Alan Oakman
Encyclopedia
Alan Oakman was an English
first-class
cricket
er. He had a long career for Sussex
, playing 538 first-class matches over a 21-year period, and played two Test matches
for England. He also umpired
one One Day International after his retirement as a player.
man, and a more than dependable county all-rounder
, Oakman used his unusual height (6' 6") to gain bounce for his off-spinners, and got well forward to drive while at the batting crease. He passed a thousand runs in a season on nine occasions, took 99 wickets in 1954 and his telescopic skill as a close fielder snared him five catches in Jim Laker
's famous 19 wicket haul at Old Trafford
, and totalled 594 in his career. Although both his Test appearances in the home Ashes
series of 1956 ended in victories, he was called upon for just eight overs at Old Trafford, whilst Lock and Laker
bowled over 130 between them. England's wealth of off-spinners including Laker, Illingworth
and Titmus
, meant his international career was brief.
A stalwart for Sussex for two decades from 1947 to 1968, his value to the team was belied by his comparatively modest batting average, but he still stands eleventh in the list of all time run-scorers for his county. He took five wickets in an innings 31 times, with a best of 7 for 39, and scored twenty two centuries in all. He turned to umpiring for a brief spell after retiring, replacing Arthur Fagg
for one over at the 1973 Edgbaston Test
when Fagg staged a protest at the West Indies attitude in the field, but then became Warwickshire's coach between 1970 and 1987. Oakham also had a spell as a cricket administrator at Edgbaston.
He remained active on the field of play as well, playing on in club cricket until almost seventy, and inspired the founding of the Sussex Cricket Society.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He had a long career for Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
, playing 538 first-class matches over a 21-year period, and played two Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for England. He also umpired
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
one One Day International after his retirement as a player.
Life and career
A former Grenadier GuardsGrenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
man, and a more than dependable county all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, Oakman used his unusual height (6' 6") to gain bounce for his off-spinners, and got well forward to drive while at the batting crease. He passed a thousand runs in a season on nine occasions, took 99 wickets in 1954 and his telescopic skill as a close fielder snared him five catches in Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
's famous 19 wicket haul at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (cricket)
Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...
, and totalled 594 in his career. Although both his Test appearances in the home Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
series of 1956 ended in victories, he was called upon for just eight overs at Old Trafford, whilst Lock and Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
bowled over 130 between them. England's wealth of off-spinners including Laker, Illingworth
Ray Illingworth
Raymond Illingworth, CBE is a former English cricketer, cricket commentator and cricket administrator. He was one of only nine players to have taken 2,000 wickets and made 20,000 runs in First class cricket, and the last one to do so...
and Titmus
Fred Titmus
Frederick John Titmus MBE was an English cricketer, whose first-class career spanned five decades. Although he was best known for his off spin , he was an accomplished lower-order batsman who deserved to be called an all-rounder, even opening the batting for England on six occasions...
, meant his international career was brief.
A stalwart for Sussex for two decades from 1947 to 1968, his value to the team was belied by his comparatively modest batting average, but he still stands eleventh in the list of all time run-scorers for his county. He took five wickets in an innings 31 times, with a best of 7 for 39, and scored twenty two centuries in all. He turned to umpiring for a brief spell after retiring, replacing Arthur Fagg
Arthur Fagg
Arthur Edward Fagg was an English cricketer, who played for Kent and England....
for one over at the 1973 Edgbaston Test
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
when Fagg staged a protest at the West Indies attitude in the field, but then became Warwickshire's coach between 1970 and 1987. Oakham also had a spell as a cricket administrator at Edgbaston.
He remained active on the field of play as well, playing on in club cricket until almost seventy, and inspired the founding of the Sussex Cricket Society.