Obituaries in 1979

ASHDOWN, WILLIAM HENRY, died at his home at Rugby on Septemeber 15, aged 80. For Kent between 1920 and 1937 he scored 22,218 runs with an average of 30.35 and took 597 wickets at 32.25. He made 40 centuries and twice scored over 300, being one of the very few who have accomplished this rare feat more than once in county cricket. His 332 against Essex at Brentwood, which took only six and a quarter hours, is still a Kent record; a year later he made 305 not out against Derbyshire at Dover. In 1931 he scored a hundred in each innings against Middlesex at Lord's For years he opened the batting, first with Hardinge, and later with Fagg or Woolley. It is the beauty of his off-side strokes, his square drive and his cut that spectators will remember chiefly, though he was, too, an extremely good leg-hitter. He bowled just above medium with the easy action of a natural games player. In his best season 1923, he took 66 wickets at 22.22. In 1914, at the age of fifteen, he had played for G. J. V. Weigall's XI against Oxford University and in 1947, after ten years absence from first-class cricket, he appeared in a festival match at Harrogate in which he scored 42 and 40 and took five for 73. He was thus the only man to take part in first-class cricket both before the Great War and after the Second. From 1938 to 1947 Ashdown was coach at Rugby, and then, after three years as a first-class umpire, was first coach and later scorer to Leicestershire. He had a quiet sense of humour, and when Kent were making 219 in 71 minutes to beat Gloucestershire at Dover in 1937, he remarked dryly to his partner - I suppose you realise you are wasting a lot of time hitting all these sixes!. His own contribution to this unique feat was 62 not out.J. C. Marshall, the Oxford Blue of 1953, writes:

I was lucky enough to be coached by Bill Ashdown as a boy at Rugby - in fact I was his last captain. I shall always remember him as the best of coaches and the kindest of men. Looking back on his time at Rugby I always feel that he got his relationship with the boys absolutely right and was wonderfully understanding and helpful both in the nets and outside them. In addition to all that he did for Rugby cricket as coach, I think it is also extremely important to remember that he was head groundsman as well at a particularly difficult time and kept our grounds in wonderful condition during the war.

ASHTON, SIR HUBERT, MC, who died on June 17, aged 81, was a batsman who must have taken a high place had he been able to continue in first-class cricket. After two years in the Winchester XI, where he was captain in 1916 and had an outstanding record each year, he served in France from April 1917 and was not demobilised until August 1919. Going up to Cambridge he made 32 and 62 against Essex next summer in the first match, but such was the competition for places that he was not given another chance until the last home match, when he scored 236 not out against the Free Foresters in four hours; at that time a record both for Cambridge and Fenner's. This made his place secure and he retained it for three seasons scoring 2,258 runs with an average of 64.51 and each year heading the averages and playing for the Gentlemen at Lord's. In 1921 he made 118 against Oxford, and in 1922, when he was captain, was 90 not out when he declared the innings closed, thus depriving himself of the chance of scoring a century in successive'Varsity matches. Despite all he did for Cambridge, he is perhaps best remembered for the part he played in the famous victory of MacLaren's XI over the Australians at Eastbourne in 1921. When he and G. A. Faulkner came together in the second innings four wickets were down, and 71 runs were still needed to save an innings defeat; together they added 154, and the Australians were beaten. Coming down from Cambridge in 1922 he joined the Burmah Oil Company. He was not seen again in English cricket until 1927, and rarely thereafter captured his old form. He played soccer for Cambridge for three years and hockey one. He was one of three brothers who captained Cambridge in consecutive years; a fourth, Percy, was good enough to make runs for Essex despite the loss of an eye in the Great War. Sir Hubert was MP for Chelmsford from 1950 to 1964, president of MCC in 1960, Chairman of Essex from 1941 to 1955, and President from 1955 to 1970. He was knighted in 1959.

BARLOW, CHARLES SYDNEY, died on June 1, while on holiday in Spain, aged 74. A member of the Clifton XI for three Years and captain in 1923, he appeared briefly for Somerset in 1925 and 1926. He captained Cambridge and Natal at rugby, and South Africa at polo.

