Don Topley

Thomas Donald Topley (born 25 February 1964) is an English former professional cricketer.

Career Initially employed as an MCC Young Professional at Lord's in 1984, he was selling scorecards one minute, and then the next fielding as 12th man substitute fielder for the 1984 Lord's Test match involving England vs West Indies. During this game, Topley gained notoriety for a splendid one handed catch on the boundary from a shot by Malcolm Marshall that did not count, as his foot was on the boundary rope. Topley played for Norfolk, Surrey and Griqualand West, as well as his 10-year career with Essex.

As a right-arm medium-fast bowler, Topley took 564 wickets at the top level of county cricket before being released from his contract in 1994, whereupon he made accusations that two 1991 county matches were fixed.

Topley was also an international coach with Zimbabwe from 1990 to 1992, after spending many winters playing and coaching all over southern Africa. In this capacity he helped Zimbabwe to upset England in a group match at the 1992 Cricket World Cup, placing him in the unusual position of helping to defeat England's captain Graham Gooch who was also his county captain at Essex.