John Barnwell (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Charles John Patrick Barnwell, born 23 June 1914 at Stoke-on-Trent
and died 4 September 1998, at Fivehead
, Somerset
, played first-class cricket
for Somerset
as an amateur player before and after the Second World War.
John Barnwell was a right-handed batsman who, in a team with a large number of all-rounders, frequently batted as low as No 8 or 9 in the order. He sometimes captained the team in the absence of the regular captains Reggie Ingle
and Bunty Longrigg
. He was also known as a good fielder in the covers.
Educated at Repton
, Barnwell first appeared for Somerset in 1935, and played 11 matches the following year, though with a highest score of 38 he made little impact. In 1937, he played only seven games, but passed 50 for the first time with 73 in the match against Gloucestershire
at Taunton.
In 1938 and 1939, and again in the first post-war season of 1946, Barnwell appeared in more than half Somerset's first-class matches, although he failed to top 400 runs in any season. In 1938, batting at No 9, he made an unbeaten 49 and shared a partnership for the eighth wicket of 143 with Longrigg which was a county record until beaten by Viv Richards
and Ian Botham
in 1983. His best season was 1939, when he made 396 runs, including his career-best of 83 against Hampshire
at Taunton.
After the 1946 season, Barnwell was allegedly offered the captaincy of Somerset, but turned it down, and appeared for the county only once more, in 1948.
His career outside cricket was as a farmer, breeding silver foxes
for the fur trade. According to another account by the same author, he "personified the 'old school', a debonair amateur... Rightly proud of his nimbleness in the covers and the four boundaries in a row he once audaciously took off Voce
at Trent Bridge
."
His nephew, Michael Barnwell
, played cricket for Cambridge University
, Somerset and Eastern Province
in the 1960s and 1970s.
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
and died 4 September 1998, at Fivehead
Fivehead
Fivehead is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the Fivehead River, miles east of Taunton in the South Somerset district...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, 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 Somerset
Somerset 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...
as an amateur player before and after the Second World War.
John Barnwell was a right-handed batsman who, in a team with a large number of all-rounders, frequently batted as low as No 8 or 9 in the order. He sometimes captained the team in the absence of the regular captains Reggie Ingle
Reggie Ingle
Reginald Addington Ingle, known as "Reggie", was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Somerset from 1923 to 1939 and captained the side from 1932 to 1937...
and Bunty Longrigg
Bunty Longrigg
Edmund Fallowfield Longrigg, usually known as "Bunty", born at Batheaston, Somerset on 16 April 1906 and died at Bath, Somerset on 23 July 1974, played cricket for Somerset and Cambridge University...
. He was also known as a good fielder in the covers.
Educated at Repton
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...
, Barnwell first appeared for Somerset in 1935, and played 11 matches the following year, though with a highest score of 38 he made little impact. In 1937, he played only seven games, but passed 50 for the first time with 73 in the match 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....
at Taunton.
In 1938 and 1939, and again in the first post-war season of 1946, Barnwell appeared in more than half Somerset's first-class matches, although he failed to top 400 runs in any season. In 1938, batting at No 9, he made an unbeaten 49 and shared a partnership for the eighth wicket of 143 with Longrigg which was a county record until beaten by Viv Richards
Viv Richards
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, KNH, OBE is a former West Indian cricketer. Better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv or King Viv Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald...
and Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
in 1983. His best season was 1939, when he made 396 runs, including his career-best of 83 against 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...
at Taunton.
After the 1946 season, Barnwell was allegedly offered the captaincy of Somerset, but turned it down, and appeared for the county only once more, in 1948.
His career outside cricket was as a farmer, breeding silver foxes
Silver fox (animal)
The Silver Fox is a melanistic form of red fox. Silver foxes display a great deal of pelt variation: some are completely black, save for the white tail tip, while others are bluish-grey, and others may have a cinereous colour on the sides...
for the fur trade. According to another account by the same author, he "personified the 'old school', a debonair amateur... Rightly proud of his nimbleness in the covers and the four boundaries in a row he once audaciously took off Voce
Bill Voce
Bill Voce was an English cricketer. He played for the Nottinghamshire and England, and was an instrumental part of England's infamous Bodyline tour of Australia in 1932–1933.-Life and career:...
at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
."
His nephew, Michael Barnwell
Michael Barnwell
Lionel Michael Lowry Barnwell, born at Crewkerne on 12 August 1943, was a cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Somerset and Eastern Province....
, 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...
, Somerset and Eastern Province
Eastern Province cricket team
Eastern Province cricket team is the team representing the Eastern Province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa.-Honours:* Currie Cup - 1988–89, 1991–92; shared - 1989–90* Standard Bank Cup - 1989–90, 1991–92...
in the 1960s and 1970s.