BARNETT, BENJAMIN ARTHUR, AM. The quie but much liked Australian wicket-keeper of the late 1930s, whose long career covered three distinct phases as player and administrator, died suddenly at Newcastle, New South Wales on June 29, 1979, while visiting an old Army friend. A product of Scotch College, Melbourne, Barnett moved directly from the School team into the Hawthorn East Melbourne first eleven in 1927, his batting at first being supplemented by slow bowling which was soon dropped in favour of wicket-keeping. Within two years, he was in the Victorian side and scored 131 against Tasmania before succeeding J. L. Ellis in 1929 to remain the state's regular wicket-keeper until the outbreak of World War II. Deputy to W. A. Oldfield on the 1934 English Tour and again in South Africa in 1935-36, Barnett succeeded the long-serving Oldfield on his retirement after the MCC visit to Australia in 1936-37. He thus became wicket-keeper for the 1938 English tour and, although not possessed of the skill and finesse of his distinguished predecessor, Barnett performed creditably and with the efficient unobtrusive style, notably neat in taking slow bowling, which marked his long career. A useful left-hand batsman, Barnett scored 2,773 runs for Victoria at an average of 28.88, including an undefeated 104 and 92 in his second-last Sheffield Shield match before going on active service in 1940. He was a prisoner-of-war at Changi for several years, yet maintained contact and retained his position as a vice-president of the Hawthorn East Melbourne Club throughout this time. His long association with the club continued until his death, Barnett having presented it with his cricket gear only a year earlier.

Barnett returned to Hawthorn East Melbourne but did not play any post-war Sheffield Shield cricket. However, on transferring to the UK in 1949 to represent a large Australian pharmaceutical group, he entered on the two further phases of his career - as a successful playing member for Buckinghamshire and as a London administrator for major sporting and Services organisations. Barnett first played for the minor county in 1951 and continued to do so as often as business pressures permitted until final retirement in 1964, then aged 56. In one memorable season - 1952- Barnett supplemented his own first-rate batting and wicket-keeping with inspiring captaincy, Buckinghamshire being the first county side, other than a Second Eleven, to win the Championship since 1946. Barnett then led a Commonwealth team to India in the following English winter. In all, Barnett scored 3,222 runs and five centuries for the County.

As a first-rate amateur Australian Rules footballer - his club was Old Scotch Collegians - he captained the Victorian side in the days when amateur football was at its peak.

During his 20 years in London, Barnett represented Australia as its delegate to the ICC and the International Lawn Tennis Federation, of which he was president from 1969 to 1971. He also performed similar duties with the Imperial Servicemen's Legion. In 1977 he was awarded the Australian Medal for his distinguished services to sport and the community.

BARROW, IVAN, who died in Kingston, Jamaica, on April 2, aged 68, has a place in cricket history as the first West Indian to score a hundred in a Test in England. This was at Old Trafford in 1933, and when he achieved the feat George Headley was on 99 - together they added 200 for the second wicket, Barrow making 105. A year earlier the two had put on 248 against Lord Tennyson's side at Kingston for the third wicket, still a record for Jamaica; Barrow's share was 169 and he made 58 not out in the second innings. He was, at that time, the West Indian's first string wicket-keeper, a quiet and thoroughly competent performer, but in 1934 he lost his place to C. M. Christiani, who died in 1938. Barrow was recalled in 1939 for the tour to England, but after a five-year gap he was short of first-class practice. After the first Test he had to give way to his second string, J. E. D. Sealy. In all between 1930 and 1939 he played in eleven Tests.

BICKMORE, ARTHUR FREDERIC, died in a nursing home at Tonbridge on March 18, aged 79. Four years in the Clifton XI and captain in 1917, he had a good trial for Kent in 1919, and won his Blue at Oxford in 1920. In a University match ruined by rain, his 66 on a sodden wicket was easily the highest score for his side. Later in the same season he made 104 not out for Kent v Essex at Dover in ninety minutes. In 1921, when Oxford lost at Lord's by an innings, he was again their highest scorer with 57, and was also top-scorer for Kent against the Australians with 89, he and Hardinge adding 154 runs in two hours for the third wicket. Becoming a schoolmaster, he was after that seldom available till late in the season, and he played little after 1923, although his last appearance was not until 1929. His highest score was 120 against Essex at Tonbridge in 1922. Both for Oxford and Kent he normally opened. He was also one of the great outfields of his day and was equally good at short-leg. He was the last survivor of the 1920 Oxford side.

