Paul Gibb
Encyclopedia
Paul Gibb was an English
cricket
er, who played in eight Tests
for England from 1938 to 1946. He also played first-class cricket
for Cambridge University
and Yorkshire
, mostly as a batsman but occasionally also keeping wicket
.
Gibb was educated at St Edward's School, Oxford, and played first-class cricket for Cambridge University from 1935 to 1938. He was initially chosen as a batsman in his first year, 1935, and also started playing for Yorkshire. He scored 157 not out, his first first-class century and ultimately his second highest score in first-class cricket, in his first innings for Yorkshire in 1935, and toured in Jamaica
in 1935-36.
Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, described Gibb as "a slight, bespectacled man, Paul Gibb was a solitary teetotaller yet his value was always appreciated by his team-mates. He was a resolute run-maker and broke through as a specialist batsman in South Africa
in 1938-39, scoring 93 and 106 on his debut".
, Yorkshire
.
Gibb kept wicket occasionally in his second year at Cambridge, 1936, deputising when Billy Griffith was unavailable (Griffith himself later kept wicket for England in two of his three Tests in 1948 and 1949). Gibb was controversially selected as Cambridge wicket-keeper
in his third year at Cambridge, 1937, ahead of Griffith, and toured in India
in 1937-38, scoring his third first-class century (138 not out) for Lord Tennyson's Team at Ahmedabad
. He achieved his only double century in first-class cricket when he reached 204 for Cambridge University against Free Foresters in 1938, his first of four first-class centuries that year.
In July 1938, the England wicket-keeper, Les Ames
was injured, and Gibb was chosen to keep wicket for England in the third Ashes
match against Australia
at Old Trafford
, ahead of candidates including Yorkshire's usual and well-regarded wicket-keeper, Arthur Wood. The Third Test was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain. Fred Price
kept wicket in the Fourth Test at Headingley
later in July, when Gibb was himself injured (this was to be Price's only Test match). Gibb remained out of the England team when Wood made his Test debut in the Fifth Test (and Wood completed his four-match Test career playing in the three Tests against West Indies
at home in 1939). Nevertheless, Gibb was chosen to tour South Africa
in 1938-39 as Ames' deputy, although he played in all five Tests as a batsman, opening the batting in all five matches with Len Hutton
. Gibb made his Test debut against South Africa
in the First Test, at Johannesburg
on 24 December 1938, scoring 93 and 106. He scored a second Test century
in the Fifth Test, at Durban
, in England's second innings in the timeless Test
that was abandoned as a draw after 10 days of play.
Ames kept wicket in all five matches in the 1938-39 tour, and Wood in the three home matches in 1939, so Gibb did not play again for England until the first series of England matches after the end of World War II
in 1946, at home against India
. Gibb was selected as wicket-keeper in the first two Tests, but was replaced in the Third Test at The Oval
by Godfrey Evans
, making his Test debut. Gibb scored his second first-class century for Yorkshire in 1946, against Warwickshire
. That winter, he keep wicket for England in the First Test at Brisbane on the MCC tour of Australia in 1946–47
, but he was replaced again by Evans for the Second Test at Sydney
. Thereafter, Evans remained a fixture in the side until 1959, and Gibb did not play for England again. In his eight Tests, he had scored three fifties and two centuries.
Gibb did not play first-class cricket for four seasons, from 1947 to 1950, but joined Essex
in 1951, becoming the first cricket blue to turn professional. This caused MCC
to suspend his membership. However, he scored four first-class centuries in his first season for Essex. He remained with Essex for six years, to 1956, making 1,000 runs four times. He toured in India with a Commonwealth team in 1953-54, scoring a century (154) at Jorhat
.
Gibb was an umpire
in first-class cricket from 1957 to 1966, later becoming a bus driver in Guildford
, Surrey
, where he died "suddenly". He was mistakenly left out of Wisden
's obituary section the following year.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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 in eight Tests
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...
for England from 1938 to 1946. He also 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 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...
and 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....
, mostly as a batsman but occasionally also keeping wicket
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
.
Gibb was educated at St Edward's School, Oxford, and played first-class cricket for Cambridge University from 1935 to 1938. He was initially chosen as a batsman in his first year, 1935, and also started playing for Yorkshire. He scored 157 not out, his first first-class century and ultimately his second highest score in first-class cricket, in his first innings for Yorkshire in 1935, and toured in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in 1935-36.
Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, described Gibb as "a slight, bespectacled man, Paul Gibb was a solitary teetotaller yet his value was always appreciated by his team-mates. He was a resolute run-maker and broke through as a specialist batsman in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1938-39, scoring 93 and 106 on his debut".
Life and career
Paul Anthony Gibb was born in Acomb, YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
Gibb kept wicket occasionally in his second year at Cambridge, 1936, deputising when Billy Griffith was unavailable (Griffith himself later kept wicket for England in two of his three Tests in 1948 and 1949). Gibb was controversially selected as Cambridge wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
in his third year at Cambridge, 1937, ahead of Griffith, and toured in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1937-38, scoring his third first-class century (138 not out) for Lord Tennyson's Team at Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
. He achieved his only double century in first-class cricket when he reached 204 for Cambridge University against Free Foresters in 1938, his first of four first-class centuries that year.
In July 1938, the England wicket-keeper, Les Ames
Les Ames
Leslie Ethelbert George Ames, CBE was an outstanding wicket-keeper and batsman for the England cricket team and Kent County Cricket Club. In his obituary, the Wisden of 1991 described him as the greatest wicket-keeper-batsman of all time...
was injured, and Gibb was chosen to keep wicket for England in the third Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
match against Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (cricket)
Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...
, ahead of candidates including Yorkshire's usual and well-regarded wicket-keeper, Arthur Wood. The Third Test was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain. Fred Price
Fred Price
Wilfred Frederick Frank Price was a cricketer who played for Middlesex County Cricket Club from 1926 to 1947. Price also stood as an umpire from 1950 to 1967...
kept wicket in the Fourth Test at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
later in July, when Gibb was himself injured (this was to be Price's only Test match). Gibb remained out of the England team when Wood made his Test debut in the Fifth Test (and Wood completed his four-match Test career playing in the three Tests against West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
at home in 1939). Nevertheless, Gibb was chosen to tour South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1938-39 as Ames' deputy, although he played in all five Tests as a batsman, opening the batting in all five matches with Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
. Gibb made his Test debut against South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
in the First Test, at Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
on 24 December 1938, scoring 93 and 106. He scored a second Test century
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
in the Fifth Test, at Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, in England's second innings in the timeless Test
Timeless Test
A timeless Test is a match of Test cricket played under no limitation of time, which means the match is played until one side wins or the match is tied, with theoretically no possibility of a draw. The format means that it is not possible to play defensively for a draw when the allotted time runs...
that was abandoned as a draw after 10 days of play.
Ames kept wicket in all five matches in the 1938-39 tour, and Wood in the three home matches in 1939, so Gibb did not play again for England until the first series of England matches after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1946, at home 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....
. Gibb was selected as wicket-keeper in the first two Tests, but was replaced in the Third Test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
by Godfrey Evans
Godfrey Evans
Thomas Godfrey Evans CBE was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England.Described by Wisden as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals in 91 Test match appearances between 1946 and 1959 and a total of 1066 in all first-class matches...
, making his Test debut. Gibb scored his second first-class century for Yorkshire in 1946, against 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...
. That winter, he keep wicket for England in the First Test at Brisbane on the MCC tour of Australia in 1946–47
MCC tour of Australia in 1946–47
The Marylebone Cricket Club tour of Australia in 1946-47 under the captaincy of Wally Hammond was its eighth since it took official control of overseas tours in 1907-1908 and the first since the Second World War. The touring team played as England in the 1946–47 Ashes series against Australia, but...
, but he was replaced again by Evans for the Second Test at Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Thereafter, Evans remained a fixture in the side until 1959, and Gibb did not play for England again. In his eight Tests, he had scored three fifties and two centuries.
Gibb did not play first-class cricket for four seasons, from 1947 to 1950, but joined 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...
in 1951, becoming the first cricket blue to turn professional. This caused 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...
to suspend his membership. However, he scored four first-class centuries in his first season for Essex. He remained with Essex for six years, to 1956, making 1,000 runs four times. He toured in India with a Commonwealth team in 1953-54, scoring a century (154) at Jorhat
Jorhat
Jorhat is a city of Assam in India. Jorhat was established as a new capital in the closing years of the 18th century by the declining Tunkhungia Ahom Dynasty. Jorhat, as the name signifies, was just a couple of markets . Two parallel markets namely, Chowkihat and Macharhat, lay on the eastern...
.
Gibb was an umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
in first-class cricket from 1957 to 1966, later becoming a bus driver in Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, where he died "suddenly". He was mistakenly left out of Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
's obituary section the following year.