Stan Worthington
Encyclopedia
Thomas Stanley "Stan" Worthington, (21 August 1905 – 31 August 1973), was a cricket
er who played for Derbyshire
between 1923 and 1947 and for England
between 1930 and 1937. He was an all-rounder
scoring over 19000 runs and taking over 600 first class wickets.
Worthington was born at Bolsover
, Derbyshire
and went to Netherthorpe Grammar School
, Staveley, Derbyshire
. He became an electrician with the Bolsover Colliery Company and played for the Colliery Club in the Bassetlaw League. Fred Tate
, who was talent-spotting for Derbyshire, saw him and introduced him to the club in 1923.
Worthington played his debut for Derbyshire in August 1924 against Nottinghamshire
, his only game that year. He scored a duck in his first innings and 12 in his second, but took four wickets in the match. He played three matches in 1925 and from 1926 played for the full season for the rest of his career.
Worthington was a middle order right-hand batsman and a medium-fast right-arm bowler. In neither role did he often hit the headlines, but his consistency and reliability was big factor in the success that Derbyshire enjoyed through the 1930s. The county, normally one of the weaker English first-class cricket
teams, won the County Championship
for the only time in its history in 1936, for which each player was awarded with a Gold Watch, engraved with the players name, date and championship title.
Worthington played Test cricket
nine times for England, starting with the New Zealand
tour in 1929/30. His greatest success was against India
in 1936, when he scored 87 at Old Trafford
and 128 at The Oval
. In the second game, he shared a fourth wicket partnership of 266 with Walter Hammond that remains a record for Tests between England and India. He then toured Australia and New Zealand with Gubby Allen
, but an attempt to turn him into an opener was not a success, and he played no more Test cricket.
Worthington with Derbyshire stayed for a couple of seasons after the Second World War and then played Minor counties cricket for Northumberland
.
He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1937.
Worthington died at King's Lynn
in 1973.
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 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...
between 1923 and 1947 and for England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
between 1930 and 1937. He was an all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
scoring over 19000 runs and taking over 600 first class wickets.
Worthington was born at Bolsover
Bolsover
Bolsover is a town near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. It is 145 miles from London, 18 miles from Sheffield, 26 miles from Nottingham and 54 miles from Manchester. It is the main town in the Bolsover district.The civil parish for the town is called...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and went to Netherthorpe Grammar School
Netherthorpe School
Netherthorpe School is a secondary school designated science college status that is based in the town of Staveley in the Chesterfield district of Derbyshire.-History:The school was founded in 1572A quote from an 1857 directory:...
, Staveley, Derbyshire
Staveley, Derbyshire
Staveley is a town within the borough of Chesterfield, in Derbyshire, England. The town is situated alongside the River Rother, adjacent to Eckington to the north, Barlborough to the east, Sutton-cum-Duckmanton civil parish to the south and Brimington to the west.-History:It has traditionally been...
. He became an electrician with the Bolsover Colliery Company and played for the Colliery Club in the Bassetlaw League. Fred Tate
Fred Tate
Frederick William Tate was an English cricketer who played in one Test in 1902. This was the famous match at Old Trafford which England lost by 3 runs, and with it the series...
, who was talent-spotting for Derbyshire, saw him and introduced him to the club in 1923.
Worthington played his debut for Derbyshire in August 1924 against 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...
, his only game that year. He scored a duck in his first innings and 12 in his second, but took four wickets in the match. He played three matches in 1925 and from 1926 played for the full season for the rest of his career.
Worthington was a middle order right-hand batsman and a medium-fast right-arm bowler. In neither role did he often hit the headlines, but his consistency and reliability was big factor in the success that Derbyshire enjoyed through the 1930s. The county, normally one of the weaker English 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...
teams, won the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
for the only time in its history in 1936, for which each player was awarded with a Gold Watch, engraved with the players name, date and championship title.
Worthington played Test cricket
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...
nine times for England, starting with the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
tour in 1929/30. His greatest success was 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....
in 1936, when he scored 87 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...
and 128 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...
. In the second game, he shared a fourth wicket partnership of 266 with Walter Hammond that remains a record for Tests between England and India. He then toured Australia and New Zealand with Gubby Allen
Gubby Allen
Sir George Oswald Browning "Gubby" Allen, CBE was a cricketer who played for Middlesex, Cambridge University, MCC and England. Australian-born, Allen was a fast bowler and hard-hitting lower-order batsman, who captained England in eleven Test matches...
, but an attempt to turn him into an opener was not a success, and he played no more Test cricket.
Worthington with Derbyshire stayed for a couple of seasons after the Second World War and then played Minor counties cricket for Northumberland
Northumberland County Cricket Club
Northumberland 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 Northumberland and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
.
He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1937.
Worthington died at King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
in 1973.