David Laitt
Encyclopedia
David James Laitt was an English
cricket
er. Laitt was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace
. It was while doing National Service
with the Royal Air Force
that he was told to concentrate on his bowling
, having started off as a batsman.
He was born in Oxford
, Oxfordshire
. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford
. Laitt made his debut for Oxfordshire
in the 1952 Minor Counties Championship against Berkshire
. Laitt played Minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire from 1952 to 1972, which included 116 Minor Counties Championship matches. He made his List A debut against Cambridgeshire
in the 1967 Gillette Cup
. He played 2 further List A matches for Oxfordshire, against Worcestershire
in 1970
, and Durham
in 1972
. In his 3 List A matches for Oxfordshire, he took 6 wickets at a bowling average
of 14.33, with best figures of 3/29. By the end of his career with Oxfordshire, Laitt was the counties leading wicket taker in Minor counties cricket, finishing with 670 wickets at an average of just 16.70. This record stood until it was surpassed by Keith Arnold
in 2009.
Playing Minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire allowed him to represent the Minor Counties cricket team. He made 2 first-class
appearances for the team against: the Indians in 1959 and the South Africans in 1960. In his 2 first-class matches, he took 6 wickets at an average of 31.00, with best figures of 4/58. Laitt also appeared in List A cricket for Minor Counties South, making 6 appearances spread over the 1972 Benson & Hedges Cup
and the 1973 Benson & Hedges Cup
. He took 8 wickets in his 6 appearances for the team, coming at an average of 22.12 and with best figures of 3/28.
Outside of cricket, Laitt worked as a computer administrator. He worked for 12 years at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment
in Harwell
, before working at Heathrow Airport. Laitt died in Croydon
, Surrey
on 27 June 1998.
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. Laitt was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
. It was while doing National Service
Conscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...
with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
that he was told to concentrate on his bowling
Bowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
, having started off as a batsman.
He was born in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
. Laitt made his debut for Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire County Cricket Club
Oxfordshire 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 Oxfordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in the 1952 Minor Counties Championship against 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....
. Laitt played Minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire from 1952 to 1972, which included 116 Minor Counties Championship matches. He made his List A debut against Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club
Cambridgeshire 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 Cambridgeshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy.The club is based at The Avenue...
in the 1967 Gillette Cup
1967 Gillette Cup
The 1967 Gillette Cup was the fifth Gillette Cup, an English limited overs county cricket tournament. It was held between 23 April and 2 September 1967...
. He played 2 further List A matches for Oxfordshire, 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...
in 1970
1970 Gillette Cup
The 1970 Gillette Cup was the eighth Gillette Cup, an English limited overs county cricket tournament. It was held between 25 April and 5 September 1970...
, and Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham 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 Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
in 1972
1972 Gillette Cup
The 1972 Gillette Cup was the tenth Gillette Cup, an English limited overs county cricket tournament. It was held between 5 July and 2 September 1972...
. In his 3 List A matches for Oxfordshire, he took 6 wickets at a bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 14.33, with best figures of 3/29. By the end of his career with Oxfordshire, Laitt was the counties leading wicket taker in Minor counties cricket, finishing with 670 wickets at an average of just 16.70. This record stood until it was surpassed by Keith Arnold
Keith Arnold (cricketer)
Keith Andrew Arnold is a former English cricketer. Arnold was a left-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast-medium. He was born in Solihull, Warwickshire....
in 2009.
Playing Minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire allowed him to represent the Minor Counties cricket team. He made 2 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...
appearances for the team against: the Indians in 1959 and the South Africans in 1960. In his 2 first-class matches, he took 6 wickets at an average of 31.00, with best figures of 4/58. Laitt also appeared in List A cricket for Minor Counties South, making 6 appearances spread over the 1972 Benson & Hedges Cup
1972 Benson & Hedges Cup
The 1972 Benson & Hedges Cup was the first competing of cricket’s Benson & Hedges Cup. The competition was won by Leicestershire County Cricket Club.-Midlands Group:-Northern Group: -Southern Group:-Western Group: -Quarter-Finals:...
and the 1973 Benson & Hedges Cup
1973 Benson & Hedges Cup
The 1973 Benson & Hedges Cup was the second competing of cricket’s Benson & Hedges Cup. The competition was won by Kent County Cricket Club.-Midlands Group: -Northern Group: -Southern Group: -Western Group:...
. He took 8 wickets in his 6 appearances for the team, coming at an average of 22.12 and with best figures of 3/28.
Outside of cricket, Laitt worked as a computer administrator. He worked for 12 years at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment
Atomic Energy Research Establishment
The Atomic Energy Research Establishment near Harwell, Oxfordshire, was the main centre for atomic energy research and development in the United Kingdom from the 1940s to the 1990s.-Founding:...
in Harwell
Harwell, Oxfordshire
Harwell is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse west of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Amenities:...
, before working at Heathrow Airport. Laitt died in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
on 27 June 1998.
External links
- David Laitt at ESPNcricinfo
- David Laitt at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...