Maurice Nichol
Encyclopedia
Maurice Nichol was an English
cricketer
who played 136 first-class
matches in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Other than one appearance for the Players
in 1931, all his games were for Worcestershire
.
Before beginning his first-class career, Nichol had played at minor counties level for Durham
. He also had a trial for Surrey
,
but in 1928 (having not yet qualified to play in the County Championship
) he made his first-class debut for Worcestershire against the touring West Indians at Worcester
. Nichol achieved the feat of a hundred on debut by hitting 104, sharing in a stand of 207 with Harold Gibbons
.
From 1929 onward, Nichol could play regularly for his county, and in that first full year he managed over 1,400 runs including two centuries and eight fifties. However, 1930 was to prove a more successful season: over the course of the summer he hit five hundreds and seven fifties, including what was to remain the highest score of his career, an unbeaten
262 against Hampshire
at Dean Park
, Bournemouth
.
By 1931 there was talk that he might become good enough to play for England, and indeed he was twelfth man at the Lord's
Test
against New Zealand that summer,
although he never actually gained a Test cap. He did, however, appear for the Players — also at Lord's — though he failed, making just 4 in his only innings.
Although he made more than 1,300 runs in 1931, he struck only one century, and that winter he was struck down with pneumonia
and was in hospital for several weeks.
Although he returned to play in the 1932 season, his form was (perhaps understandably) poor, and he made only five half-centuries and well under 800 runs in the summer.
1933 was another matter entirely, and proved to be Nichol's best. He hit eight hundreds and 11 fifties, and passed 2,000 runs for the season for the only time, finishing with 2,154 at an average
of nearly 44.
After a string of frustrations in August, when he repeatedly got a start only to be dismissed before making a really large score, he ended the summer in splendid style, scoring centuries in his last three innings. The sequence began with 116 against Hampshire,
and this was followed by 165 not out versus Glamorgan
.
Finally, he hit 154 against Yorkshire
.
1933 was also the only year in which Nichol's bowling counted for anything much: he took 16 of his 21 wickets that season.
The 1934 season began rather poorly for Nichol, and after four matches and eight innings he had totalled only 57 runs. He was not to get the chance to make amends: on the second day of the game against Essex
at Chelmsford
he was found dead in his bed, having died suddenly.
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...
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"....
who played 136 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...
matches in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Other than one appearance for the Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
in 1931, all his games were 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...
.
Before beginning his first-class career, Nichol had played at minor counties level for Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham 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 Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
. He also had a trial for 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...
,
but in 1928 (having not yet qualified to play in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
) he made his first-class debut for Worcestershire against the touring West Indians at Worcester
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 :...
. Nichol achieved the feat of a hundred on debut by hitting 104, sharing in a stand of 207 with Harold Gibbons
Harold Gibbons (cricketer)
Harold Harry Ian Haywood Gibbons , sometimes known as "Doc" Gibbons, was an English cricketer: a right-handed opening batsman and occasional right-arm bowler who was the first man to win a county cap for Worcestershire, as well as a reliable fielder in the deep.Gibbons made his first-class debut...
.
From 1929 onward, Nichol could play regularly for his county, and in that first full year he managed over 1,400 runs including two centuries and eight fifties. However, 1930 was to prove a more successful season: over the course of the summer he hit five hundreds and seven fifties, including what was to remain the highest score of his career, an unbeaten
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...
262 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 Dean Park
Dean Park Cricket Ground
Dean Park is a cricket ground in Bournemouth, England, currently used by Bournemouth University Cricket Club, as well as by and Suttoners Cricket Club....
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
.
By 1931 there was talk that he might become good enough to play for England, and indeed he was twelfth man at the 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...
Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
against New Zealand that summer,
although he never actually gained a Test cap. He did, however, appear for the Players — also at Lord's — though he failed, making just 4 in his only innings.
Although he made more than 1,300 runs in 1931, he struck only one century, and that winter he was struck down with pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and was in hospital for several weeks.
Although he returned to play in the 1932 season, his form was (perhaps understandably) poor, and he made only five half-centuries and well under 800 runs in the summer.
1933 was another matter entirely, and proved to be Nichol's best. He hit eight hundreds and 11 fifties, and passed 2,000 runs for the season for the only time, finishing with 2,154 at an 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 nearly 44.
After a string of frustrations in August, when he repeatedly got a start only to be dismissed before making a really large score, he ended the summer in splendid style, scoring centuries in his last three innings. The sequence began with 116 against Hampshire,
and this was followed by 165 not out versus 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...
.
Finally, he hit 154 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....
.
1933 was also the only year in which Nichol's bowling counted for anything much: he took 16 of his 21 wickets that season.
The 1934 season began rather poorly for Nichol, and after four matches and eight innings he had totalled only 57 runs. He was not to get the chance to make amends: on the second day of the game 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...
at Chelmsford
County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford
The County Cricket Ground, is a cricket venue in Chelmsford, Essex, England. It is home to Essex County Cricket Club.Chelmsford is a small ground, and therefore suits big-hitting batsmen. Essex stalwart Graham Gooch scored many of his runs here and Graham Napier scored 152 of 58 balls in a...
he was found dead in his bed, having died suddenly.