JACK RUSSELL MBE

Jack Russell was born on 15 August 1963 in Stroud, Gloucestershire. As a child, he attended the local Archway School, and rst began playing cricket at Stroud Cricket Club. He was scouted by Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, where he made his rst class debut in 1981 at the age of seventeen whilst still in the Sixth Form at Archway. The following year, he enrolled at Bristol Technical College to study accountancy, but after three months he left to play rst class cricket full-time.

Jack Russell made his international debut in a One Day International against Pakistan in Peshawar on 22 November 1987. In 1988, he was called up to the England Test team and made his debut at Lord’s on 25 August, making a score of 94 and almost becoming the rst English player to make a century as a nightwatchman. Over the course of his career, Jack Russell played 40 ODIs and 54 Tests for England. He scored two Test centuries, against Australia at Old Tra ord in 1989 and against India at Lord’s in 1996. In a Test match between England and South Africa in Johannesburg in November-December 1995, Jack took eleven catches and set a world record for the number of catches taken in a Test. He was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1990 and in 1996, he was appointed an MBE for services to cricket. He retired from international cricket in 1998. He remained at Gloucestershire for his entire career, playing 944 games for them before retiring in 2004 at the age of 40.

Whilst growing up, Jack Russell was always interested in art. He did not study it at school, received no formal training and is self-taught as an artist. He rst began drawing and painting as a way to pass the time during breaks in play, due to rain.

During his rst tour with England, in Pakistan in 1987, Jack featured in just two days of cricket over the course of eight weeks. This allowed him enough time to produce su cient drawings and sketches and on his return to England, he held his rst exhibition in a Bristol gallery.

Since his retirement from cricket in 2004, Jack Russell has become a full-time artist, painting a huge range of subjects, from landscapes and wildlife, to military scenes and his iconic cricketing scenes. He is also an accomplished portrait painter, counting the likes of HRH the late Duke of Edinburgh, HRH Duke of Kent, Sir Norman Wisdom, Eric Clapton and Sir Bobby Charlton amongst his sitters.

Jack Russell’s paintings have been exhibited worldwide and hang in many private collections from the Tower of London to the Bradman Museum in Bowral, NSW. In 2018, Jack held his rst solo exhibition at Chris Beetles Gallery, which was opened by Lord MacLaurin, former President of the ECB and MCC.

1 LORD’S GREEN

Signed

Signed, inscribed with title and dated 2023 on reverse Oil on board 5 x 7 inches

2 MEMBERS’ VIEW, LORD’S

Signed

Signed, inscribed with title and dated 2023 on reverse Oil on canvas 24 x 34 inches

3 BRIGHT MORNING, LORD’S Signed

Signed, inscribed with title and dated 2023 on reverse Oil on canvas

8 x 13 ½ inches

“There’s no better feeling as a player than arriving at Lord’s on a bright Summer’s morning knowing that the weather is set fair for the day. Priceless!”

4 A LORD’S SKY Signed Signed, inscribed with title and dated 2023 on reverse Oil on canvas 39 x 57 ¾ inches

5 THREE SLIPS AND A GULLY, LORD’S Signed Signed, inscribed with title and dated 2023 on reverse Oil on canvas

6 x 8 inches

6 VIEW FROM THE NEW EDRICH STAND, LORD’S Signed Signed, inscribed with title and dated 2023 on reverse Oil on canvas 31 x 50 inches

“Every year there is a cricket match between The Sherlock Holmes Society of London and The PG Wodehouse Society. The match at West Wycombe is played under Victorian rules. On this occasion there was even a elder wearing red braces and the resident Red Kite hovered continuously above proceedings like an ancient drone. On the hill is the Dashwood Mausoleum built by Sir Francis Dashwood in 1752/3. Next to it the Church of St Lawrence with its golden ball topped tower.”