John Inchmore
Encyclopedia
John Darling Inchmore is a former English cricket
er who played first-class
and List A cricket for Worcestershire
during the 1970s and 1980s. He also played briefly for Northern Transvaal
, and later for Wiltshire
.
Born in Northumberland, Inchmore played for the minor county briefly in 1970, then became a teacher in the Saltley
area of Birmingham
, appearing in club cricket
for Stourbridge
.
He played a few Second XI games for Worcestershire in 1972, but his first-class debut came against the touring New Zealanders at Worcester in late April 1973. In a match badly affected by the weather, he took only one wicket, but it was not a bad one to start with: his county team-mate Glenn Turner
, whom Inchmore bowled
for 143.
His next game, in early May, was his List A debut: a John Player League match against Northamptonshire
, in which Inchmore took the single wicket of Geoff Cook
.
By the end of 1973, Inchmore was a regular in the Worcestershire first team, and he also played a good number of matches in Worcestershire's County Championship
-winning season of 1974. He ended with 39 first-class wickets at 22
, including his first five-wicket bag, 5/50 against Middlesex
in July.
The year also saw him hit his only first-class century. Having never before made more than 30, he came in as night-watchman with John Parker after Glenn Turner
had retired hurt. Parker took his score to 113 before being run out
, while Parker was eventually dismissed for 140.
Inchmore played a significant part in each Worcestershire season from then on, taking between 30 and 63 first-class wickets every summer from 1975 to 1985. His highest aggregate of 63 came in 1975, although he fell only one short of that mark in 1979. In one-day cricket
, his most successful season was 1981, when he had 33 victims. He was capped by his county in 1976, and in 1976-77 he played twice for Northern Transvaal in South Africa's Castle Currie Cup
. Back in England, in 1977 he produced a career-best innings return of 8/58 against Yorkshire
, two wickets in the second innings bringing him his only ten-wicket match haul.
However, he was also affected by injury during 1977, and so did not play as much as he had in the previous season.
Although he never managed another hundred, Inchmore did continue to put in the occasional decisive innings with the bat. In 1980 he smashed 64 against Yorkshire at Bradford,
an innings taking just 35 minutes and including seven sixes; his partner Barry Jones
' share in their seventh-wicket stand of 70 was a mere 3!
In his main role as a bowler, his later career saw some particularly noteworthy performances in one-day cricket. In a Benson & Hedges Cup
match against Lancashire
in May 1984, he took 6/29 in a losing cause; this was at the time the second-best performance for the county in the competition.
And in August of the following year, he claimed 5/25 against Glamorgan
in the NatWest Trophy, this time helping Worcestershire to victory.
He won the man-of-the-match award on both occasions.
A popular player with the Worcestershire supporters, Inchmore was awarded a benefit season
in 1985, which raised over £46,000.
He was nearing the end of his career, however, and while he remained at the club for 1986 he played less first-class cricket than he had since the beginning of his time at New Road, though he remained a usual member of the one-day team. His last match for Worcestershire was a John Player Special League game against Derbyshire
on 7 September 1986, fittingly at New Road
. There was to be no fairy-tale farewell: he took 0/35 from his eight overs and Derbyshire snatched victory thanks to a ninth-wicket partnership of 39.
After that, Inchmore played a season for Wiltshire, making a single List A appearance in the NatWest Trophy against Yorkshire
. The first-class county won easily, and Inchmore himself took two expensive wickets (Richard Blakey
and Jim Love) and scored 3.
He continued to play cricket for charity, and in one such game bowled a delivery which was hit by the batsman with such force that it broke the hand of the fielder, one Eric Clapton
, who was lucky not to miss a tour of Japan as a result.
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 who played 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...
and List A cricket for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire...
during the 1970s and 1980s. He also played briefly for Northern Transvaal
Northerns cricket team
Northerns cricket team has played first-class cricket in South Africa since December 1937....
, and later for Wiltshire
Wiltshire County Cricket Club
Wiltshire 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 Wiltshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
.
Born in Northumberland, Inchmore played for the minor county briefly in 1970, then became a teacher in the Saltley
Saltley
Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre. The area is currently part of the Washwood Heath ward, although formerly a feature of the Nechells ward...
area of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, appearing in club cricket
Club cricket
Club cricket is a mainly amateur, but still formal, form of the sport of cricket, usually involving teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. There is a great deal of variation in game format although the Laws of Cricket are always observed...
for Stourbridge
Stourbridge Cricket Club
Stourbridge Cricket Club is an English cricket club based in Stourbridge, West Midlands. The club play at the War Memorial Athletic Ground in Stourbridge, and compete in the Crusader Worcestershire County Cricket League....
.
