George Summers (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
George Summers was an English
cricket
er. He played all his first-class cricket
for Nottinghamshire
. Summers was known for his habit of reaching 50 and then promptly getting out (he scored fifteen half-centuries with a highest score of just 57).
In the match against MCC
at Lord's in 1870, Summers was hit by a short delivery from John Platts
, at the time a fast bowler
. He was carried off the field. He seemed to recover, and was not taken to hospital, but went by train back to Nottingham. He died from his injury four days later. Lord's at the time was renowned for being a poor pitch. After Summers' death, efforts were made to improve it, and MCC paid for his gravestone. The death of Summers ensured that the bowler never bowled fast again.
As a protest against what he saw as dangerous bowling, the next batsman - Richard Daft
- came out to the wicket with his head wrapped in a towel.
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 played all his first-class cricket
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 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...
. Summers was known for his habit of reaching 50 and then promptly getting out (he scored fifteen half-centuries with a highest score of just 57).
In the match against MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
at Lord's in 1870, Summers was hit by a short delivery from John Platts
John Platts
John Thomas Brown Dumelow Platts was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1871 and 1884. He was a member of the team that played Derbyshire's first match in May 1871....
, at the time a fast bowler
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
. He was carried off the field. He seemed to recover, and was not taken to hospital, but went by train back to Nottingham. He died from his injury four days later. Lord's at the time was renowned for being a poor pitch. After Summers' death, efforts were made to improve it, and MCC paid for his gravestone. The death of Summers ensured that the bowler never bowled fast again.
As a protest against what he saw as dangerous bowling, the next batsman - Richard Daft
Richard Daft
Richard Daft was an English cricketer. He was one of the best batsmen of his day, the peak of his first-class career being the 1860s and early 1870s...
- came out to the wicket with his head wrapped in a towel.