Alf Pope
Encyclopedia
Alfred Vardy Pope was an English cricket
er who played first class cricket for Derbyshire
between 1930 and 1939. He was in the club's championship winning team of 1936 and took 555 wickets overall.
Pope was born at Tibshelf
, Derbyshire
and began work as a coal miner at the age of 14. Between 1923 and 1926, he was playing for the Tibshelf colliery cricket club which played in the Bassetlaw League and the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Collieries League. In 1925 at the age of 16, he was one of the scorers in a Derbyshire match at the County Ground. He joined Samuel Cadman
's nursery at Derbyshire during the General Strike of 1926.
Pope made his debut for Derbyshire the 1930 season
in May against Middlesex
taking 3 wickets in total and finishing not out in the only innings he played. He played one more match that year, and twice in the 1931 season
taking a reasonable wicket toll in all matches. In the 1932 season
he started playing the full season and achieved two five wicket innings with 6 for 54 against Nottinghamshire
. In the 1933 season
he achieved 7 for 84 against Sussex
and in the 1934 season
he took 6 for 21 against Nottinghamshire. He managed five 5 wicket innings in the 1935 season
season, two of them in one match against Hampshire
giving him a 10 wicket match total. In Derbyshire's Championship winning season of 1936
Pope achieved four 5 five wicket innings with 6 for 129 and 11 wickets in the whole match against Northamptonshire
. As his brother George was unavailable to bowl in the season, his captain Arthur Richardson
, would warn him he might have to bowl until close of play. Pope would respond cheerfully with "I like bowling, skipper".
With his brother back in the 1937 season
he shared the honours again, but achieved 5-85 against Kent. In the 1938 season
he had four 5 wicket innings with a best of 6 for 48 against Sussex. He also made his top run score of 103 runs in 1938 against Warwickshire
. In the 1939 season
his best bowling was 6 for 44 against Surrey
. With the outbreak of the Second World War, first class cricket was suspended and he didn't have the chance to play first class games again. Pope was a right-hand batsman who played 316 innings in 214 first class matches for Derbyshire with a top score of 103 and an average of 18.38. He was a right-arm off-break and right-arm fast-medium bowler who took 555 first class wickets at an average of 22.54 and a best performance of 7 for 84. He took 5 or more wickets in 22 innings, and took 10 wickets in 3 matches.
In 1940 and 1941 Pope appeared in matches for the Bradford League and in 1941 with Bill Copson
took Saltaire to the Bradford League title. He and Copson were signed for Windhill Cricket Club for the 1942 season. He played games for the North of England in 1942 and a non-status game for Derbyshire in 1945.
Following the war Pope took a number of coaching ad professional jobs. He was at one time employed as a P. E. Instructor at St Joseph's College, Blackpool
where he lived in Cleveleys and cycled to work. Pupils' recollections refer to Alf Pope - a “cricketer” and his punishments with his favourite cricket bat. He then spent twenty years coaching and as groundsman at Berkhamsted School.
Pope umpired one first class match in 1951. He reappeared at Derbyshire in 1954 playing a couple of games for the club and ground. By 1957 he was coaching at Chesham Cricket Club where he coached Mike Taylor.
Pope died at Derby
at the age of 86. His brothers George Pope and Harold Pope
followed him into the Derbyshire team. His son Anthony played for Derbyshire 2nd XI and in various non-status matches for the MCC.
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 first class 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 1930 and 1939. He was in the club's championship winning team of 1936 and took 555 wickets overall.
Pope was born at Tibshelf
Tibshelf
Tibshelf is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England. It is in the Bolsover district of the county. Its population at the 2001 UK census was 3,548....
, 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 began work as a coal miner at the age of 14. Between 1923 and 1926, he was playing for the Tibshelf colliery cricket club which played in the Bassetlaw League and the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Collieries League. In 1925 at the age of 16, he was one of the scorers in a Derbyshire match at the County Ground. He joined Samuel Cadman
Samuel Cadman
Samuel William Anthony Cadman was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire for over quarter of a century between 1900 and 1926...
's nursery at Derbyshire during the General Strike of 1926.
