Alfred Croom
Encyclopedia
Alfred John William Croom (23 May 1896 - 16 August 1947) was an English
cricket
er. He was a right-hand opening batsman and right-arm off-spin bowler who played for Warwickshire
.
Born in Reading
, Berkshire
, Croom began his cricketing career with Berkshire
in 1914. Following the First World War he played three more seasons of minor counties cricket
before joining Warwickshire. After single appearances in 1922 and 1923 he became a regular by the late 1920s.
Between 1922 and 1939 Croom played a total of 394 first-class
matches for Warwickshire, he also represented an England XI, Sir Lindsay Parkinson's XI and appeared twice for the Players against the Gentlemen
.
Croom scored a total of 17,692 first-class runs at an average
of 31.42, passing 1,000 runs in a season for twelve consecutive years between 1928 and 1939. His most productive season came in 1931 when he scored 1,584 runs at 38.63, including six centuries. Described by Wisden
as sound and stylish, Croom scored 24 first-class centuries, the highest of which was an innings of 211 against Worcestershire
at Edgbaston in 1934, sharing in a first-wicket stand of 272 with Norman Kilner
.
Croom's off-spin bowling took 138 wickets at an average of 44.00, twice taking five-fers. His best figures were 6/65 against Glamorgan
at Swansea in 1930. It was a good match for Croom as he scored 96 and took three further wickets.
Croom held the Warwickshire partnership records for the 8th and 9th wicket, both set during the 1925 season. In May he scored 51 not out, batting at number 10, to share in a 154 run stand with George Stephens and in July he scored his maiden century as he shared in a 228 run partnership with Bob Wyatt
which helped recover the Warwickshire innings from 77/7. The ninth wicket partnership with Stephens was surpassed in 2009 by Jonathan Trott
and Jeetan Patel
.
Croom's son, Leslie, played four matches for Warwickshire in 1949.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 was a right-hand opening batsman and right-arm off-spin bowler who played for Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
.
Born in Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, Croom began his cricketing career with Berkshire
Berkshire County Cricket Club
Berkshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Berkshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy....
in 1914. Following the First World War he played three more seasons of minor counties cricket
Minor Counties Cricket Championship
The Minor Counties Cricket Championship is a season-long competition in England that is contested by those county cricket clubs that do not have first-class status...
before joining Warwickshire. After single appearances in 1922 and 1923 he became a regular by the late 1920s.
Between 1922 and 1939 Croom played a total of 394 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...
matches for Warwickshire, he also represented an England XI, Sir Lindsay Parkinson's XI and appeared twice for the Players against the Gentlemen
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
.
Croom scored a total of 17,692 first-class runs at an average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 31.42, passing 1,000 runs in a season for twelve consecutive years between 1928 and 1939. His most productive season came in 1931 when he scored 1,584 runs at 38.63, including six centuries. Described by Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
as sound and stylish, Croom scored 24 first-class centuries, the highest of which was an innings of 211 against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
at Edgbaston in 1934, sharing in a first-wicket stand of 272 with Norman Kilner
Norman Kilner
Norman Kilner was an English first-class cricketer, who played 69 matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1919 to 1923, and 330 matches for Warwickshire from 1924 to 1937...
.
Croom's off-spin bowling took 138 wickets at an average of 44.00, twice taking five-fers. His best figures were 6/65 against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
at Swansea in 1930. It was a good match for Croom as he scored 96 and took three further wickets.
Croom held the Warwickshire partnership records for the 8th and 9th wicket, both set during the 1925 season. In May he scored 51 not out, batting at number 10, to share in a 154 run stand with George Stephens and in July he scored his maiden century as he shared in a 228 run partnership with Bob Wyatt
Bob Wyatt
Robert "Bob" Elliott Storey Wyatt was an English cricket player. He played for Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and the English cricket team....
which helped recover the Warwickshire innings from 77/7. The ninth wicket partnership with Stephens was surpassed in 2009 by Jonathan Trott
Jonathan Trott
Ian Jonathan Leonard Trott is a South African-born England Test cricketer. Domestically, he plays for Warwickshire and he has also played in South Africa and New Zealand...
and Jeetan Patel
Jeetan Patel
Jeetan Shashi Patel is a New Zealand cricketer of Indian descent. Patel is a right arm off spin bowler. He plays domestic cricket for the Wellington Firebirds and has represented the New Zealand Black Caps in One Day Internationals, Twenty20 matches, and Test cricket.Patel was earmarked as a...
.
Croom's son, Leslie, played four matches for Warwickshire in 1949.