Thorpe dedicates double ton to his kids

It was one of the greatest innings of all time. But for England cricketer Graham Thorpe is was the moment he came to terms with his troubled family life. As he lifted his bat in celebration he dedicated the third fastest double hundred in Test history to his two children, Henry and Amelia, following the break-up of his marriage earlier this winter.

He said: "On a personal note it's very satisfying to be able to reach 200 because that's a hundred each for both my children." England's best batsman had recently become more famous for his life off the pitch and his form appeared to have slumped after he abandoned England's winter tour to India in December in an attempt to save his marriage.

But Thorpe's maiden 200 in the first Test against New Zealand at Christchurch - his first Test after his dramatic exit from the tour - helped England to reach the commanding total of 468 for six declared, leaving New Zealand to bat for a little more than two days to avoid defeat at Lancaster Park.

Cricket fans had feared that a string of revelations about his affairs had affected the Surrey left-hander's ability to focus on his game.

Thorpe, 32, was known as cricket's Mr Clean until his last tour to New Zealand in 1997 when he was pictured leaving a hotel with 20-year-old student Olivia Martin, who had allegedly spent the night in his room.

His wife, Nicola, stood by him but days after his dramatic return to England in December singer Lizette Roberts, 32, claimed he had spent a night at her cottage in Wilmslow, Cheshire, after England had beaten India in a one-day game at Old Trafford in 1996. Last month he admitted his marriage was finally over when he rejoined his teammates for the one-day international series in India following a statement by his wife that she had "become close" to Kieron Vorster, 32, Tim Henman's fitness coach.