Cliff Gladwin
Encyclopedia
Clifford Gladwin was an English
cricket
er, who played for Derbyshire
from 1939 to 1958, and in eight Tests
for England
from 1947 to 1949. He took over 1,600 first class wickets.
A tall right-arm medium-fast seam bowler of great accuracy and consistency, Gladwin formed, with Les Jackson
, the most feared new ball attack in the English first-class game
for a dozen years after World War II
. Gladwin was both penetrative and mean, with around a third of his overs being maidens, and in thirteen full seasons he took 100 or more wickets twelve times, usually at an average of under 20 runs per wicket.
Cricket writer, Coloin Bateman noted that "Gladwin was so proud of his miserly bowling, that he would correct the scorer
s at the close of play if there was an error in their figures".
, Derbyshire
, the son of Joseph Gladwin
who also played for Derbyshire. He made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1939 season
and played a handful of games that year.
After World War II, Gladwin returned to the county in the 1946 season
, taking over 100 wickets and leading an attack weakened by the absence of Bill Copson
. With the return of Copson and George Pope the following year, Gladwin formed the only pace attack of even reasonable quality in an era when most counties relied largely on spin. All three played Test cricket
against South Africa
the following year. Gladwin at Old Trafford
conceded only 58 runs in a marathon stint of 50 overs.
Although Gladwin headed the first-class averages in the 1948, he did not play against the 1948 Australians, the team dubbed "The Invincibles". He did, however, play five Tests on the tour to South Africa in 1948-49
under George Mann. There he became a national hero, by running the leg bye
that won the Durban
Test for England, to achieve the only last-ball victory in the history of Test matches.
By the 1949 season
, Gladwin had developed so much as a batsman that he made 124 against Nottinghamshire
and scored over 900 runs. However, he did not maintain this standard and only made one score over fifty in his last six seasons. However, as a bowler, Gladwin was always near the top of the averages until he retired in 1958 - though the return of England's pace bowling to more reasonable strength meant that he was out of the running for a Test berth during the 1950s. At times, owing to Derbyshire's shortage of spin, Gladwin actually bowled off-breaks when conditions were favourable.
Gladwin's career total of 1,653 wickets puts him 60th on the all-time list of wicket-takers, and his 1952 match performance of 16 for 84 against Worcestershire
is the second best in post-World War II county cricket, being bettered by only one run by Tony Lock
four years later. His bowling average was 18.30, and his best innings performance 9 for 41.
Gladwin was a right hand batsman and played 510 innings in 374 first class matches at an average of 17.35, and a top score of 124 not out. His batting performance stands out in comparison with fellow Derbyshire pace bowlers Bestwick, Copson
, Jackson, Rhodes
, Ward
and Hendrick
- who did not make a single fifty between them in 2,195 first-class innings.
Gladwin died in Chesterfield
at the age of 72.
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...
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, who played for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
from 1939 to 1958, and in eight Tests
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
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
from 1947 to 1949. He took over 1,600 first class wickets.
A tall right-arm medium-fast seam bowler of great accuracy and consistency, Gladwin formed, with Les Jackson
Les Jackson
Les Jackson was an English cricketer. A fast or fast-medium bowler renowned for his accurate bowling and particular hostility on uncovered wickets, he played county cricket for Derbyshire from 1947 to 1963, and was regularly at, or near the top of, the English bowling averages...
, the most feared new ball attack in the English first-class game
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...
for a dozen years after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Gladwin was both penetrative and mean, with around a third of his overs being maidens, and in thirteen full seasons he took 100 or more wickets twelve times, usually at an average of under 20 runs per wicket.
Cricket writer, Coloin Bateman noted that "Gladwin was so proud of his miserly bowling, that he would correct the scorer
Scorer
A scorer in the sport of cricket is someone appointed to record all runs scored, all wickets taken and, where appropriate, number of overs bowled. In professional games, in compliance with the Laws of Cricket, two scorers are appointed, most often one provided by each team.The scorers have no say...
s at the close of play if there was an error in their figures".
