Former Test spinner Yardley dies, aged 71

Former Australian Test cricketer Bruce Yardley has died after a long battle with cancer.

Yardley died, aged 71, in a West Australian hospital on Wednesday morning.

Yardley played 33 Tests and seven one-day internationals for Australia between 1978 and 1983 and also enjoyed a long career in a successful era at Western Australia.

The highlight of the off-spinner’s Test career was the 10-wicket haul he took against the West Indies at the SCG in 1982, including 7-98 in the second innings. He took 126 Test wickets overall.

The West Australian initially started his cricket career as a medium-pace bowler but later turned to off-spin.

A gregarious character, Yardley was also renowned as a brilliant gully fieldsman and handy lower-order batsman.

He scored four Test half-centuries with a top score of 74 and held the record for Australia's quickest half-century for 38 years after reaching the milestone from 29 balls against the West Indies in 1978. David Warner eclipsed that record in January 2017.

Yardley, who took 344 wickets in 105 first-class matches, became Sri Lanka's coach in the late 1990s.

During that time a melanoma was discovered behind his left eye but it did not spread.

Yardley was again diagnosed with cancer in 2016.

More to come