Tributes for the former England captain and MCC president, Tom Graveney, have flooded in after he died aged 88. Graveney made 11 centuries in 79 Test matches between 1951 and 1969, scoring 4,882 runs at an average of 44.38.

Appointed president of the MCC in 2005, and an honorary life member, Graveney played for Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. He also had a spell playing in Australia with Queensland and remained involved in the sport as a commentator following his retirement in 1972.

Colin Graves, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, was among those to pay tribute on Tuesday night after Graveney’s death was confirmed by the MCC.

“I count myself privileged to have seen Tom Graveney bat. He was one of the game’s great stylists; a batsman whose name became synonymous with elegance and whose perfectly executed cover drive will live long in the memory of those who saw it,” said Graves.

“He was also a true gentleman; someone who served our county game with distinction and who, later in life, gave back much to the game he so dearly loved by becoming MCC president.

“We send our condolences to his family, and to all his many friends and former colleagues within the world of cricket, both in this country and overseas.”

Graveney, who was born in Northumberland, was Worcestershire president from 1994-98 and remained a regular visitor to New Road, attending last summer’s Worcestershire Old Players’ Association Day. In a statement, the club said he had had Parkinson’s disease for some time.

Worcestershire’s chief executive, David Leatherdale, said: “Tom has been a major figure in Worcestershire’s history and everyone at the club is saddened by today’s news and our thoughts go out to the Graveney family at this sad time.

“He was one of the stalwarts of our first two Championship triumphs and will be hugely missed by everyone at Worcestershire CCC and by cricket as a whole.”

A statement from Gloucestershire, where Graveney began his first-class career in 1948 before leaving when he was replaced as captain, read: “Gloucestershire Cricket is deeply saddened by the news that former Gloucestershire captain and England player Tom Graveney has died at the age of 88.”

A message from the Lord’s Twitter account read: “Deeply saddened to hear of the death of former England captain and MCC president Tom Graveney.”

The former England spinner Ashley Giles tweeted: “Very sad to hear that the great Tom Graveney has died. Such a lovely man.”

BBC radio’s cricket correspondent, Jonathan Agnew, wrote: “Never saw Tom Graveney bat, but he is synonymous with a golden era of England batsmen. Loved a chat in the bar and lived for cricket. RIP.”

In 1964 Graveney became the first player to score a 100th hundred since the second world war and he remains one of only 25 to have achieved that feat.

He scored a total of 47,793 first-class runs – which included 122 centuries – in a career that stretched from 1948 to 1972. He also passed 1,000 runs in a season on 20 occasions, recording more than 2,000 six times

After retiring he became a BBC commentator and served as the 200th president of the MCC in 2005. Graveney’s brother Ken – himself a former captain of Gloucestershire – also died last week at the age of 90.