Maurice Hill (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Maurice Hill is a former English
cricket
er who played for Nottinghamshire
from 1953 to 1965, for MCC
in 1964, for Derbyshire
from 1966 to 1967 and for Somerset
from 1970 to 1971.
For the first twelve years of Hill's career, he played for Nottinghamshire. His debut in the County Championship came against Hampshire
in July 1953, though he did not play another first-class match until 1956. Hill's return to the game was highly successful, as he finished just short of a half century on his comeback, and helped Nottinghamshire to an eighth place in the County Championship.
In the following season he became a fixture in the first-team, though Nottinghamshire's form faltered, and they finished third-bottom. Worse things were to come, as they stayed at the bottom of the table in the two seasons immediately afterward, despite Hill maintaining a quality average throughout these years.
Hill continued to play from 1963 to 1965 for Nottinghamshire and, having performed well in the season leading to Nottinghamshire's bottom-placed 1965 finish, Hill found himself on the move to an in-form Derbyshire side. In the 1966 season
, Hill performed well in the middle order in a low-scoring victory against Surrey
. Hill was a first-choice team-member throughout the season.
1967 brought problems, however, as a lack of form brought only seven first-class appearances, and an average of just 11, despite maintaining his position in the middle-order. Following this, Hill took a three-year hiatus from first-team cricket and did not appear again until given a contract by Somerset
in 1970, for whom he appeared for a single season, before leaving the game.
Throughout his career, Hill was an upper-middle-order batsman. He was a right-handed batsman and leg-break bowler.
Hill's son, Greg, played List A cricket for Devon
and Second XI cricket for, amongst other teams, Derbyshire, in the early 1990s.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 who played 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...
from 1953 to 1965, for 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...
in 1964, 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...
from 1966 to 1967 and 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...
from 1970 to 1971.
For the first twelve years of Hill's career, he played for Nottinghamshire. His debut in the County Championship came 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...
in July 1953, though he did not play another first-class match until 1956. Hill's return to the game was highly successful, as he finished just short of a half century on his comeback, and helped Nottinghamshire to an eighth place in the County Championship.
In the following season he became a fixture in the first-team, though Nottinghamshire's form faltered, and they finished third-bottom. Worse things were to come, as they stayed at the bottom of the table in the two seasons immediately afterward, despite Hill maintaining a quality average throughout these years.
Hill continued to play from 1963 to 1965 for Nottinghamshire and, having performed well in the season leading to Nottinghamshire's bottom-placed 1965 finish, Hill found himself on the move to an in-form Derbyshire side. In the 1966 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1966
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1966 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for ninety-five years. In the County Championship, they won eight matches to finish ninth in their sixty-second season in the Championship...
, Hill performed well in the middle order in a low-scoring victory against Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
. Hill was a first-choice team-member throughout the season.
1967 brought problems, however, as a lack of form brought only seven first-class appearances, and an average of just 11, despite maintaining his position in the middle-order. Following this, Hill took a three-year hiatus from first-team cricket and did not appear again until given a contract by 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...
in 1970, for whom he appeared for a single season, before leaving the game.
Throughout his career, Hill was an upper-middle-order batsman. He was a right-handed batsman and leg-break bowler.
Hill's son, Greg, played List A cricket for Devon
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....
and Second XI cricket for, amongst other teams, Derbyshire, in the early 1990s.
External links
- Maurice Hill at Cricket Archive