BLOCK, SPENCER ALLAN, died at Meadle, near Aylesbury on October 7, aged 71. An outstanding batsman at Marlborough, he was one of the Public Schools' side which played the Australians at Lord's in 1926. He won his Blue at Cambridge in 1929, having scored 108 in two hours against Sussex, and going in first with G. D. Kemp Welch, scored 36 and 55 against Oxford. For Surrey, for whom he played from 1928-33, his highest score was 117 v Leicestershire in 1931 when he and Sandham put on 199 for the fourth wicket. But probably his best innings was 91 in fifty minutes with which he won the Middlesex match at The Oval in 1933. A magnificent figure of a man and hugely strong, he was a tremendous straight driver who could strike terror into the hearts of his partners; he was also a fine field and superb thrower. Apart from his cricket, he played rugby football for Harlequins and was a hockey player of distinction.

CHAPMAN, BRIAN, a key-figure in the journalistic world, died at his home in Shipley, West Sussex, on February 13, aged 76. At one time managing editor of the Daily Express, he held some of the most important positions in Fleet Street, where he was a master of words and every technique of newspaper production. A native of Leicestershire, he followed their cricket history from childhood, and above all he loved writing on cricket. He suited his style from elegant reports in The Guardian, and The Observer to the brashness of the Express and Mirror. For 30 years he travelled the cricket world and made lasting friendships wherever he went.

CHAPMAN, THOMAS ALAN, died in Marandellas, Rhodesia, on February 19, aged 59. Making his first appearance for Leicestershire in 1946, he showed promise as a batsman and was also a fine outfield. In 1947 he made the highest score of his career, 74 v Warwickshire at Leicester; he and L. A. Hales put on 126 for seventh wicket, and had much to do with their side's victory. He left the county at the end of the 1950 season and settled in Rhodesia, for whom he appeared in 1952.

CASTOR, BRIAN KENNETH, who died on October 2, aged 89, will be chiefly remembered as secretary to Essex from 1930-46 and to Surrey from 1947-57. But he was also a very useful cricketer who frequently captained Essex Second Eleven and made two appearances for the county v Sir Julien Cahn's XI in 1930 and v Cambridge in 1932. In the first of these matches his spirited 62 in the second innings undoubtedly saved his side from defeat. From 1942-45 he was a prisoner of the Japanese.

CHESTER-MASTER, MAJOR EDGAR, died in hospital in Durban on September 17, aged 91. A member of the Repton XI in 1906, when he headed the bowling averages, he later made a number of appearances for Dorset, before and after the Great War, and in 1911 played for Gloucestershire against Middlesex at Lord's.

CONDER, WILLIAM STANLEY, who died suddenly in his garden at Kew on May 21, aged 69, spent most of his life in the City of London and devoted his spare time to cricket statistics. He was a member of his native Yorkshire, MCC and Surrey, and for years compiled for Wisden extensive details of cricketers' careers.

COOK, JOHN GILBERT, CVO, CBE, who died suddenly at Overstrand on September 10, aged 67, was the captain of the Bedford School XI in 1929 when he headed both the batting and bowling averages and represented the Rest at Lord's. Subsequently, he played for some years for Bedfordshire. In 1937 he played as a wing-forward for England against Scotland at Murrayfield.

COTTON, ROBERT HENRY, who played for Warwickshire in 1947, died on January 17, aged 69. For many years he was a successful fast bowler in the Birmingham League.

CRADDY, W. H., who died at Westbury-on-Trym in January, aged 73, had a brief trial as a batsman for Gloucestershire in 1928, and in his first innings for the county made 29 against Glamorgan at Bristol, helping Dipper to put on 99 for the fifth wicket.

DARLINGTON, WILLIAM AUBREY ( BILL), the well-known playwright and drama critic, who died at Seaford on May 24, aged 89, was a keen cricketer and the last survivor of the original members of the Cryptics. He captained St John's College, Cambridge.

EDRICH, ARTHUR, who died at Reymerston, Norfolk, early in February, aged 84, was a member of the famous cricket family and had himself played for Norfolk.

EGLINGTON, RICHARD, died in hospital at Winchester on March 20, aged 70. Captain of Sherborne in 1926 and 1927, he headed the batting averages in both years with averages of over 50. He did not get a Blue at Oxford, but in 1938 and 1939 he captained Surrey Second Eleven, and in 1938 appeared twice for the county.

FEARNLEY, MICHAEL C., died while playing cricket at East Bierley on July 7, aged 42. An accurate fast-medium swing bowler with a good action, he played a few times for Yorkshire between 1962 and 1964, but was better known as assistant-coach to the county for the last thirteen years, in which capacity he was greatly respected, and as one of the most successful bowlers in the Bradford League. He was the elder brother of C. D. Fearnley of Worcestershire.

