Alec Skelding
Encyclopedia
Alexander Skelding was a first-class
cricket
er and umpire
, who is remembered as one of the great characters in the game.
His best season was 1927 - his benefit year - when he took 102 wickets, at an average of 20.81. His most outstanding performance was to dismiss eight Nottinghamshire batsmen for 44 runs on a flat batting track at Grace Road in 1924. He played 177 matches in all, taking 593 wickets at just 24.67. He claimed five wickets in an innings 35 times and ten wickets in a match on ten occasions. He was no batsman, scoring 1117 runs at 6.76 with a top score of 33. He took 48 catches. Ironically for a man who was to become one of the great umpires his dubious powers of sight during his career were always an issue. Asked in his playing days if he found spectacles a handicap, Alec said: 'The specs are for the look of the thing. I can't see without'em and on hot days I can't see with'em, because they get steamed up. So I bowl on hearing only and appeal twice an over.'
, the following exchange ensued after Skelding had turned down a close appeal for LBW.
Alley: "Sorry Alex, I suppose it would not have hit off stump".
Skelding: "You’re right, Bill."
Alley: "And, I suppose it would not have hit leg-stump either."
Skelding: "You’re right again, Bill."
Alley "But it'd have definitely hit bloody middle!"
Despite this, he famously officiated over the first all LBW hat trick in cricket, taken by Horace Fisher
, the Yorkshire slow left-armer against Somerset CCC at Bramall Lane
in 1932. After giving Mitchell-Innes and Andrews out lbw, he stared up the wicket at batsman Luckes when the third appeal was made, and finally-almost in disbelief-announced, "As God's my witness, that's out, too." and lifted his finger. "I was never more sure that I was right in each case," he said afterwards, and each of the batsmen agreed that he had been trapped dead in front.
His ready wit on the field saw him held in great affection, but his reputation was always underpinned by respect, as he was one of the most accomplished umpires of his day. In one match a batsman who had been celebrating a special event the previous evening was rapped on the pad by a ball. At once the bowler asked: "How is he?" Said Alec, shaking his head sadly: "He's not at all well, and he was even worse last night." Occasionally the joke went against Alec. In a game in 1948 he turned down a strong appeal by the Australian touring team. A little later a dog ran on to the field, and Sid Barnes
captured it, carried it to Skelding and said: 'Here you are. All you want now is a white stick!'
Alec Skelding stood in 536 first class games. His first game as umpire began on 9 May, 1931 at New Road when he oversaw, Worcestershire CCC v Northamptonshire CCC. His final game in the white coat came when Leicestershire, appropriately enough, entertained Ireland at Grace Road
. Of his contemporaries, only Frank Chester
stood in more first-class games with 774, though David Constant
has since eclipsed Skelding in second place. On the 14th of August, 1959, for the very last time, he removed the bails with a theatrical flourish and announced, as he always did, 'And that concludes the entertainment for the day, gentlemen.'
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 and umpire
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...
, who is remembered as one of the great characters in the game.
The Fast Bowler
After playing for local clubs, he joined the Leicestershire CCC ground staff as a fast bowler in 1905 but, because he wore spectacles, was not re-engaged at the end of the season. He then joined Kidderminster in the Birmingham League and achieved such success that in 1912 the county re-signed him and he continued with them until he retired in 1929. He made his debut in county cricket in 1912, and played fairly regularly in the two seasons before the first world war. It was in the middle and late 1920s, however, when he was around his 40th year and far past the retirement age of most bowlers of his pace, that he showed remarkable skill as a genuinely fast bowler. In a sometimes bleak era for English fast bowling, he was at times the fastest bowler in the country.His best season was 1927 - his benefit year - when he took 102 wickets, at an average of 20.81. His most outstanding performance was to dismiss eight Nottinghamshire batsmen for 44 runs on a flat batting track at Grace Road in 1924. He played 177 matches in all, taking 593 wickets at just 24.67. He claimed five wickets in an innings 35 times and ten wickets in a match on ten occasions. He was no batsman, scoring 1117 runs at 6.76 with a top score of 33. He took 48 catches. Ironically for a man who was to become one of the great umpires his dubious powers of sight during his career were always an issue. Asked in his playing days if he found spectacles a handicap, Alec said: 'The specs are for the look of the thing. I can't see without'em and on hot days I can't see with'em, because they get steamed up. So I bowl on hearing only and appeal twice an over.'
