Gwynn Evans
Encyclopedia
Gwynn Evans was a Welsh
cricket
er. Evans was a right-handed batting who bowled right-arm medium-fast
. He was born in Bala
, Merionethshire
.
Evans first appeared in county cricket
for Denbighshire
in the 1933 Minor Counties Championship against Lincolnshire
. He played Minor counties cricket for Denbighshire from 1933 to 1935, making a total of ten Minor Counties Championship appearances for the Welsh county.
Later, while studying for his degree at Brasenose College, Oxford
, Evans made his first-class
appearance for Oxford University
against Gloucestershire
in 1938. He played first-class cricket for the university in 1938 and 1939, making sixteen appearances. In his sixteen matches, he scored 468 runs at an average
of 19.50, with a high score of 63 not out
. This score came against the Marylebone Cricket Club
in 1939. An all rounder, he took 51 wickets with the ball, which came at a bowling average
of 28.68, with best figures of 6/80. These figures, one of two five wicket hauls he took for the university, came against Leicestershire
in 1939.
On the back of his performances for Oxford University in which he gained his Blue, Evans was offered a trial for the latter half of the 1939 season
by Glamorgan
, making his debut against the touring West Indians at Cardiff Arms Park
. Following this match there was talk of him becoming a long-term replacement for Jack Mercer
, but with the start of World War II
and the subsequent cancellation of county cricket, this was not to be. In his brief time with Glamorgan, Evans scored 164 runs at an average of 12.61, with a high score of 36. With the ball, he took 5 wickets, although these came at a fairly expensive average of 66.20. Following the war he opted not to continue his cricket career, but instead to focus on a career in teaching.
Having moved to Leicestershire, Evans impressed enough in local club cricket there to play for Leicestershire
in the 1949 season
. Making his debut for the county against the touring New Zealanders, he made nine further appearances for Leicestershire in that season, the last of which came against former county Glamorgan. In his ten first-class appearances for the county, he scored 192 runs at an average of 14.76, with a high score of 65 not out. This score came against Gloucestershire
. With the ball, he took 16 wickets at an average of 41.50, with best figures of 4/49. During the 1949 season, Leicestershire captain Stuart Symington
abruptly left the county following the County Championship
match against Lancashire
. Evans was called upon to captain
the county for the remaining six matches of that season.
He died sometime in April 2001 in Leicester
, Leicestershire
.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
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. Evans was a right-handed batting who bowled right-arm medium-fast
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....
. He was born in Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
, Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
.
Evans first appeared in county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
for Denbighshire
Denbighshire County Cricket Club
Denbighshire County Cricket Club was a county cricket club based in the historic Welsh county of Denbighshire, that played in the Minor Counties Championship for five seasons from 1930 to 1935 . The side was unsuccessful, and in its final season it lost each of its eight matches, six of them by an...
in the 1933 Minor Counties Championship against Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire County Cricket Club
Lincolnshire 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 Lincolnshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
. He played Minor counties cricket for Denbighshire from 1933 to 1935, making a total of ten Minor Counties Championship appearances for the Welsh county.
Later, while studying for his degree at Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
, Evans made his 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...
appearance for 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...
against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire 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 Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
in 1938. He played first-class cricket for the university in 1938 and 1939, making sixteen appearances. In his sixteen matches, he scored 468 runs at an average
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 :...
of 19.50, with a high score of 63 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...
. This score came against the Marylebone Cricket Club
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...
in 1939. An all rounder, he took 51 wickets with the ball, which came 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 28.68, with best figures of 6/80. These figures, one of two five wicket hauls he took for the university, came against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire 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 Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
in 1939.
On the back of his performances for Oxford University in which he gained his Blue, Evans was offered a trial for the latter half of the 1939 season
1939 English cricket season
The 1939 English cricket season was the last before the Second World War and it was not until 1946 that first-class cricket could resume in England on a normal basis....
by 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...
, making his debut against the touring West Indians at Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
. Following this match there was talk of him becoming a long-term replacement for Jack Mercer
Jack Mercer (cricketer)
John "Jack" Mercer was the main bowler for Glamorgan in their early years in the County Championship. He bowled medium pace and could swing the ball both ways, whilst when wickets were affected by rain he was able to get on a good deal of off-break...
, but with the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the subsequent cancellation of county cricket, this was not to be. In his brief time with Glamorgan, Evans scored 164 runs at an average of 12.61, with a high score of 36. With the ball, he took 5 wickets, although these came at a fairly expensive average of 66.20. Following the war he opted not to continue his cricket career, but instead to focus on a career in teaching.
Having moved to Leicestershire, Evans impressed enough in local club cricket there to play for Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire 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 Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
in the 1949 season
1949 English cricket season
The 1949 English cricket season saw the County Championship being shared for the first time since the official competition began in 1890.-Honours:*County Championship - Middlesex, Yorkshire...
. Making his debut for the county against the touring New Zealanders, he made nine further appearances for Leicestershire in that season, the last of which came against former county Glamorgan. In his ten first-class appearances for the county, he scored 192 runs at an average of 14.76, with a high score of 65 not out. This score came against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire 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 Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
. With the ball, he took 16 wickets at an average of 41.50, with best figures of 4/49. During the 1949 season, Leicestershire captain Stuart Symington
Stuart Symington (cricketer)
Stuart Johnston Symington, born at Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, on 16 September 1926 and died at Hereford on 11 December 2009, played first-class cricket for Leicestershire as an amateur in 1948 and 1949. He was captain of the Leicestershire side in 1949...
abruptly left the county following the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
match against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
. Evans was called upon to captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
the county for the remaining six matches of that season.
He died sometime in April 2001 in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
External links
- Gwynn Evans at ESPNcricinfo
- Gwynn Evans 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...