Editing Jonathan Agnew (section)

{{short description|English cricketer and broadcaster (born 1960)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox cricketer
|                name = Jonathan Agnew
|    honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|size=100%|MBE|DL}}
|               image = Jonathan Agnew.jpg 
|                 alt = A smiling middle-aged white man with short hair, wearing a pink shirt and red pullover, looking to his left with the tip of his tongue between his lips
|             caption = Agnew at the [[Adelaide Oval]] in 2006
|             country = England
|            fullname = Jonathan Philip Agnew
|            nickname = Aggers, Spiro
|          birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|4|4|df=yes}}
|         birth_place = [[Macclesfield]], [[Cheshire]], England
|            heightft = 6
|          heightinch = 4
|             batting = Right-handed
|             bowling = Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast]]
|                role = {{Unbulleted list| [[Bowler (cricket)|Bowler]], | [[Sports commentator|commentator]] }}
|       international = true
|       testdebutdate = 9 August
|       testdebutyear = 1984
|    testdebutagainst = West Indies
|             testcap = 508
|        lasttestdate = 6 August
|        lasttestyear = 1985
|     lasttestagainst = Australia
|        odidebutdate = 23 January
|        odidebutyear = 1985
|     odidebutagainst = India
|              odicap = 77
|         lastodidate = 17 February
|         lastodiyear = 1985
|      lastodiagainst = Australia
|               club1 = [[Leicestershire County Cricket Club|Leicestershire]]
|               year1 = 1979–1992
|             columns = 4
|             column1 = [[Test cricket|Test]]
|            matches1 = 3
|               runs1 = 10
|            bat avg1 = 10.00
|           100s/50s1 = 0/0
|          top score1 = 5
|         deliveries1 = 552
|            wickets1 = 4
|           bowl avg1 = 93.25
|            fivefor1 = 0
|             tenfor1 = 0
|       best bowling1 = 2/51
|  catches/stumpings1 = 0/–
|             column2 = [[One Day International|ODI]]
|            matches2 = 3
|               runs2 = 2
|            bat avg2 = –
|           100s/50s2 = 0/0
|          top score2 = 2[[not out|*]]
|         deliveries2 = 126
|            wickets2 = 3
|           bowl avg2 = 40.00
|            fivefor2 = 0
|             tenfor2 = 0
|       best bowling2 = 3/38
|  catches/stumpings2 = 1/–
|             column3 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
|            matches3 = 218
|               runs3 = 2,108
|            bat avg3 = 11.51
|           100s/50s3 = 0/2
|          top score3 = 90
|         deliveries3 = 35,388
|            wickets3 = 666
|           bowl avg3 = 29.25
|            fivefor3 = 37
|             tenfor3 = 6
|       best bowling3 = 9/70
|  catches/stumpings3 = 39/–
|             column4 = [[List A cricket|LA]]
|            matches4 = 147
|               runs4 = 335
|            bat avg4 = 9.30
|           100s/50s4 = 0/0
|          top score4 = 26
|         deliveries4 = 6,813
|            wickets4 = 158
|           bowl avg4 = 29.26
|            fivefor4 = 2
|             tenfor4 = 0
|       best bowling4 = 5/30
|  catches/stumpings4 = 19/–
|                date = 5 August
|                year = 2008
|              source = http://content.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/8501.html Cricinfo
}}

'''Jonathan Philip Agnew''', {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|MBE|DL}} (born 4 April 1960) is an English [[cricket]] broadcaster and a former cricketer. He was born in [[Macclesfield]], [[Cheshire]], and educated at [[Uppingham School]]. He is nicknamed "Aggers" and, less commonly, "Spiro" – the latter, according to ''Debrett's Cricketers' Who's Who'', after former US Vice-President [[Spiro Agnew]].<ref>{{Cite book | editor1-first= Iain | editor1-last= Sproat | title = Debrett's Cricketers' Who's Who | year= 1980 | edition = 1980 | publisher = Debrett's Peerage Ltd | isbn = 0-905649-26-5 | page = 10}}</ref>

Agnew had a [[First-class cricket|first-class]] career as a [[fast bowler]] for [[Leicestershire County Cricket Club|Leicestershire]] from 1979 to 1990, returning briefly in 1992. In first-class cricket he took 666 [[Wickets taken|wickets]] at an [[bowling average|average]] of 29.25.  Agnew won three [[Test cricket|Test]] [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for [[England cricket team|England]], as well as playing three [[One Day International]]s in the mid-1980s, although his entire international career lasted just under a year. In [[county cricket]], Agnew's most successful seasons came toward the end of his career when he had learned to [[swing bowling|swing the ball]]. He was second- and third-leading wicket-taker in 1987 and 1988 respectively, including the achievement of [[100 wickets in a season]] in 1987. He was named as one of the five [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year|Cricketers of the Year]] by ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'' in 1988.

While still a player, Agnew began a career in cricket journalism and commentary. Since his retirement as a player, he has become a leading voice of cricket on radio, as the [[BBC Radio]] cricket correspondent and as a commentator on ''[[Test Match Special]]''.  He has also contributed as a member of Australian broadcaster [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]'s [[ABC Radio Grandstand|''Grandstand'']] team.

Agnew's on-air "leg over" comment on ''Test Match Special'', made to fellow commentator [[Brian Johnston]] in 1991, provoked giggling fits during a live broadcast and widespread reaction. The incident has been voted "the greatest sporting commentary ever" in a BBC poll.<ref name="legwin">{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/20/sport.andrewculf | work = [[The Guardian]] | location = London | title = The incident which led to the greatest sporting commentary of all time (according to 5 Live listeners): 'He just couldn't get his leg over' | first = Andrew | last = Culf | date = 20 August 2005 | access-date = 4 November 2011 | archive-date = 21 May 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140521110624/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/20/sport.andrewculf | url-status = live }}</ref>

Agnew has been called "a master broadcaster&nbsp;...&nbsp;the pick of the sports correspondents at the BBC."<ref name="Hend">{{cite web| url = https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2009/feb/24/england-cricket-jonathan-agnew-giles-clarke| work = [[The Guardian]]| title = Aggers puts Radio Halfwit in its place| access-date = 25 January 2011| date = 24 February 2009| author-link = Michael Henderson (writer)| first = Michael| last = Henderson| archive-date = 6 September 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130906042722/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2009/feb/24/england-cricket-jonathan-agnew-giles-clarke| url-status = live}}</ref>