Harold Rhodes (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Harold James Rhodes, sometimes called Dusty Rhodes (born 22 July 1936) is an English
former cricketer
, who played for England
in 1959, for Derbyshire
between 1953 and 1975, and for the MCC
between 1959 and 1963. He also played in one day matches for Nottinghamshire
between 1970 and 1973.
, the son of the Derbyshire all-rounder
, Albert "Dusty" Rhodes
. He made his first appearance for Derbyshire Club and Ground in 1951 and played one match for the Derbyshire second eleven in 1952. He made his first class debut for Derbyshire in the 1953 season
when he played a single match against Oxford University, but began appearing regularly in the second eleven. Although his father played for the Derbyshire in 1953, they never played in the same first-class
match. Rhodes was initially an off spin
bowler. He played a single first class fixture against Scotland in the 1954 season
and played four first class matches in the 1955 season
. In the 1956 season
he played four matches and took his first five wicket innings against Yorkshire. He played three matches in the 1957 season
. He developed to become a fast seam bowler. In the 1958 season
he played a full first class season taking 67 wickets and two five wicket innings. He began opening the county bowling with Les Jackson
in the 1959 season
after the retirement of Cliff Gladwin
. In that season, he played two Tests
against India
, taking nine wickets. He took 60 wickets for Derbyshire but with one five wicket over.
Although facing strong competition from bowlers such as Brian Statham
and Fred Trueman
, Rhodes might have expected to play many more Tests. But doubts about the legality of his bowling action emerged, and in the 1960 season
, playing for Derbyshire against the South Africans
, he was "called" for throwing – bowling the ball with a bent arm that straightens in the delivery – by the umpire and former Test batsman, Paul Gibb
. Later in the 1960 season, he was no-balled
again by Gibb, and by Syd Buller
. He took 78 first class wickets in the season and took two five wicket innings.
Rhodes was then subjected to a long and detailed examination of his action by MCC committees; he was eventually cleared in 1968 when it was declared that he had a "hyper-extended arm". But by then, his Test career was long gone, although he had continued to bowl successfully for Derbyshire across the 1960s. In the 1961 season
he topped Derbyshire's bowling with 101 and took six five wicket innings. Against Oxford University he achieved a hat-trick that year. He took 68 wickets in the 1962 season
and took five five wicket innings. His best season of 1965, saw him take 119 wickets at the low average of 11.04 runs per wicket, and he was top of the English national bowling averages for that season.
Rhodes retired to League cricket in 1969. He then played some one-day matches for Nottinghamshire between 1970 and 1973, and he returned to Derbyshire in 1975, for some one day matches, and a final first-class game against Oxford University
.
Rhodes was a right-arm fast bowler and took nine test wickets and 1073 first class wickets (at an average of 19.50 and with a best performance of 7 for 38. He was a right handed batsman and played 399 innings in 322 first class matches with an average of 9.48 and a top score of 48. He scored no runs in two Test cricket matches.
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...
former 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"....
, who played for England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
in 1959, 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...
between 1953 and 1975, and for the 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...
between 1959 and 1963. He also played in one day matches 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...
between 1970 and 1973.
Life and career
Rhodes was born at Hadfield, DerbyshireHadfield, Derbyshire
Hadfield is a parish and small residential town in High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It lies very close to the River Etherow which forms the border between Derbyshire and Greater Manchester...
, the son of the Derbyshire all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, Albert "Dusty" Rhodes
Albert Rhodes
Albert Ennion Groucott "Dusty" Rhodes was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Derbyshire and MCC between 1937 and 1954 and was also a Test match umpire.Rhodes was born at Tintwistle, Cheshire...
. He made his first appearance for Derbyshire Club and Ground in 1951 and played one match for the Derbyshire second eleven in 1952. He made his first class debut for Derbyshire 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...
when he played a single match against Oxford University, but began appearing regularly in the second eleven. Although his father played for the Derbyshire in 1953, they never played in the same 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...
match. Rhodes was initially an off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
bowler. He played a single first class fixture against Scotland 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 played four first class matches 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...
