Guy Willatt
Encyclopedia
Guy Longfield Willatt was an English cricket
er who played first-class cricket
for Cambridge University
from 1938 to 1947, for Nottinghamshire from 1939 to 1948, for Scotland from 1948 to 1950 and for Derbyshire from 1950 to 1956. He was captain of Derbyshire from 1951 to 1954 and also played for MCC
.
Willatt was born at The Park, Nottingham
. He was educated at Repton School
and St Catharine's College, Cambridge
. He played cricket for Cambridge University
, two years before the war and at the same time performed in the second and first team at Nottinghamshire
. However his university education was interrupted by the Second World War, when he served as an officer in the Royal Artillery
. He still played for Nottinghamshire teams during the war. He resumed his studies at Cambridge and in 1947 was a football blue as well as captaining Cambridge University. He scored 90 in the Varsity Match
that year. He continued playing for Nottinghamshire in the years immediately after the war.
On leaving university he moved to Edinburgh
where he taught at Edinburgh Academy
and scored for The Grange
. While he was in Scotland from 1948 to 1950 he played four times for Scotland
.
In 1950 Willatt returned from Scotland to teach at Repton and, like John Eggar
and Dick Sale
, combined cricket for Derbyshire
with his teaching career. He was also released from teaching in the summer term so he could captain the county. He was designated captain in the 1950 season
but was hampered by injury and Pat Vaulkhard
substituted for him in the role while on the field Willatt was an unpredictable, middle-order batsman during his first season. He took over as captain in the 1951 season
and occupied the post for the next three years, in which he played consistently for the team. He scored a century against his former team Nottinghamshire
in 1951 and Derbyshire finished eleventh in the County Championship. In 1952
, which was his personal best season, Willatt scored 1,624 runs, at an average of 35.3 including two centuries and the club were fourth in the Championship. In the 1953 season
Willatt's batting average dropped, and Derbyshire slipped to sixth. Willatt scored centuries against Kent
and Sussex
in the 1954 season
and the club finished third in the county table.
In 1954 Willatt left Repton for Heversham Grammar School in Westmoreland
, but continued playing for Derbyshire. In the 1955 season
Willatt played five games for Derbyshire, and in his last season, 1956
, he played four. Willatt played cricket for the MCC between 1951 and 1970 playing a first class game against Ireland
in 1961. He was also playing for Kendal
Cricket Club.
Willatt was a left-handed batsman and played 303 innings in 185 first class matches at an average of 29.10 and a top score of 146. He was a right-arm slow bowler and took three first class wickets at an average of 45.00 and a best performance of 2 for 18. Off the field, Willatt was a moderniser who eliminated amateur-professional segregation at the club
Willatt became headmaster at Pocklington School
, Yorkshire, in 1966 where he stayed until his retirement in 1980. He then returned to Derbyshire to live, becoming chairman of the Derbyshire Cricket committee from 1986 to 1990 and president of the club in 1995.
Willatt died at Derby
aged 85.
Willatt's son, Jonathan, played first-class cricket for Cambridge University
in 1989. Willatt had two elder brothers: Sir Hugh Willatt was a former secretary general to the Arts Council, and Geoffrey Willatt, a veteran of the prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III.
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 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 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...
from 1938 to 1947, for Nottinghamshire from 1939 to 1948, for Scotland from 1948 to 1950 and for Derbyshire from 1950 to 1956. He was captain of Derbyshire from 1951 to 1954 and also played for 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...
.
Willatt was born at The Park, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. He was educated at Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
and St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...
. He played cricket for 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...
, two years before the war and at the same time performed in the second and first team at 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...
. However his university education was interrupted by the Second World War, when he served as an officer in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
. He still played for Nottinghamshire teams during the war. He resumed his studies at Cambridge and in 1947 was a football blue as well as captaining Cambridge University. He scored 90 in the Varsity Match
The University Match (cricket)
The University Match in a cricketing context is generally understood to refer to the annual fixture between Oxford University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Cricket Club...
that year. He continued playing for Nottinghamshire in the years immediately after the war.
On leaving university he moved to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
where he taught at Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
and scored for The Grange
The Grange, Edinburgh (cricket and sports club)
The Grange Club is a cricket and sports club in the Stockbridge district of Edinburgh, Scotland. The cricket ground, commonly known as The Grange, is the regular home of the Scotland national cricket team.-Cricket:...
