests and 25 One-Day Internationals, scoring 493 and 591 runs, respectively. His second appearance for England came in the 1979 World Cup final (then known as the Prudential World Cup). One of the most notable events of his career was his performance (46 and 29*) against the West Indies in the first Test of the series at Sabina Park, which helped his country take a surprising lead on the 1989-90 tour.

For much of his professional career, Wayne Larkins played for

Northamptonshire and played more than 700 games with them. He was well-known for his classic stroke play on the pitch and vibrant personality off it. Following his time at Northamptonshire, he moved to Durham, where he eventually retired. Overall, his aggregated First-Class and List. Throughout his career, he amassed 182 fifties and 85 centuries.

His wife, Debbie, wrote a brief letter on his life and the impact he had on his surroundings, as reported on Northamptonshire’s website.

“Ned liked everyone he met, and everyone loved him back. People were attracted to his contagious enthusiasm. He lit up every room and didn’t want the party to end. He adored his soul mate, wife, and daughters. He will be celebrating in the sky, raising a toast to everyone and his own life. We are devastated, but we will never forget his clearly distinct presence and influence on our lives,” she added in the note.

From 1978 until 1985, Larkins scored more than 1,000 runs in every FC season. In 1983, he scored 236 and 252 runs in seven weeks against Derbyshire and Glamorgan.