. In the 1956 season
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 matches and took his first five wicket innings against Yorkshire. He played three matches in the 1957 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1957
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1957 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for eighty six years. It was their fifty-third season in the County Championship and they won eleven matches and lost nine to finish fourth in the County Championship.-1957...
. He developed to become a fast seam bowler. In the 1958 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1958
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1958 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing eighty-seven years. It was their fifty-fourth season in the County Championship and they won nine matches in the County Championship to finish fifth.-1958 season:Derbyshire...
he played a full first class season taking 67 wickets and two five wicket innings. He began opening the county bowling with Les Jackson
Les Jackson
Les Jackson was an English cricketer. A fast or fast-medium bowler renowned for his accurate bowling and particular hostility on uncovered wickets, he played county cricket for Derbyshire from 1947 to 1963, and was regularly at, or near the top of, the English bowling averages...
in the 1959 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1959
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1959 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing eighty-eight years. It was their fifty-fifth season in the County Championship and they won thirteen matches to finish seventh in the County Championship.-1959 season:Derbyshire...
after the retirement of Cliff Gladwin
Cliff Gladwin
Clifford Gladwin was an English cricketer, who played for Derbyshire from 1939 to 1958, and in eight Tests for England from 1947 to 1949...
. In that season, he played two Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
against India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
, taking nine wickets. He took 60 wickets for Derbyshire but with one five wicket over.
Although facing strong competition from bowlers such as Brian Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...
and Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
, Rhodes might have expected to play many more Tests. But doubts about the legality of his bowling action emerged, and in the 1960 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1960
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1960 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for eighty nine years. It was their fifty-sixth season in the County Championship and they won ten matches and lost ten to finish eighth in the County Championship.-1960...
, playing for Derbyshire against the South Africans
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
, he was "called" for throwing – bowling the ball with a bent arm that straightens in the delivery – by the umpire and former Test batsman, Paul Gibb
Paul Gibb
Paul Gibb was an English cricketer, who played in eight Tests for England from 1938 to 1946. He also played first-class cricket for Cambridge University and Yorkshire, mostly as a batsman but occasionally also keeping wicket.Gibb was educated at St Edward's School, Oxford, and played first-class...
. Later in the 1960 season, he was no-balled
No ball
In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
again by Gibb, and by Syd Buller
Syd Buller
John Sydney Buller, MBE was an English first-class cricketer, and notable international cricket umpire....
. He took 78 first class wickets in the season and took two five wicket innings.
Rhodes was then subjected to a long and detailed examination of his action by MCC committees; he was eventually cleared in 1968 when it was declared that he had a "hyper-extended arm". But by then, his Test career was long gone, although he had continued to bowl successfully for Derbyshire across the 1960s. In the 1961 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1961
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1961 represents cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for ninety years. It was their fifty-seventh season in the County Championship and they won ten matches to finish seventh in the County Championship.-1961 season:Derbyshire played...
he topped Derbyshire's bowling with 101 and took six five wicket innings. Against Oxford University he achieved a hat-trick that year. He took 68 wickets in the 1962 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1962
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1962 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for ninety-one years. It was their fifty-eighth season in the County Championship and they won 9 championship matches and lost six to finish seventh in the County Championship.-1962...
and took five five wicket innings. His best season of 1965, saw him take 119 wickets at the low average of 11.04 runs per wicket, and he was top of the English national bowling averages for that season.
Rhodes retired to League cricket in 1969. He then played some one-day matches for Nottinghamshire between 1970 and 1973, and he returned to Derbyshire in 1975, for some one day matches, and a final first-class game 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...
.
Rhodes was a right-arm fast bowler and took nine test wickets and 1073 first class wickets (at an average of 19.50 and with a best performance of 7 for 38. He was a right handed batsman and played 399 innings in 322 first class matches with an average of 9.48 and a top score of 48. He scored no runs in two Test cricket matches.