Tom Goddard
Encyclopedia
Tom Goddard was the fifth highest wicket taker in first-class cricket
.
Joining Gloucestershire in 1922 as a fast bowler, Goddard met with so little success in his first six years that he was not re-engaged by Gloucestershire for 1928. However, determined to succeed, he joined the ground staff at Lord's and switched to off spin
. With his massive hands and steep bounce due to his height (about 190 centimetres or six feet three inches), he was an immediate success and Gloucestershire re-engaged him for 1929. Even on the best of wickets Goddard was able to turn the ball substantially, and when the turf was worn or sticky he could spin to a remarkable degree. Owing to his high trajectory, he could be easy to hit (it is estimated he was hit for 70 sixes a season between 1934 and 1938), and it is probable that this is why he was so expensive against the incomparable 1948 Australian side, and in some cases in county cricket. He played only once against Australia (in 1930) and only eight times against all countries - for much of Goddard's time, Hedley Verity
was the preferred England spin bowler, and it is often thought that leg spin
ners rather than off spinners were favoured at this time in Tests
. His successes in the matches he played (he did a hat-trick
against South Africa in 1938-39) suggests he might have done well with more opportunities.
In 1929, his first season as a spinner, he took 184 wickets, and over 140 in the following two years. With Charlie Parker
, he formed the most lethal bowling combination in county cricket, and, aided by the brilliant batting and catching of Wally Hammond
, Gloucestershire had their most successful (though brief) era, finishing fourth in 1929, second in 1930 and second in 1931.
Goddard was forced to become Gloucestershire's chief bowler when the seemingly ageless Parker finally declined for good in 1932. Except in 1934 and 1938 when injuries handicapped him, and in 1948 when he lost form, Goddard took over 150 wickets in every season between 1932 and 1949, heading the first-class bowling averages in 1947 and 1949. In 1937 and 1947 (aided in the latter case by a sand dressing on the Bristol pitch that made the ball turn prodigiously), Goddard took 222 wickets for Gloucestershire, and fell two short of 250 wickets in all first-class matches in 1937. His haul of 206 wickets in the 1947 County Championship will forever stand as the last case of 200 wickets in a season in that competition. With much slower over-rates and fewer matches, few bowlers today can take a third as many wickets.
Among his best bowling feats for Gloucestershire were:
- 17 for 106 against Kent at Bristol
in 1939
- 16 for 99 against Worcestershire at Bristol in 1939
- 16 for 181 (10 for 113 in second innings) against Worcestershire at Cheltenham in 1937
- 15 for 107 (9 for 20 to finish match) on a "pitch of easy pace" against Derbyshire at Bristol in 1949.
- 9 for 37 against Leicestershire at Bristol in 1934
- 9 for 82 against Surrey at Cheltenham in 1946
- 9 for 21 against Cambridge University at Cheltenham in 1929
In 1951, at the age of fifty, Goddard was forced to retire due to an attack of pneumonia
and pleurisy
, but because he wanted so desperately to reach the 3000 wickets mark, he came back for fourteen matches in 1952, before injury ended his career for good at 51 years of age and 2,979 wickets.
After he retired, Goddard ran a furniture shop in his home city of Gloucester, right up to his death in 1966.
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...
.
Joining Gloucestershire in 1922 as a fast bowler, Goddard met with so little success in his first six years that he was not re-engaged by Gloucestershire for 1928. However, determined to succeed, he joined the ground staff at Lord's and switched to off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
. With his massive hands and steep bounce due to his height (about 190 centimetres or six feet three inches), he was an immediate success and Gloucestershire re-engaged him for 1929. Even on the best of wickets Goddard was able to turn the ball substantially, and when the turf was worn or sticky he could spin to a remarkable degree. Owing to his high trajectory, he could be easy to hit (it is estimated he was hit for 70 sixes a season between 1934 and 1938), and it is probable that this is why he was so expensive against the incomparable 1948 Australian side, and in some cases in county cricket. He played only once against Australia (in 1930) and only eight times against all countries - for much of Goddard's time, Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire and England between 1930 and 1939. A slow left arm orthodox bowler, he took 1,956 wickets in first-class cricket at an average of 14.90 and in 40 Tests he took 144 wickets at an average of 24.37...
was the preferred England spin bowler, and it is often thought that leg spin
Leg spin
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the ball to spin from right to left in the cricket pitch, at the point of delivery. When the ball bounces, the spin causes the ball to deviate sharply from right to left, that...
ners rather than off spinners were favoured at this time in 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...
. His successes in the matches he played (he did a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
against South Africa in 1938-39) suggests he might have done well with more opportunities.
In 1929, his first season as a spinner, he took 184 wickets, and over 140 in the following two years. With Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker (cricketer)
Charles Warrington Leonard "Charlie" Parker was an English cricketer, who stands as the third highest wicket taker in the history of first-class cricket, behind Wilfred Rhodes and Tich Freeman.-Life and career:Parker took no serious attention to cricket in his childhood, preferring to concentrate...
, he formed the most lethal bowling combination in county cricket, and, aided by the brilliant batting and catching of Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Walter Reginald "Wally" Hammond was an English Test cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning his career as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed captain of England...
, Gloucestershire had their most successful (though brief) era, finishing fourth in 1929, second in 1930 and second in 1931.
Goddard was forced to become Gloucestershire's chief bowler when the seemingly ageless Parker finally declined for good in 1932. Except in 1934 and 1938 when injuries handicapped him, and in 1948 when he lost form, Goddard took over 150 wickets in every season between 1932 and 1949, heading the first-class bowling averages in 1947 and 1949. In 1937 and 1947 (aided in the latter case by a sand dressing on the Bristol pitch that made the ball turn prodigiously), Goddard took 222 wickets for Gloucestershire, and fell two short of 250 wickets in all first-class matches in 1937. His haul of 206 wickets in the 1947 County Championship will forever stand as the last case of 200 wickets in a season in that competition. With much slower over-rates and fewer matches, few bowlers today can take a third as many wickets.
Among his best bowling feats for Gloucestershire were:
- 17 for 106 against Kent at Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in 1939
- 16 for 99 against Worcestershire at Bristol in 1939
- 16 for 181 (10 for 113 in second innings) against Worcestershire at Cheltenham in 1937
- 15 for 107 (9 for 20 to finish match) on a "pitch of easy pace" against Derbyshire at Bristol in 1949.
- 9 for 37 against Leicestershire at Bristol in 1934
- 9 for 82 against Surrey at Cheltenham in 1946
- 9 for 21 against Cambridge University at Cheltenham in 1929
In 1951, at the age of fifty, Goddard was forced to retire due to an attack of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and pleurisy
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
, but because he wanted so desperately to reach the 3000 wickets mark, he came back for fourteen matches in 1952, before injury ended his career for good at 51 years of age and 2,979 wickets.
After he retired, Goddard ran a furniture shop in his home city of Gloucester, right up to his death in 1966.