Claude Taylor (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Claude Hilary Taylor was an English
cricket
er. Taylor was a right-handed batsman who bowled leg break
googly
. He was born in Leicester
, Leicestershire
.
Taylor made his first-class
debut for Leicestershire
against Sussex
in the 1922 County Championship, at a time when he was still being educated at Westminster School
. The following year he undertook studies at Oxford University, making his first-class debut for Oxford University Cricket Club
against Lancashire
. He made history in this year by becoming the first freshman
to score a century
in The University Match
, making 109 against Cambridge University
. He gained his Oxford Blue in the 1923 season
. Taylor went on to make 42 first-class appearances for the university, the last of which came against Cambridge University in 1926. During his time playing for Oxford, Taylor scored 2,018 runs at an average
of 28.42, making 5 half centuries and 5 centuries
, with a top score of 115. This score came against Sussex
in 1923. As an occasional bowler, Taylor took 14 wickets at a bowling average
of 34.07, with best figures of 2/9.
While studying at Oxford, Taylor continued to play for Leicestershire at the end of each academical year. In 1924, when he played the second half of the season for Leicestershire, Taylor was notable for being the only Leicestershire batsman to score a century in that season, when he scored 123 against Hampshire
at the County Ground, Southampton
. He continued to play for Leicestershire until the end of the 1927 season
, by which time he had made 45 first-class appearances for the county. In these, he had scored 1,327 runs at an average of 21.06, with three half centuries and four centuries, with his highest score being the 123 he made against Hampshire in 1924. With the ball, his occasional leg spin took 7 wickets at an average of 56.71, with best figures of 2/6. He also appeared in a single first-class match for the Free Foresters
in 1927 against his former university.
Taylor would appear in county cricket
nearly twenty years later, appearing for Buckinghamshire
after World War II
, with his debut for the county coming against Dorset
in the 1946 Minor Counties Championship. He made 15 further Minor Counties Championship appearances for Buckinghamshire, the last of which came against Bedforshire
in 1947. On occasion he also captained
Buckinghamshire. For many years he was a master
at Eton School, while along with Buckinghamshire teammate and fellow Eton master David Macindoe
, he was the joint-author of the book Cricket Dialogue.
He died in Sherfield on Loddon
, Hampshire
on 28 January 1966.
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. Taylor was a right-handed batsman who bowled leg break
Leg break
A leg break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. A delivery of a right-handed leg spin bowler. Leg breaks are also colloquially known as leggies or wrist spinners, as the wrist is the body part which is primarily used to impart spin on the ball, as opposed to the fingers in the case of...
googly
Googly
In cricket, a googly is a type of delivery bowled by a right-arm leg spin bowler. It is occasionally referred to as a Bosie , an eponym in honour of its inventor Bernard Bosanquet.- Explanation :...
. He was born in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
Taylor made his 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...
debut for 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....
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...
in the 1922 County Championship, at a time when he was still being educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
. The following year he undertook studies at Oxford University, making his first-class debut for Oxford University Cricket Club
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...
against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
. He made history in this year by becoming the first freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
to score a century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
in The University Match
The University Match (cricket)
The University Match in a cricketing context is generally understood to refer to the annual fixture between Oxford University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Cricket Club...
, making 109 against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
. He gained his Oxford Blue in the 1923 season
1923 English cricket season
-Honours:*County Championship - Yorkshire*Minor Counties Championship - Buckinghamshire*Wisden - Arthur Gilligan, Roy Kilner, George Macaulay, Cecil Parkin, Maurice Tate-External sources:*...
. Taylor went on to make 42 first-class appearances for the university, the last of which came against Cambridge University in 1926. During his time playing for Oxford, Taylor scored 2,018 runs at an average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 28.42, making 5 half centuries and 5 centuries
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
, with a top score of 115. This score came 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...
in 1923. As an occasional bowler, Taylor took 14 wickets at a bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 34.07, with best figures of 2/9.
While studying at Oxford, Taylor continued to play for Leicestershire at the end of each academical year. In 1924, when he played the second half of the season for Leicestershire, Taylor was notable for being the only Leicestershire batsman to score a century in that season, when he scored 123 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...
at the County Ground, Southampton
County Ground, Southampton
The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...
. He continued to play for Leicestershire until the end of the 1927 season
1927 English cricket season
Five years before Bodyline, top of the averages in the 1927 English cricket season were Douglas Jardine and Harold Larwood. The season is notable for being the last one to date in which there was no Test series, apart from the years of World War II and 1970 .-Honours:*County...
, by which time he had made 45 first-class appearances for the county. In these, he had scored 1,327 runs at an average of 21.06, with three half centuries and four centuries, with his highest score being the 123 he made against Hampshire in 1924. With the ball, his occasional leg spin took 7 wickets at an average of 56.71, with best figures of 2/6. He also appeared in a single first-class match for the Free Foresters
Free Foresters Cricket Club
Free Foresters Cricket Club is an English amateur cricket club, established in 1856 for players from the Midland counties of England. It is a 'wandering' club, having no home ground....
in 1927 against his former university.
Taylor would appear in county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
nearly twenty years later, appearing for Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club
Buckinghamshire 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 Buckinghamshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with his debut for the county coming against Dorset
Dorset County Cricket Club
Dorset 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 Dorset and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in the 1946 Minor Counties Championship. He made 15 further Minor Counties Championship appearances for Buckinghamshire, the last of which came against Bedforshire
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club
Bedfordshire 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 Bedfordshire and competing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play three-day...
in 1947. On occasion he also captained
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
Buckinghamshire. For many years he was a master
Master (college)
A Master is the title of the head of some colleges and other educational institutions. This applies especially at some colleges and institutions at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge .- See also :* Master A Master (or in female form Mistress) is the title of the head of some...
at Eton School, while along with Buckinghamshire teammate and fellow Eton master David Macindoe
David Macindoe
Major David Henry Macindoe M.C. was an English cricketer. Macindoe was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium-fast. His bowling was characterised with a long run-up and a high arm action...
, he was the joint-author of the book Cricket Dialogue.
He died in Sherfield on Loddon
Sherfield on Loddon
Sherfield on Loddon is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It is located at , approximately south of Reading and north of Basingstoke...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
on 28 January 1966.
External links
- Claude Taylor at ESPNcricinfo
- Claude Taylor at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...