FRY, STEPHEN, died on May 18, aged 78. A son of C. B. Fry, and father of C. A., who played for Oxford, Hampshire and Northamptoshire, he himself played for Hampshire from 1922 to 1931. As a batsman he tried to follow his famous father's dictum - Attack, attack, always attack- but lacked his father's rare qualities to implement this philosophy. He could keep wicket in an emergency, and occasionally captained Hampshire in the absence of Lord Tennyson.

GARDNER, FRED CHARLES, who died at Coventry, his native place, on January 13 after a long illness, aged 56, did valuable work for Warwickshire as an opening bat. In his first match, against Gloucestershire at Birmingham in 1947, he scored 53 and 42, sharing with Hill in first-wicket stands of 81 and 111, and next year made his first hundred, 126 v Kent. It was not until 1949 that he won a regular place in the side and was awarded his cap. In 1950, when he made 1,801 runs with an average of 48.67 and headed the county averages, he obtained his highest score, 215 not out against Somerset at Taunton, and also scored a century in each innings against Essex at Ilford. Probably his most memorable feat was in 1953 against the Australians, when he scored 110, the first hundred ever made by a Warwickshire batsman against an Australian touring side. Essentially a solid, defensive player, he was very strong on the leg side, was a good runner between the wickets, and an excellent field. He had a benefit in 1958, his last regular season, and played his last match in 1961. In all he scored 17,826 runs for Warwickshire, with an average of 33.83, and made 29 centuries.

GIBBS, GLENDON L., died at Georgetown, Guyana on February 21, aged 53. A left-handed opening bat with a sound defence and a slow left-arm bowler, he played for British Guiana throughout the 1950s, and is chiefly remembered for an innings of 216 against Barbados at Georgetown in 1952 when he and L. Wight, who scored 262, put on 390 for the first wicket; still a record for first-class cricket in the West Indies. In 1955 he played in the first Test against the Australians. He was, until his death, Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board of Control and represented it on the West Indies Board of Control.

GOTHARD, EDWARD JAMES, died in Birmingham on January 17, aged 74. In 1947 and 1948 he captained Derbyshire, and was later the county's Hon. Secretary and Hon Treasurer. Between the wars he made a number of appearances for Staffordshire.

HALL, JOHN BERNARD, died in Retford Hospital on May 27, aged 75. Educated at Bloxham, he was a useful bat and a good medium-pace right-arm bowler who played a good deal for Sir Julien Cahn, with whom he toured Ceylon in 1937. Between 1935 and 1946 he made a few appearances for Nottinghamshire. Since 1968 he had been chairman of the Bassetlaw League. His son, M. J. Hall, also played for Nottighamshire.

HAWKINS, GEORGE W., who died at Chiltern, Victoria, on July 20, aged 70, included cricket among the accomplishments that made him one of the Melbourne suburb of Prahran's best-known sportsmen. A noted Australian Rules football full-forward who scored 657 goals in only 151 games for Prahran, he played cricket with the district side throughout the 1930s and his consistent form gained him inter-state honours against Tasmania in 1934.

HEESOM, DENYS, who died suddenly but peacefully at Betty's Bay on September 23, was South Africa's principal cricket statistician and historian; and editor of The South African Cricket Annual. He was South African correspondent for Wisden. Born in Reigate, Surrey - he used to talk of seeing William Caffyn there as an old man - he was educated at Marlborough and developed an intense interest in cricket and its folklore. Despite a successful business career he was able to devote a considerable amount of time to his hobby, which became a full-time occupation when he retired from business. His other interests were horticulture and music, and he had a wide knowledge of both.

HIGGINS, HARRY LEONARD, who died at Malvern on September 15, aged 85, did good work for Worcestershire as a batsman. After being in the XI at Kind Edward's, Birmingham, and then being severely wounded in the Great War, he played for the county from 1920 to 1927, exceeding 1,000 runs in 1921 and 1922 and making a couple of centuries in each year, his highest being a particularly fine innings of 137 not out v Lancashire at Worcester in 1922. In 1922 he was picked for a fairly strong side of Gentlemen at The Oval. His elder brother, J. B. Higgins, also played with some success for Worcestershire.

HIGGS-WALKER, JAMES ARTHUR, died at Midhurst on September 3, aged 87. A useful fast bowler in the 1911 Repton side, he played one match for Worcestershire in 1913 and another in 1919. From 1925 to 1953 he was headmaster of Sevenoaks School.

HOLLOWAY, REGINALD FREDERICK PRICE, who died in Bristol on February 12, aged 74, played occasionally for Gloucestershire as a batsman from 1923 to 1926. He was in the Clifton XI in 1922. He served after the war on the county's management committee and as a selector, and was President from 1974-76.