He played a few Second XI games for Worcestershire in 1972, but his first-class debut came against the touring New Zealanders at Worcester in late April 1973. In a match badly affected by the weather, he took only one wicket, but it was not a bad one to start with: his county team-mate Glenn Turner
Glenn Turner
Glenn Maitland Turner played cricket for New Zealand and was one of the country's best and most prolific batsmen. He is the current head of the New Zealand Cricket selection panel....
, whom Inchmore bowled
Bowled
Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
for 143.
His next game, in early May, was his List A debut: a John Player League match against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
, in which Inchmore took the single wicket of Geoff Cook
Geoff Cook
Geoff Cook is a former English cricketer, who played in seven Tests and six ODIs from 1981 to 1983...
.
By the end of 1973, Inchmore was a regular in the Worcestershire first team, and he also played a good number of matches in Worcestershire's County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
-winning season of 1974. He ended with 39 first-class wickets at 22
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...
, including his first five-wicket bag, 5/50 against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex 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 Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
in July.
The year also saw him hit his only first-class century. Having never before made more than 30, he came in as night-watchman with John Parker after Glenn Turner
Glenn Turner
Glenn Maitland Turner played cricket for New Zealand and was one of the country's best and most prolific batsmen. He is the current head of the New Zealand Cricket selection panel....
had retired hurt. Parker took his score to 113 before being run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
, while Parker was eventually dismissed for 140.
Inchmore played a significant part in each Worcestershire season from then on, taking between 30 and 63 first-class wickets every summer from 1975 to 1985. His highest aggregate of 63 came in 1975, although he fell only one short of that mark in 1979. In one-day cricket
One-day cricket
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket and in a slightly different context as List A cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day, whereas Test and first-class matches can take up to five days to complete...
, his most successful season was 1981, when he had 33 victims. He was capped by his county in 1976, and in 1976-77 he played twice for Northern Transvaal in South Africa's Castle Currie Cup
SuperSport Series
The SuperSport Series is the main domestic first class cricket competition in South Africa, first contested in 1889-90. From 1990-91 it became known as the Castle Cup, and from 1996-97 by its current title...
. Back in England, in 1977 he produced a career-best innings return of 8/58 against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
, two wickets in the second innings bringing him his only ten-wicket match haul.
However, he was also affected by injury during 1977, and so did not play as much as he had in the previous season.
Although he never managed another hundred, Inchmore did continue to put in the occasional decisive innings with the bat. In 1980 he smashed 64 against Yorkshire at Bradford,
an innings taking just 35 minutes and including seven sixes; his partner Barry Jones
Barry Jones (cricketer)
Barry John Richardson Jones is a former English cricketer who played first-class and List A cricket for Worcestershire between 1976 and 1980....
' share in their seventh-wicket stand of 70 was a mere 3!
In his main role as a bowler, his later career saw some particularly noteworthy performances in one-day cricket. In a Benson & Hedges Cup
Benson & Hedges Cup
The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one-day cricket competition for first-class counties in England and Wales that was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest sponsorship deals....
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...
in May 1984, he took 6/29 in a losing cause; this was at the time the second-best performance for the county in the competition.
And in August of the following year, he claimed 5/25 against 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...
in the NatWest Trophy, this time helping Worcestershire to victory.
He won the man-of-the-match award on both occasions.
A popular player with the Worcestershire supporters, Inchmore was awarded a benefit season
Benefit season
A benefit season is a method of financially rewarding professional cricketers that is used by English county cricket teams to compensate long serving players....
in 1985, which raised over £46,000.
He was nearing the end of his career, however, and while he remained at the club for 1986 he played less first-class cricket than he had since the beginning of his time at New Road, though he remained a usual member of the one-day team. His last match for Worcestershire was a John Player Special League game against 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...
on 7 September 1986, fittingly at New Road
New Road, Worcester
New Road, Worcester, England, has been the home cricket ground of Worcestershire County Cricket Club since 1896. Immediately to the northwest is a road called New Road, part of the A44, hence the name.- Overview :...
. There was to be no fairy-tale farewell: he took 0/35 from his eight overs and Derbyshire snatched victory thanks to a ninth-wicket partnership of 39.
After that, Inchmore played a season for Wiltshire, making a single List A appearance in the NatWest Trophy against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
. The first-class county won easily, and Inchmore himself took two expensive wickets (Richard Blakey
Richard Blakey
Richard John Blakey is a former English cricketer who played in two Tests and three ODIs from 1992 to 1993.-Life and career:...
and Jim Love) and scored 3.
He continued to play cricket for charity, and in one such game bowled a delivery which was hit by the batsman with such force that it broke the hand of the fielder, one Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, who was lucky not to miss a tour of Japan as a result.