Full Name

Alastair James Hignell

Born

September 04, 1955, Cambridge

Age

68y 197d

Nicknames

Higgy

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Bowling Style

Legbreak

Height

5ft 7in

Education

Denstone College; Cambridge University

Alastair Hignell was a throwback to an earlier era when multi-talented sportsmen could excel in more than one field. He won Blues at Cambridge at both rugby and cricket - four years running in both - and by the time he left university in 1977 he had already made several England appearances at full back. He made his England debut in 1975 in a brutal encounter with Australia at Brisbane - eight days later he was playing for Gloucestershire against Middlesex at Bristol and five weeks later he made 60 in the Varsity match.

After leaving university, he continued playing rugby for Bristol and England in the winter, while also working as a teacher, and cricket for Gloucestershire in the summer. As a right-hand batsman he scored solidly rather than spectacularly, passing 1000 runs in a season three times, including 1983 when he retired at the end of the season. He won the last of his 14 England rugby caps in 1978-79.

Hignell continued to teach until he moved into journalism full time and he became a respected reporter, as well as working extensively on the radio for the BBC. In 2000 he was diagnosed with MS and has since been an active fundraiser. In 2008 he retired from commentating and at the year end won the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year.
Martin Williamson

Alastair Hignell Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAve100s50sCtSt
FC170289367459149*29.4811411500
List A13812419245485*23.3709560

Bowling

FormatMatBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w10w
FC17034123032/13-76.664.04113.6-00
List A138340---8.00-000

Debut/Last Matches of Alastair Hignell

FC Matches

Span
1974 - 1983

List A Matches

Span
1974 - 1983

Recent Matches of Alastair Hignell

MatchBatDateGroundFormat
Gloucs vs Notts31* & 4027-Aug-1983BristolFC
Gloucs vs Yorkshire37 & 3724-Aug-1983ScarboroughFC
Gloucs vs Essex0 & 020-Aug-1983ColchesterFC
Gloucs vs Yorkshire0 & 24*13-Aug-1983CheltenhamFC
Gloucs vs Warwickshire11 & 51*10-Aug-1983CheltenhamFC

Photos of Alastair Hignell

Alastair Hignell receives the Helen Rollason Award during the BBC Sport Personality of the Year Awards
Alistair Hignell batting for Gloucestershire
Alistair Hignell in action for England