INVERARITY, MERVYN, a stalwart figure in the development of Western Australian cricket for well over half a century, died in Perth on March 17, 1979. A leading all-rounder with Scotch College in the early 1920s, he moved quickly into a successful grade career, made good use of the then infrequent first-class opportunities for his state's players, and maintained his form at a high level until World War II. A regular member of the state team during the years its matches were practically confined to those against visiting international sides or the Australia XI en route to Britain, he scored 748 runs and took 50 wickets, first with leg-breaks and later with slow-medium pace deliveries. He captained the Fremantle club for more than fifteen years and also the state side before moving into administration. Attention to detail and meticulous dress on the field were among the memorable characteristics of Mervyn Inverarity and they have been very much in evidence with his son John, the successful captain of the state's Sheffield Shield team.

KELLY, JOHN MARTIN, died in hospital at Rochdale on November 13, aged 57. Born at Bacup on March 19, 1922, Kelly joined the Lancashire staff in 1947, making his début in the final home match that year. However, he played in only five more games in the succeeding years, failing to gain a regular place in a strong batting side. He joined Derbyshire in 1950 and soon became a reliable early-order batsman along with Arnold Hamer, who came from Yorkshire at the same time. Despite his slight build Kelly was a fine, graceful player, possessing all the strokes, which were marked by the use of his wrists. A little hesitant perhaps in his approach, he tended to play each ball on its merit, and his real ability was sometimes evident only when an aggressive lower-order batsman like George Dawkes was his partner. In 1957 he scored four of his nine hundreds, making 127 against Leicestershire at Chesterfield when he added 246 with D. B. Carr for the third wicket - a new Derbyshire record, and still county's best stand against Leicestershire. When making his début for Derbyshire at The Oval in 1950 he scored 74 in the second innings, this then being the highest score for the county on a first appearance. Like Hamer's, his last season was 1960, when he was granted a benefit which realised £2,263, and since then he had been coach and groundsman at Thornleigh College, Bolton.

KILNER, NORMAN, died on April 28, aged 83. A younger brother of the famous Roy, he was severely wounded in the Great War and then from 1919 to 1923 played frequently for Yorkshire. Though he played many useful innings, including two centuries, he was competing for a place with Oldroyd and Leyland and, much though he would have preferred to stay with his own county, naturally accepted an offer from Warwickshire. After one match for them in 1924 while qualifying, he played regularly from 1926 to 1937, scoring his thousand runs each year and making 23 hundreds. His best season was 1933, when he scored 2,159 runs with an average of 44.97; his highest score was 228 v Worcestershire at Worcester in 1935, in the course of which he made a hundred before lunch. In all, he made 16,075 runs for the county at an average of 31.90. At one time he regularly opened the innings, and late in his career, as senior professional, sometimes captained the side. On his retirement he had one season on the first-class umpires' list and in 1939 became coach at Edgbaston. During the war, he also acted as its groundsman. After another season as a first-class umpire, he was from 1946 to 1965 head groundsman and coach at Birmingham University. To the end of his life he was a regular spectator at Edgbaston.

McKENZIE, DOUGLAS, who died at Perth on July 1, aged 73, was captain of both the Western Australian cricket and hockey teams and later applied his wide business experience as a member of the WACA executive committee for fifteen years from 1946. He was Association vice-president from 1960 until his retirement because of ill health in 1976. In a career covering both sides of World War II, he was a high-scoring batsman with the Claremont-Cottesloe club, and his first-class career extended from 1935 until 1945, a year in which he captained the side. Until War Service with the AIF interrupted his career, he was a prominent hockey player from 1932, his association with that sport being recognised by life membership of the W A Hockey Association.

MIAN MOHAMMED SAEED, who died suddenly in Lahore on August 23, aged 68, did splendid work for Pakistan cricket. Playing originally for Northern India in the Ranji Trophy and later for Punjab in the Qaid-E-Azam in Pakistan, he captained Pakistan before they received Test status in their first representative match against West Indies at Lahore in November 1948 when he made 101 in the second innings, and with Imtiaz Ahmed put on 205 for the second wicket. Later he helped to organise the Pakistan Eaglets' visit to England and at the time of his death was Chairman of Pakistan's selectors. He was the father-in-law of Fazal Mahmood.

