Editing Jonathan Agnew (section)

===County cricket===
On his [[first-class cricket|first-class]] debut against [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]] in August 1978,<ref name="list">{{cite web| url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1759/First-Class_Matches.html| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 3 August 2011| title = First Class matches played by Jonathan Agnew| archive-date = 29 August 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110829024505/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1759/First-Class_Matches.html| url-status = live}}</ref> the 18-year-old Agnew bowled to [[England cricket team|England international]] [[David Lloyd (cricketer)|David Lloyd]], an [[opening batsman]] with nine [[Test cricket|Test]] [[cap (sport)|caps]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/16318.html| title = David Lloyd| publisher = [[ESPNcricinfo]]| access-date = 2 November 2011| archive-date = 14 November 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111114131455/http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/16318.html| url-status = live}}</ref> Reported in ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'', Lloyd "was halfway through a forward defensive push when his [[stump (cricket)|off stump]] was despatched halfway towards the Leicestershire [[wicket-keeper]]."<ref name="COY"/> Agnew took one [[Wickets taken|wicket]] in each innings of the match, and did not bat; Leicestershire won by an innings.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/38/38493.html| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 3 August 2011| title = Leicestershire v Lancashire in 1979| archive-date = 3 February 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120203124304/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/38/38493.html| url-status = live}}</ref>

Agnew won a [[Whitbread Brewery]] award at the end of his debut season, an achievement he ascribes to the influence of his county captain, [[Ray Illingworth]]:<ref>Agnew. ''Thanks, Johnners'', p. 38</ref> he had taken only six first-class wickets at an average of 35.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1759/f_Bowling_by_Season.html| title = First-class Bowling in each season by Jon Agnew| access-date = 11 November 2011| publisher = CricketArchive| archive-date = 8 November 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121108205553/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1759/f_Bowling_by_Season.html| url-status = live}}</ref> Illingworth was quoted in ''The Times'' as saying that Agnew was "the second fastest bowler" in England in 1978, behind only [[Bob Willis]].<ref name="Tyson">{{cite news| title = Young fast bowler to be coached by Tyson | newspaper = [[The Times]] |issue = 60416 | page = 13 | location = London | date = 26 September 1978}}</ref> The award afforded him the opportunity to spend a winter in Australia developing his skills, alongside fellow winners [[Mike Gatting]], [[Wayne Larkins]] and [[Chris Tavaré]],<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154183.html| publisher = ESPN| work = [[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]| title = Curbing the bouncer, and more 1979 – Notes by the Editor| first = Norman| last = Preston| access-date = 3 August 2011| archive-date = 13 November 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121113125443/http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154183.html| url-status = live}}</ref> and to be coached by former England fast bowler, [[Frank Tyson]].<ref name="Tyson"/> All four went on to play Test cricket.{{refn|Agnew played three times for England. The others played 79, 13 and 31 Tests respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting.html?class=1;id=1;type=team |title=Records / England / Test matches / Batting averages |access-date=8 August 2011 |publisher=ESPN |work=[[ESPNcricinfo]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005002703/http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting.html?class=1%3Bid%3D1%3Btype%3Dteam |archive-date=5 October 2012 }}</ref>|group=note}} On that Australia tour, Agnew played his only youth Test, but made headlines when invited to bowl at [[English cricket team in Australia in 1978–79|the touring England team]] in the [[cricket nets|nets]]:
<blockquote>"He struck the captain, [[Mike Brearley]], a nasty blow in the face. It was, Agnew recalls, merely a gentle delivery off two paces that flew off a wet patch; but it did not deter the headline writers. Such early publicity did him no favours, but when a bowler arrives who is young, fast and English, a quiet settling-in period to one of the more difficult apprenticeships in sport is often denied him." – ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|Wisden]]''<ref name="COY"/></blockquote>

Agnew's 1979 season was disrupted by injury. The Editor's Notes of the 1980 ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'' reported, under the heading "England's Promising Youngsters", that Agnew had strengthened himself over the winter by felling trees.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154185.html| publisher = ESPN| work = [[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]| title = Recodification of the laws and more, 1980 – Notes by the Editor| access-date = 3 August 2011| first = Norman| last = Preston| archive-date = 13 November 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121113125450/http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154185.html| url-status = live}}</ref> Agnew's own account is that 1979–80 was "the worst winter of his life", although his recollection is that he spent it working as a lorry driver.<ref name="media">{{Cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/jonathan-agnew-my-life-in-media-500072.html | archive-url = https://archive.today/20090320021414/http://independent.co.uk/news/media/jonathan-agnew-my-life-in-media-500072.html | archive-date = 20 March 2009 |title=Jonathan Agnew: My Life in Media | work=[[The Independent]] | location = London | access-date =10 August 2011 | url-status = dead | date = 25 July 2005}}</ref> He did, however, make his [[List A cricket|List A]] [[limited overs cricket|limited overs]] debut in 1979, playing just once, against the [[Sri Lankan cricket team in England in 1979|Sri Lanka touring team]] – his competitive List A debut followed in 1980, in the [[Benson & Hedges Cup]] against [[Scotland national cricket team|Scotland]]:<ref>{{cite web| title = List A Matches played by Jon Agnew| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 11 November 2011| url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1759/List_A_Matches.html| archive-date = 28 March 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160328104748/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1759/List_A_Matches.html| url-status = live}}</ref> he bowled just three overs (for five runs) and did not bat.<ref>{{cite web | title = Scotland v Leicestershire – Benson and Hedges Cup 1980 (Group A) | publisher = CricketArchive | access-date = 11 November 2011 | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/40/40070.html | archive-date = 22 November 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081122031842/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/40/40070.html | url-status = live }}</ref>