Hiley Edwards
Encyclopedia
John Hiley Edwards was an English
cricket
er. Edwards was a left-handed batsman. He played for and later captained Devon County Cricket Club
, leading the county to their first cup final at Lord's
in 1991.
, Devon
. He was educated at Watcombe County Primary School before starting his secondary education at Torquay Boys' Grammar School
. At school he was a junior table tennis
champion. He learnt his cricket at local club Cockington Corinthians Cricket Club in 1965, before moving to Torquay Cricket Club, who he spent 17 seasons with, scoring over 16,000 runs in the process.
in the Minor Counties Championship. This marked the start of a 18 year association with the county.
Throughout the course of his career with Devon, Edwards played 86 Minor Counties Championship matches, scoring nearly 2,700 runs. His final Championship match came in 1991 against Cheshire
. In 1984, Edwards played his first MCCA Knockout Trophy
match, it what was the tournaments inaugural season, against Cornwall
. From 1984 to 1991, he represented the county in 17 Trophy matches, the last of which came against Staffordshire
in the final of the 1991 MCCA Trophy at Lord's
which Devon lost by 4 wickets.
As well as playing Minor counties cricket for Devon, Edwards also appeared in List A cricket for them when the county was permitted to take part in the domestic one-day competition which involved the first-class
counties. His List A debut came against Warwickshire
in the 1st round of the 1985 NatWest Trophy
. From 1985 to 1991, he represented the county in 6 List A matches, the last of which came against Essex
. In the 6 List A match he played, he scored 52 runs at a batting average
of 10.40, with a high score of 22*
. Edwards captained
Devon between 1985 and 1991, being replaced the following season by Nick Folland
. He continued to play club cricket for Paignton Cricket Club, until hanging up his gloves in 1995.
and later worked for Lunn Poly
, where he became a regional manager. Edwards played rugby union
at amateur level for Torquay RFC, Newton Abbot RFC and Totnes RFC. He also played football at an amateur level for St Marychurch Spurs and Sunday pub side Coombe Cellars F.C.
.
which led to a gradual decline in his health. On November 8, 2009 he succumbed to disease following a sudden decline in his health. He was survived by his wife of 33 years, his two sons, one of whom played Minor Counties cricket for Devon in 2002. He was also survived by his brothers, Christopher
, who also played List A cricket for Devon and Paul Edwards (cricket and football) who played semi professional football for Bideford. Edwards' funeral took place at Upton Vale Baptist Church in Torquay
.
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...
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. Edwards was a left-handed batsman. He played for and later captained Devon County Cricket Club
Devon County Cricket Club
Devon 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 Devon and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
, leading the county to their first cup final at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
in 1991.
Early life
Edwards was born at Newton AbbotNewton Abbot
Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge District of Devon, England on the River Teign, with a population of 23,580....
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. He was educated at Watcombe County Primary School before starting his secondary education at Torquay Boys' Grammar School
Torquay Boys' Grammar School
Torquay Boys' Grammar School is a selective boys grammar school in Torquay, Devon, England.-Admissions:, it has approximately 1,058 students. The school was founded in 1904 and celebrated its centenary in 2004...
. At school he was a junior table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
champion. He learnt his cricket at local club Cockington Corinthians Cricket Club in 1965, before moving to Torquay Cricket Club, who he spent 17 seasons with, scoring over 16,000 runs in the process.
County career
In 1974, Edwards made his debut for Devon against the Somerset Second XISomerset County Cricket Club
Somerset 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 Somerset...
in the Minor Counties Championship. This marked the start of a 18 year association with the county.
Throughout the course of his career with Devon, Edwards played 86 Minor Counties Championship matches, scoring nearly 2,700 runs. His final Championship match came in 1991 against Cheshire
Cheshire County Cricket Club
Cheshire 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 Cheshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
. In 1984, Edwards played his first MCCA Knockout Trophy
MCCA Knockout Trophy
The Minor Counties Cricket Association Knockout Cup was started in 1983 as a knockout one-day competition for the Minor Counties in English cricket...
match, it what was the tournaments inaugural season, against Cornwall
Cornwall County Cricket Club
Cornwall 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 Cornwall and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
. From 1984 to 1991, he represented the county in 17 Trophy matches, the last of which came against Staffordshire
Staffordshire County Cricket Club
Staffordshire 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 Staffordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in the final of the 1991 MCCA Trophy at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
which Devon lost by 4 wickets.
As well as playing Minor counties cricket for Devon, Edwards also appeared in List A cricket for them when the county was permitted to take part in the domestic one-day competition which involved the 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...
counties. His List A debut came against 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...
in the 1st round of the 1985 NatWest Trophy
1985 NatWest Trophy
The 1985 NatWest Trophy was the 5th NatWest Trophy. It was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 3 July and 7 September 1985...
. From 1985 to 1991, he represented the county in 6 List A matches, the last of which came against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex 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 Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
. In the 6 List A match he played, he scored 52 runs at a batting 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 10.40, with a high score of 22*
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...
. Edwards captained
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...
Devon between 1985 and 1991, being replaced the following season by Nick Folland
Nick Folland
Nicholas Arthur Folland is a former first-class cricketer, who represented Somerset County Cricket Club between 1992 and 1994....
. He continued to play club cricket for Paignton Cricket Club, until hanging up his gloves in 1995.
Outside cricket
When not playing for Devon, Edwards worked his entire life in the travel industry. He started working for Renwicks Group based in PaigntonPaignton
Paignton is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 48,251. It has...
and later worked for Lunn Poly
Lunn Poly
Lunn Poly was the largest chain of travel agents in the United Kingdom. The company originated from two successful travel agencies which had been established in 1890s; The Polytechnic Touring Association and Sir Henry Lunn Travel. Both firms were acquired in the 1950s by the British Eagle airline...
, where he became a regional manager. Edwards played rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
at amateur level for Torquay RFC, Newton Abbot RFC and Totnes RFC. He also played football at an amateur level for St Marychurch Spurs and Sunday pub side Coombe Cellars F.C.
Coombe Cellars
Coombe Cellars Inn is a public house on the south bank of the estuary of the River Teign in south Devon, England. It is near the village of Combeinteignhead. The pub, owned by Brewers Fayre until 2006, is now owned by Mitchells & Butlers....
.
Later life
In 1997, Edwards was diagnosed with a Brain tumorBrain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
which led to a gradual decline in his health. On November 8, 2009 he succumbed to disease following a sudden decline in his health. He was survived by his wife of 33 years, his two sons, one of whom played Minor Counties cricket for Devon in 2002. He was also survived by his brothers, Christopher
Christopher Edwards (cricketer)
Christopher Edwards was an English cricketer. He was a left-handed batsman who played for Devon. He was born in Torquay.Edwards, who represented the side in the Minor Counties Championship and Minor Counties Trophy between 1982 and 1986, made a single List A appearance for the side, during the...
, who also played List A cricket for Devon and Paul Edwards (cricket and football) who played semi professional football for Bideford. Edwards' funeral took place at Upton Vale Baptist Church in Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
.
External links
- Hiley Edwards at ESPNcricinfo
- Hiley Edwards 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...