NAVARANTA, BENEDICT, Sri Lanka's greatest wicket-keeper, who died on June 9 in Kandy, aged 63. He was of strong build, a physical culturist, agile and confident behind the stumps and a capable batsman. He played against MCC, Australia, West Indies and Commonwealth teams of 1949-50 and 1950-51.

NEWTON, COLONEL ALAN COLIN, Paymaster-in-Chief of the Australian Army when he retired from the Commonwealth Department of Defence, and probably Tasmania's most gifted all-round athlete, died in Sydney on March 27, aged 85. Picker Newton achieved early fame in 1908 when he shared an undefeated opening partnership of 400 for Queen's College, Hobart, with the (later) Tasmanian Rhodes Scholar, John Barnett; their record still stands. As a schoolboy, Newton took seven wickets for 33 in his first `A' Grade match, and gained initial representative honours with a score of 68 in the same season, despite the expressed objection of selectors to his wearing knickerbockers at the time. Originally associated with East Hobart, Newton helped to form the harbourside Sandy Bay club in 1926 and was its captain and committee chairman for most of the time until his Defence Department duties took him first to Perth in 1936 and then to the Royal Military College, Duntroon. He was honoured with Tasmanian Cricket Association life membership a year later. During his 22 years as the outstanding all-round player in the Tasmanian XI, his highest score was 117 at Launceston in 1922 against Victoria when, batting number ten, he established a new state record partnership of 148 with H. C. Smith. In all, he scored 1,108 runs and took 66 wickets for Tasmania. He was a most attractive right-hand batsman, and his left arm bowling ranged from fast-medium in-swing to leg-breaks.

A keen tennis player, he won eight major championships, including the Tasmanian singles titles of 1924 and 1925 and the state doubles championship on three later occasions between 1930 and 1933.

This true amateur gave much time as a committeeman of the TCA, its Executive Cricket Council, and as a state selector, as well as being Hon. Treasurer of the Lawn Tennis Association. He wrote with authority on both sports as a local Hobart press correspondent, using the noms-de-plumes Willow and Volley.

OLIPHANT, PATRICK JAMES, who died in Edinburgh on January 1, aged 64, captained Edinburgh Academy in 1931 and 1932, heading the batting averages each time. He played for Scotland against Ireland in 1937.

PEAT, CHARLES URIE, died at Wycliffe Hall near Barnard Castle on October 27, aged 87. Going up to Oxford from Sedbergh he won his Blue in his last year, 1913, as a fast bowler. From 1931 to 1945 he was Conservative MP for Darlington.

PEIRCE, LT COL. HAROLD ERNEST ( JOE), CBE, JP, a vice-president of Surrey County Cricket Club, who died aged 87 on November 12, was a generous financial benefactor to sport, and to cricket in particular. Lord's Taverners and the National Playing Fields Association both benefited by over £15,000 from a function organised on his 80th birthday. Earlier he purchased the Addiscombe Cricket Club ground, where he spent a lifetime as player and official, and put it in trust for the club. His ashes were scattered on the square.

PHILLIPS, LESLIE JACK, died at Woodford Wells on April 22, aged 80. A useful bat and slow left-arm bowler, he played a few games for Essex between 1919 and 1922.

POULIER, HILTON E., who died in Melbourne on May 6, aged 70, was Ceylon's leading fast bowler 50 years ago. At the age of twenty he was picked for All-Ceylon against Harold Gilligan's side in 1929 when he had the distinction of dismissing Frank Woolley, and he was a member of the All-Ceylon side which toured India under C. H. Gurrasekara in 1932-33, the first Ceylon overseas tour.

POWELL, ALBERT JAMES, who died in Liskeard on February 15, aged 85, played one match for Worcestershire in 1921.

RICHARDS, HARRY EVERS, who died at his Nottingham home on October 17 after a long illness, aged 65, was for many years sports editor of the Nottingham Evening Post and at one time a member of the Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club committee. He covered the Nottinghamshire section in Wisden over a long period until December 1978 when his health broke down and he retired from journalism.

REVILL, THOMAS FREDERICK, died in hospital at Mansfield on March 29, aged 86. A left-handed bat, he made a number of appearances for Derbyshire between 1913 and 1920, his highest score being 65 not out against Northamptonshire in 1919. His son, Alan, was for many years a valuable member of the Derbyshire side.

ROBINSON, COMMANDER VIVIAN JOHN, RN (Retired), who died at Warminster of February 28, aged 81, was a member of the famous Backwell House family who for many years regularly produced their own XI, and a younger brother of D. C. Robinson, who captained Gloucestershire. A useful batsman and fast-medium bowler, he appeared for Gloucestershire against Oxford University in 1923.

