James Gornall
Encyclopedia
Captain James Parrington Gornall DSO
(22 September 1899 – 13 November 1983) was an English
cricketer
. Gornall was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace
.
Gornall made his first-class
debut in 1921 for the Royal Navy against the Army
. In 1922 Gornall played in the same fixture.
Gornall joined Hampshire
for 1923 County Championship
, making a single appearance for the club against Warwickshire
.
Gornall's final first-class match came in 1924 for the Royal Navy against the Army.
Gornall fought in the Second World War with the Royal Navy
. Entering the war with the rank of Commander, Gornall was promoted to Captain
in 1941 and placed in command of HMS Orion
in 1943. On 14 June 1945 Gornall was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
. HMS Orion itself received 13 battle honours, a record only exceeded by one other ship, and matched by two others. Gornall retired from the Royal Navy in 1951.
Gornall died in Lower Froyle, Hampshire
on 13 November 1983.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(22 September 1899 – 13 November 1983) was an English
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...
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"....
. Gornall was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace
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....
.
Gornall 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...
debut in 1921 for the Royal Navy against the Army
British Army cricket team
The Army cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Army. The team played a number of first-class matches between 1912 and 1939, although a combined "Army and Navy" side had played two games against a combined Oxford and Cambridge team in 1910 and 1911...
. In 1922 Gornall played in the same fixture.
Gornall joined Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
for 1923 County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
, making a single appearance for the club 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...
.
Gornall's final first-class match came in 1924 for the Royal Navy against the Army.
Gornall fought in the Second World War with the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. Entering the war with the rank of Commander, Gornall was promoted to Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
in 1941 and placed in command of HMS Orion
HMS Orion (85)
HMS Orion was a Leander class light cruiser which served with distinction in the Royal Navy during World War II.She received 13 battle honours, a record only exceeded by one other ship, and matched by two others.-History:...
in 1943. On 14 June 1945 Gornall was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
. HMS Orion itself received 13 battle honours, a record only exceeded by one other ship, and matched by two others. Gornall retired from the Royal Navy in 1951.
Gornall died in Lower Froyle, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
on 13 November 1983.
External links
- James Gornall at CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
- James Gornall 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...
- James Gornall Naval profile