David Evans (umpire)
Encyclopedia
David Gwilym Lloyd Evans, born at Lambeth
, London
on 27 July 1933 and died at Cwmpengraig, Drefach, Llandysul
, Dyfed
on 25 March 1990, was a cricket
er who played as wicketkeeper for Glamorgan
from 1956 to 1969 and then became a first-class
umpire
from 1971, standing in nine Tests
from 1981 to 1985.
at the end of the 1958 season. For several seasons at the start of the 1960s, he was at or near the top of the wicketkeeping lists of dismissals with 79, 82 and then 89 dismissals in the seasons from 1961 to 1963. The 89 dismissals in 1963 set a new county record for Glamorgan, though it has since been surpassed by Eifion Jones
, and made him the leading wicketkeeper of the year. As a right-handed batsman, he was very much a tail-ender, though in a county side that had more than its fair share of rabbits, with Don Shepherd
, Jeff Jones and Ossie Wheatley
in the team, he often batted higher than he might have done in other sides. He did not, though, pass 50 in any first-class innings.
Injured for part of the 1964 season, Evans was replaced by Eifion Jones, but regained his place for three more seasons. Jones' better batting, though, saw him displace Evans as first choice from 1968, and though Evans was granted a benefit in 1969, he left first-class cricket at the end of the season.
to study coaching methods. After his retirement in 1969, he returned to first-class cricket very quickly, qualifying as an umpire and being appointed to the first-class list for the 1971 English cricket season. In 1981, he graduated to the Test panel, and umpired his first Test in the dramatic match between England
and Australia
when Ian Botham
's 149 and Bob Willis
's eight for 43 won a match that had seemed lost. Later matches included England games against India
, New Zealand
and Pakistan
, and he was one of the umpires for the first Test played by Sri Lanka
in England in 1984.
Shortly after standing in the Lord's Test in the 1985 Ashes
series, Evans was taken ill and in September 1985 he underwent heart surgery. He returned to the first-class umpires list in 1986 for a further four seasons with a slightly diminished schedule, and did not stand in any further Tests. He had been reappointed to the umpires' panel for the 1990 season, but died before it began.
, 1990). As a player, his birthplace was given in Wisden as Ammanford, where he was brought up.
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 27 July 1933 and died at Cwmpengraig, Drefach, Llandysul
Llandysul
Llandysul is a small town in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. The community of Pont Tyweli lies directly across the Teifi River in Carmarthenshire. It is in the valley of the River Teifi and is visited for its fishing and canoeing....
, Dyfed
Dyfed
Dyfed is a preserved county of Wales. It was created on 1 April 1974 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, and covered approximately the same geographic extent as the ancient Principality of Deheubarth, although excluding the Gower Peninsula and the area west of the River Tawe...
on 25 March 1990, was a 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 as wicketkeeper for 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...
from 1956 to 1969 and then became a 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...
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...
from 1971, standing in nine 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...
from 1981 to 1985.
Cricketer
Born in London but brought up in West Wales, Evans joined Glamorgan in the mid 1950s and became first-choice wicketkeeper after the retirement of Haydn DaviesHaydn Davies (cricketer)
Haydn George Davies was a Welsh-born cricketer for Glamorgan County Cricket Club.Davies is regarded as being one of the best wicketkeepers to have played for Glamorgan, taking 789 dismissals from his 423 first class games between 1935 and 1958. With 82 victims in 1955, he set a new record for the...
at the end of the 1958 season. For several seasons at the start of the 1960s, he was at or near the top of the wicketkeeping lists of dismissals with 79, 82 and then 89 dismissals in the seasons from 1961 to 1963. The 89 dismissals in 1963 set a new county record for Glamorgan, though it has since been surpassed by Eifion Jones
Eifion Jones
William Eifion Jones was a Welsh marine botanist, noted for his study of marine algae.He was born and brought up in Aberystwyth and studied botany at the University of Wales under Professor Lilly Newton....
, and made him the leading wicketkeeper of the year. As a right-handed batsman, he was very much a tail-ender, though in a county side that had more than its fair share of rabbits, with Don Shepherd
Don Shepherd
Don Shepherd was a Welsh cricketer, who played for Glamorgan. One of the great county bowlers, he took more first-class wickets, 2,218 at 21.32 each, than any other player who never played Test cricket.Shepherd began his county career in 1950 as a fast-medium bowler, and was a regular in the...
, Jeff Jones and Ossie Wheatley
Ossie Wheatley
Oswald Stephen "Ossie" Wheatley, born at Low Fell, Gateshead, County Durham on 28 May 1935, was a cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Warwickshire and Glamorgan...
in the team, he often batted higher than he might have done in other sides. He did not, though, pass 50 in any first-class innings.
Injured for part of the 1964 season, Evans was replaced by Eifion Jones, but regained his place for three more seasons. Jones' better batting, though, saw him displace Evans as first choice from 1968, and though Evans was granted a benefit in 1969, he left first-class cricket at the end of the season.
Umpire
Evans had already shown interest in coaching and umpiring while a first-class cricketer. In the 1967-68 off-season, he travelled to Australia on a Winston Churchill FellowshipWinston Churchill Memorial Trust
The Winston Churchill Memorial Trusts are three independent but related living memorials to Sir Winston Churchill. They are based in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The Winston Churchill Memorial Trusts are three independent but related living memorials to Sir Winston Churchill. They are based...
to study coaching methods. After his retirement in 1969, he returned to first-class cricket very quickly, qualifying as an umpire and being appointed to the first-class list for the 1971 English cricket season. In 1981, he graduated to the Test panel, and umpired his first Test in the dramatic match between 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...
and Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
when Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
's 149 and Bob Willis
Bob Willis
Robert George Dylan Willis MBE , known as Bob Willis, is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey, Warwickshire, Northern Transvaal and England...
's eight for 43 won a match that had seemed lost. Later matches included England games against India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
, New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
and Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
, and he was one of the umpires for the first Test played by Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
in England in 1984.
Shortly after standing in the Lord's Test in the 1985 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, Evans was taken ill and in September 1985 he underwent heart surgery. He returned to the first-class umpires list in 1986 for a further four seasons with a slightly diminished schedule, and did not stand in any further Tests. He had been reappointed to the umpires' panel for the 1990 season, but died before it began.
Name and birthplace
His second name was not used at all during his playing career, where he was referred to as "D. L. Evans". In various places it is spelled "Gwilym" (www.cricketarchive.com, www.cricinfo.com), "Gwillim" (The Cricketers' Who's Who) and "Gwilliam" (obituary in WisdenWisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
, 1990). As a player, his birthplace was given in Wisden as Ammanford, where he was brought up.