The demise of Lord Ted (16 June 93)

They're gone, but not forgotten ... unfortunately
By Miles Kington
Where are they now? 
A round-up of some once-familiar names and faces
ER "Ted" Dexter. 
This once-famous  English wag, wit  and stand-up England selector
has  finally  packed  in his act  after being  convinced that his
routine was now out of date.
"He recently did a tour of India and Sri Lanka without  getting a
single laugh," says a friend  who wants to remain anonymous, "and
if you do that, it's  time to go.  Basically, his material hadn't
changed in years. Also, it wasn't funny to begin with."
Dexter first became famous  for being the only stand-up cricketer
who ever  managed to  run over  himself  with his own car (a feat
never repeated by younger comedians), but somehow  he never quite
capped it.  His familiar catch phrases - "There is  nothing wrong
with this side that a few quick centuries wouldn't put right" and
"We would  easily have  won if it  hadn't been  for the food, the
pitch, the umpires and the quality of the opposition, which  took
us by surprise" - seemed long-winded  in the modern age of quick-
fire Australian appeals, and not as snappy as they had once been.
He represents a more  gentlemanly age of joke-making  and will be
missed by connoisseurs of the surrealist apology.
(Edited from a long article from The Independent)
Thanks to Vicky on r.s.c.
 Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)