Darren Gough

Darren Gough is one of those cricketers that can lift a crowd and a nation. Whether it is the sight of him limbering up to start a sizzling spell of fast bowling or striding out to bat, a buzz of excitement sweeps around the ground. Something exciting is about to happen!

During his time as England’s premier strike bowler, Darren Gough was often the inspiration and talisman for the team. He was all heart and determination, but his game also possessed guile and intelligence. Lacking the height of the traditional pace bowler, Gough worked out other ways of dismissing batsmen. He became England’s first and foremost exponent of reverse swing which, when combined with his subtle changes of pace and seam movement, brought him 229 wickets in 58 Tests.

Memorable highlights of his Test career include ripping through the Australian batting in his first Ashes Test and a hat-trick of wickets, again against Australia, in Sydney in 1999. No-one contributed more to England’s historic series win over West Indies in 2000, a performance which saw Darren Gough named ‘man of the series’. His partnership with Andy Caddick is widely recognised as one of the key factors in England’s renaissance at the time.

Darren Gough played his last Test in 2003, but continued to be a fiery presence in one-day internationals until 2006. He is the leading English One Day International wicket-taker.

By this time, of course, Darren had also made quite an impact on the dance floor in BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Just like the Test Match crowds before, the TV audience immediately took to his ebullient character and his neat footwork. He and his partner Lilia Kopylova were crowned 2005 champions and subsequently won the 2007 Christmas Special!

Following his 2005 win on ‘Strictly’, he released the dance book Dazzler on the Dance Floor through Hodder & Stoughton and Darren Gough’s Brilliant Sports Quiz on DVD through Universal. He returned to Yorkshire for the 2007 season as captain and produced some of his best bowling figures for over 10 years.

Darren’s television career expanded as he starred as a captain on BBC’s Saturday night family show “Hole in the Wall.”

After hosting his successful radio show Darren Gough’s Cricket Night on BBC Radio 5 Live, in 2009 Darren joined Talksport radio.