ROUGHT-ROUGHT, RODNEY CHARLES, died suddenly in London on May 5 after an accident, aged 71. When he went up to Cambridge, he had already made a considerable name in Minor County cricket, having headed the Norfolk bowling averages in 1929 with 59 wickets at 12.94. Taking seven for 36 in the first innings against Middlesex in his second match, he naturally made his Blue secure and headed the University averages in 1930 with 43 wickets at 18.93. In 1931 he lost his form and his place in the side, but next year regained both, and he and Farnes were a formidable pair. Rought-Rought's greatest asset was his ability to make the ball lift sharply off a length. One of three brothers who for many years did great service for Norfolk, he himself continued to take many wickets for the county up to 1939, besides being a valuable hitter in the lower half of the order. In all, over a career for Norfolk which lasted thirteen years, he took 462 wickets at 15 runs each. His younger brother obtained his Blue at Cambridge in 1937.

SEABROOK, FREDERICK JAMES, died in hospital on August 7, aged 80. A member of the Haileybury XI in 1916 and 1917, he began to play for Gloucestershire in 1919. Going up to Cambridge at much above the ordinary age he won his Blue in 1926 as an opening batsman and played three years against Oxford, being captain in 1928. By 1928 he had become a most consistent scorer, was second in the Cambridge averages with 39.83, and for the whole season had a record of 1,406 runs at 40.17. He continued to play for Gloucestershire in the school holidays until 1935. In the course of his career he scored eight centuries, the highest of them 136 for Gloucestershire v Glamorgan in 1928. He was for many years a master at Haileybury and for some twenty years was in charge of cricket there.

SMART, JOHN ABBOTT (JACK), died at his home at Bulkington, Warwickshire on October 3, aged 88. Playing his first match for Warwickshire in 1919 as an attacking batsman who might pick up an occasional wicket with his off-spin, he had by 1923 secured a more or less regular place in the side. However, the return to the staff of Parsons, the engagement of Croom and Norman Kilner, and the rapid improvement of Wyatt and Santall, meant that he was relegated to spare man. It was not until Tiger Smith's retirement at the end of 1930 that his real chance came, and for six seasons he was the county's regular wicket-keeper. In 1932, with 79 dismissals, he established what is still a Warwickshire record. As a batsman he was purely an attacker and frequently played a valuable innings when runs were wanted. From 1937 to 1948 he was a first-class umpire and to the end of his life was often seen at Edgbaston.

SMITH, CEDRIC IVAN JAMES, known universally as Big Jim Smith, died at his home near Blackburn on February 8, aged 72. Born at Corsham, he played for Wiltshire from 1926 until 1933, but, having been on the staff of Lord's since 1926, came to the notice of the Middlesex authorities, who persuaded him to qualify for them. To the general public he was at that time unknown and his first season, 1934, was a triumph. With 172 wickets at an average of 18.88, he came sixth in the first-class bowling averages and played for the Players at Lord's. That winter he was a member of the MCC side to the West Indies, a great honour for a player with so little first-class experience. He played in all the Tests on this tour and gave some sensational displays of hitting. His only other Test match was against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1937. He continued as a very valuable member of the Middlesex side until 1939, and in his six seasons for the county he took 676 wickets at 17.75. Standing six feet four inches and immensely strong, he had the cardinal virtue of bowling at the stumps and revelled in long spells of bowling.

Yet fine bowler and fieldsman that he was, he will surely be remembered most as a batsman whose entry always roused a hum of excitement. His principal stroke (perhaps his only one!) was to advance the left foot approximately in the direction of the ball and then swing with all his might. If the ball was well up (and the foot on the right line) it went with a low trajectory an astonishing distance. Against Gloucestershire at Bristol in 1938 he reached 50 in eleven minutes; disregarding one instance which the connivance of the bowlers rendered farcical, this is a record for first-class cricket. Against Kent at Maidstone in 1935 his 50 took fourteen minutes. In comparison to these herculean feats, his one century, 101 not out against Kent at Canterbury in 1939, was a sedate performance, taking eighty-one minutes! He added 116 for the last wicket with Ian Peebles, his own share being 98.

