Edwin Cooper
Encyclopedia
Edwin Cooper was an English
cricketer
: a right-handed batsman who played 249 first-class
matches for Worcestershire
(and one for North of England
) between 1936 and 1951. His total of 13,304 runs at 31.98
included 18 hundreds.
Born in Bacup
, Lancashire
, Cooper made his first-class debut for Worcestershire against Oxford University
in May 1936, making 2 and 28. That was his only outing that season, but in 1937 he was a regular in the team and was awarded his county cap as well as making 1,321 runs: he was to pass the 1,000 mark in all his subsequent seasons. 1938 saw him make his highest score, 216 not out
against rivals Warwickshire
, and he again did well in 1939 before the Second World War brought a halt to first-class cricket.
Cooper was able to resume his Worcestershire career in 1946, and while he rather missed out on the runs in 1947 (averaging barely 26), two years later he had his finest season in the game, scoring 1,916 runs at 43.54 and passing 50 on 17 occasions. He rounded off his career with two more satisfactory summers, as well as a benefit season
(which raised £3,000) in his final year of 1951. He departed the first-class game in some style, making 124 against Northamptonshire
in his final innings.
He stood once as a first-class umpire
, at Worcestershire's game against Cambridge University
in 1950. Edwin's brother Fred
, who played 44 first-class games, opened the batting for Worcestershire in that match.
Cooper died in Birmingham
at the relatively young age of 52.
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...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
: a right-handed batsman who played 249 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 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...
(and one for North of England
North of England cricket team
The North of England appeared in first-class cricket between 1836 and 1961, most often in the showcase North v. South matches against the South of England although there were also games against touring teams, MCC and others....
) between 1936 and 1951. His total of 13,304 runs at 31.98
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 :...
included 18 hundreds.
Born in Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Cooper made his first-class debut for Worcestershire against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
in May 1936, making 2 and 28. That was his only outing that season, but in 1937 he was a regular in the team and was awarded his county cap as well as making 1,321 runs: he was to pass the 1,000 mark in all his subsequent seasons. 1938 saw him make his highest score, 216 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
against rivals 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...
, and he again did well in 1939 before the Second World War brought a halt to first-class cricket.
Cooper was able to resume his Worcestershire career in 1946, and while he rather missed out on the runs in 1947 (averaging barely 26), two years later he had his finest season in the game, scoring 1,916 runs at 43.54 and passing 50 on 17 occasions. He rounded off his career with two more satisfactory summers, as well as a benefit season
Benefit season
A benefit season is a method of financially rewarding professional cricketers that is used by English county cricket teams to compensate long serving players....
(which raised £3,000) in his final year of 1951. He departed the first-class game in some style, making 124 against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
in his final innings.
He stood once as a first-class 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...
, at Worcestershire's game against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
in 1950. Edwin's brother Fred
Fred Cooper (1921–1986)
Fred Cooper was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire and Worcestershire shortly after the Second World War....
, who played 44 first-class games, opened the batting for Worcestershire in that match.
Cooper died in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
at the relatively young age of 52.
External links
- Statistical summary from 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...