Life and career
Gladwin was born at Doe LeaDoe Lea
Doe Lea is a small, linear village in the English county of Derbyshire. It is in the Bolsover district of the county. The village runs along the old A617 road. A newer dual carriageway runs parallel to it. The village is also immediately adjacent to junction 29 of the M1 motorway, like its...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, the son of Joseph Gladwin
Joseph Gladwin
Joseph Gladwin was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire.Gladwin was born in Doe Lea, Derbyshire. He made his first cricketing appearance for the Derbyshire in the 2nd XI against the Warwickshire 2nd XI in 1914...
who also played for Derbyshire. He made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1939 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1939
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1939 was the last cricket season before World War II, when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixty-eight years...
and played a handful of games that year.
After World War II, Gladwin returned to the county in the 1946 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1946
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1946 represents the first cricket season after a six year break from first class cricket during World War II. The English club Derbyshire had been playing for seventy five years...
, taking over 100 wickets and leading an attack weakened by the absence of Bill Copson
Bill Copson
Bill Copson was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1932 and 1950, and for England between 1939 and 1947. He took over 1,000 wickets for Derbyshire, and was prominent in their 1936 Championship season...
. With the return of Copson and George Pope the following year, Gladwin formed the only pace attack of even reasonable quality in an era when most counties relied largely on spin. All three played Test cricket
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...
against South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
the following year. Gladwin 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...
conceded only 58 runs in a marathon stint of 50 overs.
Although Gladwin headed the first-class averages in the 1948, he did not play against the 1948 Australians, the team dubbed "The Invincibles". He did, however, play five Tests on the tour to South Africa in 1948-49
English cricket team in South Africa in 1948-49
The England national cricket team toured South Africa in the 1948-49 season. The tour was organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club and the side played five Test matches as England and 16 other first-class matches as "MCC". Two of the first-class matches took place in Rhodesia...
under George Mann. There he became a national hero, by running the leg bye
Leg bye
In the sport of cricket, a leg bye is a run scored by the batting team when the batsman has not hit the ball with his bat, but the ball has hit the batsman's body or protective gear.-Scoring leg byes:...
that won the Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
Test for England, to achieve the only last-ball victory in the history of Test matches.
By the 1949 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1949
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1949 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for seventy-eight years. It was their forty-fifth season in the County Championship and they won six matches in the County Championship to finish in fifteenth place.-1949...
, Gladwin had developed so much as a batsman that he made 124 against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire 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 Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
and scored over 900 runs. However, he did not maintain this standard and only made one score over fifty in his last six seasons. However, as a bowler, Gladwin was always near the top of the averages until he retired in 1958 - though the return of England's pace bowling to more reasonable strength meant that he was out of the running for a Test berth during the 1950s. At times, owing to Derbyshire's shortage of spin, Gladwin actually bowled off-breaks when conditions were favourable.
Gladwin's career total of 1,653 wickets puts him 60th on the all-time list of wicket-takers, and his 1952 match performance of 16 for 84 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...
is the second best in post-World War II county cricket, being bettered by only one run by Tony Lock
Tony Lock
Graham Anthony Richard Lock was an English cricketer, who played primarily as a left-arm spinner. He played in forty nine Tests for England taking 174 wickets at 25.58 each.-Life and career:...
four years later. His bowling average was 18.30, and his best innings performance 9 for 41.
Gladwin was a right hand batsman and played 510 innings in 374 first class matches at an average of 17.35, and a top score of 124 not out. His batting performance stands out in comparison with fellow Derbyshire pace bowlers Bestwick, Copson
Bill Copson
Bill Copson was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1932 and 1950, and for England between 1939 and 1947. He took over 1,000 wickets for Derbyshire, and was prominent in their 1936 Championship season...
, Jackson, Rhodes
Harold Rhodes (cricketer)
Harold James Rhodes, sometimes called Dusty Rhodes is an English former cricketer, who played for England in 1959, for Derbyshire between 1953 and 1975, and for the MCC between 1959 and 1963...
, Ward
Alan Ward
Alan Ward is an English former cricketer, who played in five Tests for England from 1969 to 1976. He played for Derbyshire from 1966 to 1976, and for Leicestershire from 1977 to 1978. A fast right-arm bowler, he could, with more fortune, have been the perfect foil of his era for John Snow...
and Hendrick
Mike Hendrick
Michael Hendrick is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty two ODIs for England from 1973 to 1981...
- who did not make a single fifty between them in 2,195 first-class innings.
Gladwin died in Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
at the age of 72.