Roy Kerslake
Encyclopedia
Roy Cosmo Kerslake, born at Paignton
, Devon
on 26 December 1942, played first-class cricket
for Cambridge University
and Somerset
, and captained Somerset for one season in 1968. More recently he has been prominent as a cricket administrator and is the president of Somerset County Cricket Club.
, Bath, where he topped the batting and bowling averages in 1961, he played for Somerset's second eleven in the Minor Counties that season, being part of the team that won the Minor Counties Championship for the first time. He batted in middle order and took 16 wickets for less than seven runs each.
In 1962, he was at Cambridge, but made little impression in three first-class matches for the university. In August of the same year, he played for Somerset's first team in six matches as a middle-order batsman, but did not bowl at all.
. He headed the Cambridge bowling averages with 26 wickets at a cost of only 13.30 each and made 259 runs in the lower order, without reaching 50. In the second half of the season, he played again for Somerset, making only a few runs and failing to take a single wicket as the county relied for off-spin on the established Brian Langford
.
The 1964 season was Kerslake's best in first-class cricket. The honorary secretary at Cambridge (and captain in one match in the absence of regular captain Mike Brearley
), he finished second in both batting and bowling averages, with 576 runs at 32 runs per innings and 36 wickets. Against the Australians
he featured in an eighth wicket stand of 109 in 85 minutes. And against Surrey
at The Oval
he made 80, which remained the highest score of his career. His career-best bowling performance was also for Cambridge University in this season: six for 77 against Worcestershire
in the first first-class match ever played at Halesowen
.
In the second half of the 1964 season, Kerslake again appeared regularly for Somerset. His batting was not successful, but he took 39 wickets with his off-spin, including his best county return, six for 83 against Hampshire
at Bournemouth
. His full season figures were 757 runs and 75 wickets.
, Kerslake reappeared as captain of the side. With the side in transition, it was not an easy appointment, and an injury before the start of the season did not help, as he was able to play in only one of the opening six matches. Thereafter, Wisden wrote, "it seemed his innate modesty prevented him from developing his skills to the full. His brilliant fielding never wavered, but his batting and bowling, both of value on occasions, were not given full rein." The Somerset cricket historian David Foot wrote: "It simply wasn't in his nature to parade his skills when there were more experienced county cricketers around."
The statistics support these opinions. Kerslake made 525 runs at an average of exactly 15 runs per innings, with just one innings over 50, and he bowled fewer than 40 overs, taking only six wickets. In 24 matches, however, he held 34 catches. Somerset's early dismissal from the Gillette Cup that season, while Kerslake was injured, meant that he never played one-day cricket. At the end of the season, he returned to the law and did not play first-class cricket for the county side again.
In more recent years, he has been involved in administrative roles in Somerset cricket as chairman of cricket and latterly as president. He was, according to Foot, a highly influential figure in Somerset's years of success in the early 1980s and a "father confessor" figure to the top players. In his professional life, he is now a consultant on probate and tax issues to the legal company Clarke Willmott, based in the Taunton office.
Paignton
Paignton is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 48,251. It has...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
on 26 December 1942, 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 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...
, and captained Somerset for one season in 1968. More recently he has been prominent as a cricket administrator and is the president of Somerset County Cricket Club.
Early career
Kerslake was a middle to lower order right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler. Educated at Kingswood SchoolKingswood School
Kingswood School, referred to as 'Kingswood', is an independent day and boarding school located in Bath, Somerset, England. The school is coeducational and educates some 950 children aged 3 to 18. It is notable for being founded by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, in 1748...
, Bath, where he topped the batting and bowling averages in 1961, he played for Somerset's second eleven in the Minor Counties that season, being part of the team that won the Minor Counties Championship for the first time. He batted in middle order and took 16 wickets for less than seven runs each.
In 1962, he was at Cambridge, but made little impression in three first-class matches for the university. In August of the same year, he played for Somerset's first team in six matches as a middle-order batsman, but did not bowl at all.
Regular player
The following season, he played regularly for Cambridge and won his blueUniversity Sporting Blue
A Blue is an award earned by sportsmen and women at a university and some schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of Blues began at Oxford and Cambridge Universities...
. He headed the Cambridge bowling averages with 26 wickets at a cost of only 13.30 each and made 259 runs in the lower order, without reaching 50. In the second half of the season, he played again for Somerset, making only a few runs and failing to take a single wicket as the county relied for off-spin on the established Brian Langford
Brian Langford
Brian Anthony Langford , is a former English first-class cricketer who played as an off-spin bowler for Somerset...
.
The 1964 season was Kerslake's best in first-class cricket. The honorary secretary at Cambridge (and captain in one match in the absence of regular captain 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:...
), he finished second in both batting and bowling averages, with 576 runs at 32 runs per innings and 36 wickets. Against the Australians
Australian cricket team in England in 1964
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1964 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.Australia won the series 1-0 with 4 matches drawn and therefore retained The Ashes.-Test series summary:...
he featured in an eighth wicket stand of 109 in 85 minutes. And 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...
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...
he made 80, which remained the highest score of his career. His career-best bowling performance was also for Cambridge University in this season: six for 77 against 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...
in the first first-class match ever played at Halesowen
Halesowen
Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England.The population, as measured by the United Kingdom Census 2001, was 55,273...
.
In the second half of the 1964 season, Kerslake again appeared regularly for Somerset. His batting was not successful, but he took 39 wickets with his off-spin, including his best county return, six for 83 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 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...
. His full season figures were 757 runs and 75 wickets.
Somerset captain
After the 1964 season, Kerslake went into legal practice and did not play first-class cricket at all in the following three seasons. In 1968, however, following the retirement as Somerset captain of Colin AtkinsonColin Atkinson
Colin Ronald Michael Atkinson CBE - Cricketer, schoolmaster and headmaster of Millfield School....
, Kerslake reappeared as captain of the side. With the side in transition, it was not an easy appointment, and an injury before the start of the season did not help, as he was able to play in only one of the opening six matches. Thereafter, Wisden wrote, "it seemed his innate modesty prevented him from developing his skills to the full. His brilliant fielding never wavered, but his batting and bowling, both of value on occasions, were not given full rein." The Somerset cricket historian David Foot wrote: "It simply wasn't in his nature to parade his skills when there were more experienced county cricketers around."
The statistics support these opinions. Kerslake made 525 runs at an average of exactly 15 runs per innings, with just one innings over 50, and he bowled fewer than 40 overs, taking only six wickets. In 24 matches, however, he held 34 catches. Somerset's early dismissal from the Gillette Cup that season, while Kerslake was injured, meant that he never played one-day cricket. At the end of the season, he returned to the law and did not play first-class cricket for the county side again.
Later career
That 1968 season was not quite the end of Roy Kerslake as a first-class player: he continued to play Minor Counties cricket for Somerset's second eleven until the late 1970s and twice, in 1974 and 1976, was picked for the Minor Counties representative side against the touring team.In more recent years, he has been involved in administrative roles in Somerset cricket as chairman of cricket and latterly as president. He was, according to Foot, a highly influential figure in Somerset's years of success in the early 1980s and a "father confessor" figure to the top players. In his professional life, he is now a consultant on probate and tax issues to the legal company Clarke Willmott, based in the Taunton office.