The Umpire
One of the great characters of the sport in his day, famous stories about him abound. Like most renowned umpires he was reluctant to give decisions unless absolutely convinced of the appeal. Once in response to an appeal for run out, he stated: 'That was a "photo-finish" and as there isn't time to develop the plate, I shall say not out.' In one celebrated brush with combative Australian and Somerset CCC stalwart Bill AlleyBill Alley
William Edward Alley was a cricketer who played 400 first-class matches for New South Wales, Somerset and a Commonwealth XI....
, the following exchange ensued after Skelding had turned down a close appeal for LBW.
Alley: "Sorry Alex, I suppose it would not have hit off stump".
Skelding: "You’re right, Bill."
Alley: "And, I suppose it would not have hit leg-stump either."
Skelding: "You’re right again, Bill."
Alley "But it'd have definitely hit bloody middle!"
Despite this, he famously officiated over the first all LBW hat trick in cricket, taken by Horace Fisher
Horace Fisher
Horace Fisher was an English first-class cricketer, who played fifty two games for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1928 and 1936....
, the Yorkshire slow left-armer against Somerset CCC at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
in 1932. After giving Mitchell-Innes and Andrews out lbw, he stared up the wicket at batsman Luckes when the third appeal was made, and finally-almost in disbelief-announced, "As God's my witness, that's out, too." and lifted his finger. "I was never more sure that I was right in each case," he said afterwards, and each of the batsmen agreed that he had been trapped dead in front.
His ready wit on the field saw him held in great affection, but his reputation was always underpinned by respect, as he was one of the most accomplished umpires of his day. In one match a batsman who had been celebrating a special event the previous evening was rapped on the pad by a ball. At once the bowler asked: "How is he?" Said Alec, shaking his head sadly: "He's not at all well, and he was even worse last night." Occasionally the joke went against Alec. In a game in 1948 he turned down a strong appeal by the Australian touring team. A little later a dog ran on to the field, and Sid Barnes
Sid Barnes
Sidney George Barnes was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Australia's finest batsmen in the period immediately following the Second World War...
captured it, carried it to Skelding and said: 'Here you are. All you want now is a white stick!'
Alec Skelding stood in 536 first class games. His first game as umpire began on 9 May, 1931 at New Road when he oversaw, Worcestershire CCC v Northamptonshire CCC. His final game in the white coat came when Leicestershire, appropriately enough, entertained Ireland at Grace Road
Grace Road
Grace Road is a cricket ground, in Leicester, England, home to Leicestershire County Cricket Club.-History:The land which Grace Road is built on was bought by Leicestershire County Cricket Club in 1877 from the then Duke of Rutland and spent the massive sum of £40,000 on developing a cricket club,...
. Of his contemporaries, only Frank Chester
Frank Chester (umpire)
Frank Chester was an English first-class cricketer and notable international cricket umpire.Chester was an all-rounder, a left-handed middle-order batsman and a slow left-arm bowler, who played 55 first-class matches for county side Worcestershire as a teenager from 1912 to 1914...
stood in more first-class games with 774, though David Constant
David Constant
David John Constant played 61 first-class cricket matches from 1961 to 1968 for Kent and Leicestershire...
has since eclipsed Skelding in second place. On the 14th of August, 1959, for the very last time, he removed the bails with a theatrical flourish and announced, as he always did, 'And that concludes the entertainment for the day, gentlemen.'