Pope made his debut for Derbyshire the 1930 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1930
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1930 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty nine years. It was their thirty-second season in the County Championship and they won seven matches to finish ninth in the County Championship..-1930 season:Derbyshire played...
in May against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex 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 Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
taking 3 wickets in total and finishing not out in the only innings he played. He played one more match that year, and twice in the 1931 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1931
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1931 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixty years. It was their thirty-third season in the County Championship and they won seven matches to finish seventh.-1931 season:...
taking a reasonable wicket toll in all matches. In the 1932 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1932
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1932 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixty one years. It was their thirty-fourth season in the County Championship and they won six matches to finish tenth-1932 season:...
he started playing the full season and achieved two five wicket innings with 6 for 54 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...
. In the 1933 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1933
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1933 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixty two years. It was their thirty-fifth season in the County Championship and they won eleven matches to finish sixth.-1933 season:...
he achieved 7 for 84 against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
and in the 1934 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1934
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1934 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixty-three years. It was their thirty-sixth season in the County Championship and they won ten matches in the County Championship, to finish third.-1934 season:Derbyshire played...
he took 6 for 21 against Nottinghamshire. He managed five 5 wicket innings in the 1935 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1935
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club' in 1935 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire were runners up in the County Championship for the first time, as a prelude to winning the Championship in the 1936 season. They had been playing for sixty four years and it was their thirty-seventh...
season, two of them in one match 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...
giving him a 10 wicket match total. In Derbyshire's Championship winning season of 1936
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1936
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1936 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire won the County Championship for the first and only time. They had been playing for sixty five years and it was their thirty-eighth season in the County Championship....
Pope achieved four 5 five wicket innings with 6 for 129 and 11 wickets in the whole match against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
. As his brother George was unavailable to bowl in the season, his captain Arthur Richardson
Arthur Walker Richardson
Arthur Walker Richardson was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire between 1928 and 1936. He captained the Derbyshire team between 1931 and 1936, concluding with Derbyshire's first victory in the County Championship table.Richardson was born at Quarndon, Derbyshire...
, would warn him he might have to bowl until close of play. Pope would respond cheerfully with "I like bowling, skipper".
With his brother back in the 1937 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1937
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1937 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixty six years. It was their thirty-ninth season in the County Championship and they came third after winning the Championship in 1936....
he shared the honours again, but achieved 5-85 against Kent. In the 1938 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1938
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1938 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixty seven years. It was their fortieth season in the County Championship and they came fifth.-1938 season:...
he had four 5 wicket innings with a best of 6 for 48 against Sussex. He also made his top run score of 103 runs in 1938 against 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...
. In the 1939 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1939
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1939 was the last cricket season before World War II, when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixty-eight years...
his best bowling was 6 for 44 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...
. With the outbreak of the Second World War, first class cricket was suspended and he didn't have the chance to play first class games again. Pope was a right-hand batsman who played 316 innings in 214 first class matches for Derbyshire with a top score of 103 and an average of 18.38. He was a right-arm off-break and right-arm fast-medium bowler who took 555 first class wickets at an average of 22.54 and a best performance of 7 for 84. He took 5 or more wickets in 22 innings, and took 10 wickets in 3 matches.
In 1940 and 1941 Pope appeared in matches for the Bradford League and in 1941 with 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...
took Saltaire to the Bradford League title. He and Copson were signed for Windhill Cricket Club for the 1942 season. He played games for the North of England in 1942 and a non-status game for Derbyshire in 1945.
Following the war Pope took a number of coaching ad professional jobs. He was at one time employed as a P. E. Instructor at St Joseph's College, Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
where he lived in Cleveleys and cycled to work. Pupils' recollections refer to Alf Pope - a “cricketer” and his punishments with his favourite cricket bat. He then spent twenty years coaching and as groundsman at Berkhamsted School.
Pope umpired one first class match in 1951. He reappeared at Derbyshire in 1954 playing a couple of games for the club and ground. By 1957 he was coaching at Chesham Cricket Club where he coached Mike Taylor.
Pope died at Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
at the age of 86. His brothers George Pope and Harold Pope
Harold Pope
Harold Pope was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a leg-break bowler who played for Derbyshire in 1939 and 1946....
followed him into the Derbyshire team. His son Anthony played for Derbyshire 2nd XI and in various non-status matches for the MCC.