Toaster may have led to ex-Test star’s death

The 87-year-old all-rounder turned media pundit was found lying face down in the doorway to the kitchen when firefighters entered his flat in Westcliff, Essex, on February 10.

His wife Greta escaped the blaze which is believed to have started as the couple made breakfast just after 6am.

A fire investigation found that the blaze centred on a toaster which had a badly burnt flex. A loaf of bread was found nearby.

The report said it was not possible to be confident of the cause of the blaze. The toaster was not faulty but was a probable source of the fire.

A post-mortem examination found Bailey died of smoke inhalation and it was likely that he was knocked unconscious early on.

Essex coroner Peter Dean, at Southend Court House, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He said: “This was a tragic accident and my thoughts are very much with his family, friends and the many others who have been touched by his death in these very sad circumstances.”

Bailey had two sons and a daughter. Outside the inquest, his daughter Sharon Rawlingson said: “My mother is as well as can be expected. They were together for 60 years and were devoted to one another. We have been very touched by the tributes and support we have received, both from people who knew my father and the wider public.”

Bailey won 61 Test caps between 1949 and 1959, and played county cricket for Essex for more than 20 years. He scored 1,000 runs and took 100 wickets in a year several times.