Neal Abberley
Encyclopedia
Robert Neal Abberley was an English cricket
er. A stalwart county player, he was a right-handed batsman and occasional right arm medium pace bowler. He was born in Stechford, Birmingham
and played for his native Warwickshire
from 1964 to 1979.
Despite a modest batting record, he averaged under 25 as a specialist batsman, he played over 250 times for the "Bears". He made 3 first class hundreds, with a best of 117 not out against Essex
and scored his only one day hundred, 113 not out, against Hampshire
.
He moved into coaching in 1980 after retiring from the game, initially as Warwickshire's Second XI coach and later with a 'roving brief' at all levels in the club. He was particularly involved in the development of Ian Bell and the England team wore black arm bands in his honour during the Test against India
at Edgbaston
in the days following his death.
debut for Warwickshire in 1964 against Cambridge University
, scoring a half-century in the drawn match. The following year, he made his County Championship debut against Yorkshire
, but was unable to bat due to injury. In 1966, Abberley struck his first First-class century, scoring 117 not out against Essex, the highest First-class score of his career. The 1966 season proved to be Abberley's most prolific in First-class cricket, with 1315 runs scored at an average of 28.58. He toured Pakistan with an Under 25 MCC side in 1966/67, in a squad featuring a number of current and future England stars such as Mike Brearley
, Dennis Amiss
, Alan Knott
and Derek Underwood
. Abberley scored 92 and 31 in his only match on this tour, against Central Zone.
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. A stalwart county player, he was a right-handed batsman and occasional right arm medium pace bowler. He was born in Stechford, 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...
and played for his native 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...
from 1964 to 1979.
Despite a modest batting record, he averaged under 25 as a specialist batsman, he played over 250 times for the "Bears". He made 3 first class hundreds, with a best of 117 not out 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...
and scored his only one day hundred, 113 not out, 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...
.
He moved into coaching in 1980 after retiring from the game, initially as Warwickshire's Second XI coach and later with a 'roving brief' at all levels in the club. He was particularly involved in the development of Ian Bell and the England team wore black arm bands in his honour during the Test against India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
at Edgbaston
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
in the days following his death.
Playing career
Abberley made his First-classFirst-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 for Warwickshire in 1964 against 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...
, scoring a half-century in the drawn match. The following year, he made his County Championship debut 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....
, but was unable to bat due to injury. In 1966, Abberley struck his first First-class century, scoring 117 not out against Essex, the highest First-class score of his career. The 1966 season proved to be Abberley's most prolific in First-class cricket, with 1315 runs scored at an average of 28.58. He toured Pakistan with an Under 25 MCC side in 1966/67, in a squad featuring a number of current and future England stars such as Mike Brearley
Mike Brearley
John Michael Brearley OBE is a former cricketer who captained the England cricket team in 31 of his 39 Test matches, winning 17 and losing only 4. He was the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2007–08.-Early life:...
, Dennis Amiss
Dennis Amiss
Dennis Leslie Amiss MBE was an English cricketer and cricket administrator.Amiss suffered a serious back injury whilst playing soccer in his teenage years, which entailed him starting each day of his sporting life undergoing stretching routines to loosen up.He played cricket for both Warwickshire...
, Alan Knott
Alan Knott
Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....
and Derek Underwood
Derek Underwood
Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....
. Abberley scored 92 and 31 in his only match on this tour, against Central Zone.
External links
- Neal Abberley at Cricket Archive