25 Facts About Richard Illingworth

Richard Keith Illingworth was born on 23 August 1963 and is an English former cricketer, who is currently an umpire.

Richard Illingworth played in nine Tests and twenty-five ODIs for England, including participating in the 1992 and 1996 Cricket World Cups.

Richard Illingworth was a part of the English squad which finished as runners-up at the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

Richard Illingworth did play one season in the South African Currie Cup for Natal, but otherwise played only English domestic cricket.

For most of his twenty-season county cricket career, Richard Illingworth remained with Worcestershire.

Richard Illingworth finished with 831 wickets at an average of 31.54, and more than 7,000 runs at 22.45, including four first-class centuries.

In 1990, Richard Illingworth had his most productive year, taking 75 wickets at a bowling average of 28.29, and he went on that winter's A team tour to Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Richard Illingworth played a crucial part in the match, allowing the tourists just 20 runs from his ten overs for the wicket of Jeff Dujon, and then putting on an unbroken partnership of 23 with Mike Atherton as England recorded a thrilling one-wicket victory.

Richard Illingworth went onto play for England in two Cricket World Cups, in 1992 and 1996.

Richard Illingworth retained his place for the Fourth Test at Edgbaston, batting at number 11; this match was notable for the fact that all eleven England players had a first-class century to their name.

Richard Illingworth was dropped for The Oval, and replaced by Phil Tufnell.

Richard Illingworth did not to play another Test until 1995, although he retained his one-day place for a couple of years, and did well in the 1992 World Cup.

Richard Illingworth played in all but the Fourth Test, and the Sixth Test.

Richard Illingworth won plaudits in this series for joining Mike Watkinson in a last-wicket stand in the Fifth Test which helped to ensure a drawn Test, in spite of an injured finger.

Richard Illingworth appeared four times in the 1996 World Cup, but thereafter the selectors' preference turned decisively to Tufnell, and Illingworth never played international cricket again.

Richard Illingworth was appointed to the ECB full list of first-class umpires for the 2006 English cricket season.

Richard Illingworth joined ICC's elite umpire panel on 25 June 2013.

Richard Illingworth was selected as one of the twenty umpires to stand in matches during the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

Richard Illingworth was declared as the ICC Umpire of the year for 2019,2022,2023 and 2024 and won the David Shepherd Trophy four times.

Richard Illingworth is the second-highest umpire of all time to receive the award four times with the legendary Simon Taufel being the first having received the award five times in a row.

In January 2021, Richard Illingworth was named as one of the umpires for the Test matches between Bangladesh and the West Indies, the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that a neutral umpire was named for a Test series.

In June 2021, Richard Illingworth was named as one of the on-field umpires for the 2021 ICC World Test Championship Final.

Richard Illingworth officiated at the 2023 WTC final at the Oval.

Richard Illingworth was named as one of the match officials for 2023 Cricket World Cup.

Richard Illingworth was named on-field umpires for the final, and become the second person after Sri Lanka's Kumar Dharmasena to feature in the final of the World Cup as both a player, having played in the 1992 Cricket World Cup Final, and an umpire.