Tom Dollery
Encyclopedia
Tom Dollery was an English
cricket
er, who played for England and Warwickshire
.
, and playing Minor counties cricket for Berkshire
at the age of 15, Dollery joined Warwickshire in 1934, and was a mainstay of the team until retirement in 1955. His forceful middle order batting earned him more than 1,000 runs in 15 consecutive first-class
seasons from 1935 to 1955.
Dollery's principal claim to fame, though, was as one of the first professional
captains in English first-class cricket
, and certainly the first successful one. Appointed joint Warwickshire captain in 1948, he took sole charge the following year and retained the post for seven seasons. In 1951, he led the county to their first County Championship
title since 1911, and only their second ever.
Wisden
reported that Dollery's influence as captain was fundamental to the success. It wrote: "He possessed that rare gift of being a born leader of men both on and off the field. He united his team in a cheerful confidence and behind it all he was a shrewd tactician, particularly in the field, where he exploited the weaknesses of the opposition." Dollery's highest score came in 1952 with 212 against Leicestershire
. In the field he patrolled cover
, later preferring slip
, although in 1947 he spent half of the season as a makeshift wicket-keeper
.
An entertaining man, Dollery's drollery made for fun company, as Jack Fingleton
affirmed, recalling a dressing-room drink in Edgbaston
in 1953.
Dollery's career in Test match
es was less successful. He played for England four times between 1947 and 1950, but scored only 72 runs in seven innings.
He was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year
in 1952.
His grand-daughter, Abi, married the Warwickshire
and England cricketer, Jonathan Trott
, in April 2009.
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 for England and 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...
.
Life and career
Born Horace Edgar Dollery in Reading, BerkshireReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, and playing Minor counties cricket for Berkshire
Berkshire County Cricket Club
Berkshire 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 Berkshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy....
at the age of 15, Dollery joined Warwickshire in 1934, and was a mainstay of the team until retirement in 1955. His forceful middle order batting earned him more than 1,000 runs in 15 consecutive 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...
seasons from 1935 to 1955.
Dollery's principal claim to fame, though, was as one of the first professional
History of English amateur cricket
The history of English amateur cricket describes the concept and importance of amateur players in English cricket.-Co-development of amateur and professional cricket to 1800:...
captains in 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...
, and certainly the first successful one. Appointed joint Warwickshire captain in 1948, he took sole charge the following year and retained the post for seven seasons. In 1951, he led the county to their first County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
title since 1911, and only their second ever.
Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
reported that Dollery's influence as captain was fundamental to the success. It wrote: "He possessed that rare gift of being a born leader of men both on and off the field. He united his team in a cheerful confidence and behind it all he was a shrewd tactician, particularly in the field, where he exploited the weaknesses of the opposition." Dollery's highest score came in 1952 with 212 against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire 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 Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
. In the field he patrolled cover
Fielding (cricket)
Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the batsman, in such a way as to either limit the number of runs that the batsman scores or get the batsman out by catching the ball in flight or running the batsman out.Cricket fielding position...
, later preferring slip
Fielding (cricket)
Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the batsman, in such a way as to either limit the number of runs that the batsman scores or get the batsman out by catching the ball in flight or running the batsman out.Cricket fielding position...
, although in 1947 he spent half of the season as a makeshift 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...
.
An entertaining man, Dollery's drollery made for fun company, as Jack Fingleton
Jack Fingleton
John "Jack" Henry Webb Fingleton OBE was an Australian cricketer who was trained as a journalist and became a political and cricket commentator after the end of his playing career...
affirmed, recalling a dressing-room drink in 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 1953.
Dollery's career in Test match
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...
es was less successful. He played for England four times between 1947 and 1950, but scored only 72 runs in seven innings.
He was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
in 1952.
His grand-daughter, Abi, married the 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...
and England cricketer, Jonathan Trott
Jonathan Trott
Ian Jonathan Leonard Trott is a South African-born England Test cricketer. Domestically, he plays for Warwickshire and he has also played in South Africa and New Zealand...
, in April 2009.
External links
- Tom Dollery at Cricketarchive.com