. While he was in Scotland from 1948 to 1950 he played four times for Scotland
Scottish cricket team
The Scotland national cricket team represents Scotland in the game of cricket. They compete in the Clydesdale Bank 40 as the Scottish Saltires...
.
In 1950 Willatt returned from Scotland to teach at Repton and, like John Eggar
John Eggar
John Drennan Eggar was an English schoolmaster and cricketer who played first-class cricket for Oxford University and Hampshire in 1938 and for Derbyshire from 1946 to 1954....
and Dick Sale
Dick Sale
Richard Sale was an English schoolmaster and cricketer who played for Warwickshire between 1939 and 1947 and for Derbyshire between 1949 and 1954....
, combined cricket 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...
with his teaching career. He was also released from teaching in the summer term so he could captain the county. He was designated captain in the 1950 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1950
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1950 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for seventy-nine years. It was their forty-sixth season in the County Championship and they won eight matches in the County Championship to finish in fifth place.-1950...
but was hampered by injury and Pat Vaulkhard
Pat Vaulkhard
Patrick Vaulkhard was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire in 1934 and for Derbyshire between 1946 and 1952, being captain in 1950....
substituted for him in the role while on the field Willatt was an unpredictable, middle-order batsman during his first season. He took over as captain in the 1951 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1951
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1951 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for eighty years. It was their forty-seventh season in the County Championship and they won five matches and lost seven to finish eleventh in the County Championship.-1951 season:Guy...
and occupied the post for the next three years, in which he played consistently for the team. He scored a century against his former team Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
in 1951 and Derbyshire finished eleventh in the County Championship. In 1952
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1952
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1952 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for eighty one years. It was their forty-eighth season in the County Championship and they won eleven matches and lost eight to finish fourth in the County Championship.-1952...
, which was his personal best season, Willatt scored 1,624 runs, at an average of 35.3 including two centuries and the club were fourth in the Championship. In the 1953 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1953
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1953 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for eighty two years. It was their fifty-ninth season in the County Championship and they won nine matches and lost seven to finish sixth in the County Championship.-1953...
Willatt's batting average dropped, and Derbyshire slipped to sixth. Willatt scored centuries against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
and Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
in the 1954 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1954
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1954 represents cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for eighty-four years. It was their fiftieth season in the County Championship and they won eleven matches in the County Championship to finish in third place.-1954...
and the club finished third in the county table.
In 1954 Willatt left Repton for Heversham Grammar School in Westmoreland
Westmoreland
Westmoreland is a historic county in England. It may also refer to:-Places:Australia*Westmoreland County, New South WalesCanada*Westmorland County, New BrunswickJamaica*Westmoreland, Jamaica, a parishNew Zealand...
, but continued playing for Derbyshire. In the 1955 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1955
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1955 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for eighty four years. It was their fifty-first season in the County Championship and they won ten matches and lost ten to finish eighth in the County Championship.-1955...
Willatt played five games for Derbyshire, and in his last season, 1956
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1956
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1956 represents cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for eighty five years. It was their fifty-second season in the County Championship and they won seven matches and lost seven to finish twelfth in the County Championship.-1956...
, he played four. Willatt played cricket for the MCC between 1951 and 1970 playing a first class game against Ireland
Irish cricket team
The Ireland cricket team is the cricket team representing all of Ireland. Because of political difficulties, the Irish Cricket Union was not elected to the International Cricket Council until 1993, and qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2007. The Irish Cricket Union is the...
in 1961. He was also playing for Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
Cricket Club.
Willatt was a left-handed batsman and played 303 innings in 185 first class matches at an average of 29.10 and a top score of 146. He was a right-arm slow bowler and took three first class wickets at an average of 45.00 and a best performance of 2 for 18. Off the field, Willatt was a moderniser who eliminated amateur-professional segregation at the club
Willatt became headmaster at Pocklington School
Pocklington School
Pocklington School, is an independent school in Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1514 by John Dolman. The school is situated in of land, on the outskirts of a small market town, from York and from Hull. It is an Anglican foundation and Friday morning church is...
, Yorkshire, in 1966 where he stayed until his retirement in 1980. He then returned to Derbyshire to live, becoming chairman of the Derbyshire Cricket committee from 1986 to 1990 and president of the club in 1995.
Willatt died at Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
aged 85.
Willatt's son, Jonathan, played first-class cricket for 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 1989. Willatt had two elder brothers: Sir Hugh Willatt was a former secretary general to the Arts Council, and Geoffrey Willatt, a veteran of the prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III.