David Capel: England cricketing all-rounder who dedicated three decades to Northamptonshire

The term county stalwart might have been invented for David Capel. He spent 32 years on the Northants staff and, in 1987, he became the first Northamptonshire-born cricketer to represent England at Test level since George Thompson some 77 years earlier. 

At 6ft tall, this instantly recognisable powerfully built all-rounder was an aggressive right-handed middle-order batsman with a penchant for leg-side shots, particularly the on drive. Capel, who has died aged 57, was also a bustling swing bowler of sharp if not express pace who collected many distinguished scalps along the way. Invariably leading by example, he later enjoyed success as a coach. 

The son of a business administrator, David John Capel spent his formative years in the Northamptonshire village of Roade. Educated initially at the local primary school he then moved to the comprehensive where his prodigious talents, both sporting and academic, rapidly came to the fore. Having represented the county as a junior swimmer, he subsequently followed his father into the local cricket team. With his exploits bringing him to the attention of Northants, Capel then progressed through their age-group teams. Aged 16, in July 1979, he made his debut for Northants second XI in the drawn two-day encounter with Glamorgan at Denton Road, Horton.

Two years later, in July 1981, Capel made his first class debut as Northants played host to the visiting Sri Lankans. The following year, bowling against Yorkshire, he claimed his first notable victim, Geoffrey Boycott. Later that season he made three appearances for England Young Cricketers as they faced the West Indies, impressing with 117 in the second encounter at Scarborough. He was soon integrated into the Northants middle order and a maiden first class century against Somerset duly followed. Second in the county’s bowling averages in 1985, Capel’s 40-wicket haul included 7-62 against Lancashire at Lytham. After some five seasons of being a young player of promise, two championship centuries and a bevy of one-day fifties saw him rewarded with his county cap in 1986.

Initially propelled into the Test match arena as “the new Botham”, despite a promising start, sadly Capel was unable to live up to the billing. Making his England debut in June 1987 against Pakistan at Headingley, he came to the wicket with his team in deep trouble at 31 for 5. Sharing a half-century partnership with Ian Botham, he top scored with 53. His finest Test innings came in Karachi five months later when, valiantly defying Abdul Qadir for six hours, he was the last man out having scored 98. He was also part of England’s new-look team who took a 1-0 lead over the all-conquering West Indians in Jamaica in 1990. In a bad-tempered series, England should have gone two up had the home side not deliberately slowed the over rate down in the final session of the third Test in Trinidad. The second match of the series had been a washout.

Back in England, his 1990 domestic season started well but soon foundered, initially because of back problems, before a ball from Courtney Walsh broke his little finger. But he would later have success in the 1992 NatWest Trophy Final, Northamptonshire ending the season third in the County Championship. Capel was then selected for the England A squad to tour Australia. While enjoying a successful benefit in 1994, having damaged his right thumb in preseason training, he recovered, only for Yorkshire’s Mark Robinson to break it again on his first game back. Undaunted, two scintillating centuries in 1995 saw him back at his best. 

Winning 15 Test caps between 1987 and 1990, here Capel’s record remains a modest 374 runs and 21 wickets. In 23 one day internationals he totalled 327 runs and had 17 victims with the ball. For Northants he made 313 first class appearances and scored 12,202 runs. Passing 1,000 runs in a season three times, his best was 1,311 in 1989. Taking 546 wickets, his top season with the ball was 1986 when he had 63 victims.  Making 345 appearances in List A cricket, there he scored 7,011 runs and took 281 wickets. In each of the three major one-day competitions, the NatWest Trophy, Benson and Hedges Cup and Sunday League, he established new county batting records. Never less than a whole-hearted and committed team player, he also held 256 catches. 

After retiring from playing in 1998, Capel was soon appointed Northants’ first director of excellence before becoming academy director and second XI coach. In 2006, he was appointed first XI coach after Kepler Wessels resigned following a dressing room rebellion. Capel enjoyed early success, with the county reaching the T20 finals day and narrowly missing out on promotion to the First Division in 2009.

However, following a poor run of results in white ball cricket, he was relieved of his duties in 2012. He later served as assistant coach to the England women’s team before taking charge of the Bangladesh women’s squad.  First taken ill in October 2018, he then underwent surgery for a brain tumour.

David Capel, cricketer and coach, born 6 February 1963, died 2 September 2020