SMITH, DENIS, died suddenly at Derby on September 12, aged 72. Born at Somercotes on January 24, 1907, he played for Derbyshire from 1927 until 1951. He was then appointed county coach in succession to Harry Elliott, making a solitary appearance in 1952 in an emergency and finally ending his 44-year connection with the club in 1971, though he was quietly scouting until last year. By 1930 he had developed into a reliable left-handed batsman, scoring 83 and 105 in Payton's benefit match at Trent Bridge. In the next match, his 107 at The Oval was largely responsible for Derbyshire's first victory against Surrey for 26 years. At this time he was opening the innings, and although he dropped down the order at times over the years, he is best remembered as an opener. His ability in this direction was to bring something rare to Derbyshire- success. In four consecutive seasons, Derbyshire were twice third, runners-up in 1935 (which from a playing point of view was a better year than 1936) and champions in 1936.

Tall and elegant in style, he approached the artistry of Frank Woolley, though not possessing the fluency of the Kent player. Usually attractive to watch, Smith's forcing shots were well executed, being severe on anything over-pitched, especially on middle or leg stump, and his runs came at a good rate. Throughout most of the 1930s his usual opening partners were Storer or Alderman - the latter an almost perfect foil to Smith's aggression - and they could be relied on to give the side a sound start. Consistent batting in the early weeks of 1935 gained him Test recognition in two matches against South Africa, when he shared in stands of 52 and 128 at Headingley with scores of 36 and 57, followed by 35 and a failure at Old Trafford. He scored over 2,000 runs that year, becoming one of Wisden's Five, and exceeded 1,000 runs on twelve occasions - a county record, as was his aggregate of 20,516 runs and his 30 centuries. He played for the Players at Lord's in 1935 and in the second innings scored 78 out of 112 for The Rest against the Champion County when no other player reached double figures. This was the last such match to be played, so he was denied the honour of appearing for both sides in successive years when Derbyshire won the championship in 1936. He toured Australia and New Zealand in the winter of 1935-36 with the MCC under the captaincy of Errol Holmes. No Tests were played but in the representative matches against New Zealand his average was over 43, and he shared in stands of 239 with J. H. Parks against Otago and 204 with W. Barber against Queensland.

Following his 189 against Yorkshire at Chesterfield in the opening match of 1935, an innings he considered marked the turning point of his career, came his highest score of 225 versus Hampshire on the same ground, when he sustained a broken rib which caused his absence from the first Test that Year. In 1937 he made 202 not out at Trent Bridge. During the war, he played in the Bradford League and took up wicket-keeping, acting in this capacity for Derbyshire for part of 1946 and 1947 until the arrival of George Dawkes. His usual place in the field was first slip, and it was not unknown for him to bowl an over or two of right-arm medium pace. As county coach he was hard to please, and no doubt he chastened some with his blunt approach. But when words of praise did fall from his lips, the pupil knew they were truly earned.

TWINING, RICHARD HAYNES, CBE, who died on January 3, aged 89, had had close associations with Lord's for over 70 years. Three years in the Eton XI and captain in 1909, he then played four years for Oxford, captaining them in 1912. Between 1910 and 1914 he made a few appearances for Middlesex, but was so severely wounded in the Great War that for a long time he was on crutches and it seemed that his serious cricket must be over. By 1919, however, though handicapped still by lameness, he had recovered sufficiently to reappear for the county and to make a hundred for the Free Foresters against Cambridge. He continued to play for Middlesex, when business permitted, until 1928, and in his last season made 121 against Sussex at Lord's. The innings of his life was in the Surrey match at Lord's in 1921. If Surrey won, they became champions; otherwise, Middlesex retained the title. When Surrey led by 137 on the first innings, the odds were definitely on them, and they were still favourites when Middlesex went in to make 322 to win. But a second wicket stand of 277 in four hours ten minutes between Twining who scored 135 and Jack Hearne settled the issue and Middlesex won by six wickets. Off the field he did great work for cricket. First serving on the MCC committee in 1933, he was President in 1964, a trustee from 1952 to 1969, and on retiring from this became the second Life Vice-President in the history of the club, the first having been Sir Pelham Warner. From 1950 to 1957 he was President of Middlesex.

VAUGHTON, ROLAND WILLIAM, a widely known figure in Adelaide sporting and hotel circles, died three on January 5, aged 64. While still at school, Roly Vaughton played first-grade cricket and football and South Australian wicket-keeper on a number of occasions between the eras of the late C. W. Walker and the advent of G. R. A. Langley. He was also a top-grade baseball catcher and, as state coach, directed South Australia to successive wins in three inter-state series. A warm-hearted mine host of the well-known King's Head Hotel, Roly typically provided a handsome donation to the Shield players' sponsor fund on the last visit he made to the Adelaide Oval.