David Capel, Former Northants and England SUV, Dies at 57 | Cricket news

Former England player David Capel has died at the age of 57, Northamptonshire confirmed.

Capel was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2018 and died at his home on Wednesday.

He made 270 first-class appearances for Northamptonshire between 1981 and 1998, in addition to playing in 300 List A matches.

He also became the first Northamptonshire-born cricketer to represent England at the Trial level in 77 years when he was selected to face Pakistan at Headingley in 1987, going on to play 15 trials and 23 one-day internationals for his country.

Capel joined the Northants staff as a “trainee cricketer” in 1980 and remained at Wantage Road for 32 years as a player and coach.

In total, he scored 10,869 first-class runs and claimed 467 wickets for the club, making his debut against the Sri Lanka tour in 1981, before Geoffrey Boycott became his first championship casualty the following summer.

Capel also scored 6,274 runs and 237 wickets in limited-overs cricket, including a 97-out-of-110 knock when Northants lost to Yorkshire in the Benson and Hedges Cup final at Lord’s in 1987.

He was awarded his county cap in 1986, benefited in 1994, and remained a key member of the Northamptonshire team until his retirement from first-class play in 1998.

Northants hitter Alex Wakely was one of the first to pay tribute to Capel on social media.

Wakely tweeted: “This is devastating news. A brilliant and tough cricketer, but most importantly, a charming man.

“Capes had a huge impact on my career and on many other players who went through the system. A true Northamptonshire legend.”