Albert Alderman
Encyclopedia
Albert Edward Alderman (30 October 1907 – 6 June 1990) was an English
cricket
er and footballer. He played cricket for Derbyshire
between 1928 and 1948 and scored over 12,000 runs for the club. As a footballer, he played as an inside forward
for Derby County
and Burnley
between 1928 and 1935.
behind the scenes in the nursery at Derbyshire in bringing forward young players of promise.
, and had gained a regular place in the lower order of the batting lineup in time for the beginning of the 1929 season
, however, he did not translate this lower-order batting into a regular place in the bowling lineup, thanks to steady averages, regularly making an average of more than 20, as well as intermittent centuries for the team.
Alderman kept his first-team place throughout the golden years of the early-to-mid 1930s when, despite placing tenth in the 1932 County Championship table, fresh blood in the team was to give them their first, and as yet, only County Championship capture in 1936. During these years, Alderman was able to keep his batting average ticking over and around the 25 mark, and, having played more times during the 1936 season than any other to date, cemented his place in the Derbyshire opening attack, most notably with Test cricketer Stan Worthington
and sometime wicket-keeper Harry Storer
alongside him. Alderman was also noted for his deep fielding. At The Oval in 1936, Surrey batsman Tom Barling
swept a ball from Bill Copson
to leg which looked as if it was carrying for six. Alderman sprinted 30 yards round the fine-leg boundary to catch it with his outstretched right hand just above the palings. Wisden pronounced that "the catch should live in the memories of all those who were present on the Wednesday".
In 1937 he had his best batting season, with 1,509 runs at 33.53 which included three centuries. He made his top score of 175 against Leicestershire at Chesterfield for an opening stand in three hours of 233 with Denis Smith
followed by 149 for the second wicket with Stan Worthington
In 1938 season he brought off another brilliant catch, this time off G. F. H. Heane at Trent Bridge, once again taking the ball in his outstretched right hand while running at full tilt in front of the startled members in the pavilion.
With seven years out of the game during the war years, Alderman came back in 1946 with a decent statement of intent, scoring a century, and keeping his place in the team for two more years, before quitting the game at the age of 40 in 1948. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler, and occasionally a wicket-keeper.
Between 1966 and 1968, Alderman umpired 72 first-class matches, mostly in the County Championship, though also in the Gillette Cup. He was subsequently coach at Repton School
.
in the Football League
for both Derby County
and Burnley
.
, Surrey
at the age of 82. His grandson, Timothy Dawson, represented Oxford University
in 1986.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 and footballer. He played cricket 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 1928 and 1948 and scored over 12,000 runs for the club. As a footballer, he played as an inside forward
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
for Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
between 1928 and 1935.
Early life
Alderman was born in Allenton, Derbyshire. He was a product of the work being done by Samuel CadmanSamuel Cadman
Samuel William Anthony Cadman was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire for over quarter of a century between 1900 and 1926...
behind the scenes in the nursery at Derbyshire in bringing forward young players of promise.
Cricket career
Alderman first represented Derbyshire in the 1928 seasonDerbyshire County Cricket Club in 1928
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1928 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty seven years. It was their thirtieth season in the County Championship and they won six matches to finish tenth in the County Championship..-1928 season:Derbyshire played 26...
, and had gained a regular place in the lower order of the batting lineup in time for the beginning of the 1929 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1929
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1929 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty eight years. It was their thirty-first season in the County Championship and they came seventh in the competition after winning ten matches in the championship.-1929...
, however, he did not translate this lower-order batting into a regular place in the bowling lineup, thanks to steady averages, regularly making an average of more than 20, as well as intermittent centuries for the team.
Alderman kept his first-team place throughout the golden years of the early-to-mid 1930s when, despite placing tenth in the 1932 County Championship table, fresh blood in the team was to give them their first, and as yet, only County Championship capture in 1936. During these years, Alderman was able to keep his batting average ticking over and around the 25 mark, and, having played more times during the 1936 season than any other to date, cemented his place in the Derbyshire opening attack, most notably with Test cricketer Stan Worthington
Stan Worthington
Thomas Stanley "Stan" Worthington, , was a cricketer 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....
and sometime wicket-keeper Harry Storer
Harry Storer, Jr.
Harry Storer was an English professional footballer, cricketer and football manager.-Early life:Storer was born in West Derby, Liverpool, the son of Harry Storer...
alongside him. Alderman was also noted for his deep fielding. At The Oval in 1936, Surrey batsman Tom Barling
Tom Barling
Henry Thomas 'Tom' Barling was an English cricketer. A right-handed batsman, in a first-class career with Surrey lasting from 1927 to 1948, he scored 19209 runs at an average of 34.61, with 34 hundreds and a highest score of 269.During World War II, he served in Coastal Command of the RAF...
swept a ball from Bill Copson
Bill Copson
Bill Copson was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1932 and 1950, and for England between 1939 and 1947. He took over 1,000 wickets for Derbyshire, and was prominent in their 1936 Championship season...
to leg which looked as if it was carrying for six. Alderman sprinted 30 yards round the fine-leg boundary to catch it with his outstretched right hand just above the palings. Wisden pronounced that "the catch should live in the memories of all those who were present on the Wednesday".
In 1937 he had his best batting season, with 1,509 runs at 33.53 which included three centuries. He made his top score of 175 against Leicestershire at Chesterfield for an opening stand in three hours of 233 with Denis Smith
Denis Smith (cricketer)
Denis Smith was a cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1927 and 1952 and in two Test matchs for England in 1935. He scored over 21,000 runs in first class cricket.Smith was born in Somercotes, Derbyshire...
followed by 149 for the second wicket with Stan Worthington
Stan Worthington
Thomas Stanley "Stan" Worthington, , was a cricketer 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....
In 1938 season he brought off another brilliant catch, this time off G. F. H. Heane at Trent Bridge, once again taking the ball in his outstretched right hand while running at full tilt in front of the startled members in the pavilion.
With seven years out of the game during the war years, Alderman came back in 1946 with a decent statement of intent, scoring a century, and keeping his place in the team for two more years, before quitting the game at the age of 40 in 1948. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler, and occasionally a wicket-keeper.
Between 1966 and 1968, Alderman umpired 72 first-class matches, mostly in the County Championship, though also in the Gillette Cup. He was subsequently coach at Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
.
Football career
Between 1928 and 1935, Alderman played as an inside forwardInside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for both Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
.
Final years
Alderman died at Frimley Park HospitalFrimley Park Hospital
Frimley Park Hospital is a large, 720-bed NHS hospital in Frimley, Surrey, part of the Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.It opened in 1974 to provide a full range of district general hospital services for North East Hampshire and West Surrey, a catchment population of about 365,000...
, 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...
at the age of 82. His grandson, Timothy Dawson, represented Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
in 1986.