The Test series between New Zealand and England will be named as Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and England Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement. The trophy will pay tribute to the legacies of late New Zealand legend Martin Crowe and England great Graham Thorpe.
The trophy has been made from the wood sourced from a bat from each player, and will be unveiled on Thursday morning in Christchurch ahead of the start of the three-match series.
“The bat gifted by the Thorpe family (a Kookaburra) is the one with which Graham scored his first two centuries against New Zealand, in consecutive Tests in 1997, while the one donated by the Crowe family was the GM with which Martin scored his century at Lord’s in 1994,” read the NZC statement.
“Today’s generation of players are standing on the shoulders of those who went before them, players like Graham and Martin. It’s good that we recognise this and respect their legacy. Both were seriously good batters who understood the game intimately – they commanded respect wherever they went,” said New Zealand CEO Scott Weenink.
England CEO Richard Gould echoed those sentiments.
“Martin and Graham are two legends of the game, and it is fitting that Test series between our two men’s sides will now be contested in their name,” he said.
“It’s heart-breaking to have lost both men so early, but by honouring them in this way I hope we can help ensure the memories and legacies of two of our nations’ finest cricketers live on long into the future.”
Both Crowe and Thorpe were hugely successful Test batsmen in their time: Crowe averaging 45.36 and posting 17 centuries with a highest score of 299, and Thorpe averaging 44.66 with 16 centuries and a highest score of 200 not out – against New Zealand in 2002.
Thorpe, who debuted in 1993 and played 100 Tests, was a constant needle in the side of the New Zealand teams, against whom he scored four centuries and averaged 53. He died earlier this year, aged 55.
Crowe scored five centuries against England, including 142 at Lord’s in his last visit. He was enormously brave, scoring runs in the most difficult environments, including 188 in Georgetown against a West Indian attack including Malcom Marshall, Michael Holding and Joel Garner. He died in 2016, aged 53.