The Bearded Wonder gets his due

Bill Frindall honoured with MBE

Wisden Cricinfo staff

June 12, 2004

Royal acknowledgement for the Bearded Wonder © Getty Images

Bill Frindall, the statistician for the BBC's Test Match Special and known as the Bearded Wonder, has been honoured with the MBE, on the occasion of the Queen's birthday. Clare Connor, captain of the England Women's team, was given the OBE for her services to women's cricket.

Frindall, who began working for the BBC in 1966, was surprised by the award. The BBC Sport website quoted him as saying, "It was a bit of a shock to find out I had been awarded an MBE but a nice shock. I'm absolutely chuffed. It's a tremendous honour and one I never expected to get for doing my hobby and getting paid for it for 40 years. It's an honour for all scorers across the land - that's the most wonderful aspect of it."

The only other cricket statistician to have won the prestigious medal was WH Ferguson, the Australian who was handed a British Empire Medal in the 1950s. "I share the same initials as him and I found out he died in Bath," said Frindall. He added with a tinge of humour, "My nearest hospital is in Bath but I hope I don't follow him in this trend as well."

Frindall has also answered Radio Four listeners' questions and BBC Sport website punters' emails. His columns were titled `Ask the Bearded Wonder' and were extremely popular with the cricketing community. Astonishingly, he not missed a single Test match in England since his BBC debut against West Indies at Old Trafford in 1966.

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Bill Frindall

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