David Gurr (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
David Roberts Gurr, born 27 March 1956, played first-class
cricket
for Oxford University
and Somerset
between 1976 and 1979. He was born at Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire
.
, he played cricket for Middlesex
's second eleven before going to Oxford University, where he studied one year of theology and one year of geography at Regent's Park College, one of the Permanent Private Hall
s within the university. Gurr made his first-class cricket debut for Oxford University in 1976 and in his second match for the university took five wickets for 73 runs in Middlesex's first innings with bowling of what Wisden
termed "lively pace". He followed that with six for 82 against Warwickshire
without the aid of fielders – five bowled, one lbw
, and these were to be the best figures of his career. With eight wickets in the University match
, in which he won his blue, he was one of the architects of Oxford's first success for 10 years. When the university cricket season was over, he joined Somerset and had further success, taking five Lancashire
wickets in the first innings (and nine in the match) at Weston-super-Mare
.
Gurr began the 1977 season with five Warwickshire wickets for 42 runs in the first Oxford match. But the university cricket season was badly affected by wet weather and Gurr also went through what Wisden termed a "bad patch" in which his bowling lacked control. But he won a second blue in the University match and made his highest first-class score, an undefeated 46, in the first innings of the game, enabling Oxford to recover from a middle-order collapse. At the end of the university cricket season, Gurr was elected secretary – one of two honorary posts within the Oxford cricket club, the other being captain – for the 1978 season, but he then failed his prelims
examinations and had to leave the university. He rejoined Somerset for the second half of the 1977 season and had one successful match, taking five Warwickshire wickets for 60 runs at Edgbaston
. But competition for places in the Somerset side was more intense in 1977 following the recruitment of the West Indian fast bowler Joel Garner
, and Gurr also started to have problems with his bowling action, which resulted in a large number of wide
s.
In 1978 and 1979, Gurr was on the Somerset staff, though he made limited appearances in both first-class and List A cricket. In 1978, Wisden reported, "Gurr's great potential was, unhappily, not available until the end [of the season], when he had manfully overcome a shattering loss of confidence". A year later, the Wisden report was little changed: "The recurring inability of Gurr to fill his ordained position as opening fast bowler continued to worry everyone," its report said. At the end of the season, Gurr got married and took a job with an insurance company. In his entry in the first-ever Cricketers' Who's Who book in 1980, Gurr wrote: "I will probably spend the 1980 season playing part-time, acting as stand-by. I hope to develop my career in the life assurance market while trying to keep in touch with the first-class game. If all goes well, I hope to try and spend more time in cricket in two or three seasons' time." In fact, he played in one second eleven match for Somerset in 1980, but never again appeared in first-class or List A 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...
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...
for 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...
and Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset 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 Somerset...
between 1976 and 1979. He was born at Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire
Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire
Whitchurch is a village and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located about four miles south of Winslow, four miles north of Aylesbury and has approximately 850 residents....
.
Cricket career
Gurr was a right-handed lower-order batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler. Educated at Aylesbury Grammar SchoolAylesbury Grammar School
Aylesbury Grammar School is a single-sex male grammar school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, which educates 1,250 pupils.-Admissions:As a selective state school, its entry requirements are dictated by the exam taken at the age of 10-11...
, he played cricket for 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...
's second eleven before going to Oxford University, where he studied one year of theology and one year of geography at Regent's Park College, one of the Permanent Private Hall
Permanent Private Hall
A Permanent Private Hall at the University of Oxford is an educational institution within the university. There are six Permanent Private Halls at Oxford, five of which admit undergraduates. They were founded by different Christian denominations....
s within the university. Gurr made his first-class cricket debut for Oxford University in 1976 and in his second match for the university took five wickets for 73 runs in Middlesex's first innings with bowling of what Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
termed "lively pace". He followed that with six for 82 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...
without the aid of fielders – five bowled, one lbw
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
, and these were to be the best figures of his career. With eight wickets 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...
, in which he won his blue, he was one of the architects of Oxford's first success for 10 years. When the university cricket season was over, he joined Somerset and had further success, taking five 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...
wickets in the first innings (and nine in the match) at Weston-super-Mare
Clarence Park, Weston-super-Mare
Clarence Park was given to the town of Weston-super-Mare by Rebecca Davies in memory of her husband. The cricket pavilion at the park dates from 1882. A multitude of sports have been played at the park, including cricket. The ground is owned by the local council. It is currently used by...
.
Gurr began the 1977 season with five Warwickshire wickets for 42 runs in the first Oxford match. But the university cricket season was badly affected by wet weather and Gurr also went through what Wisden termed a "bad patch" in which his bowling lacked control. But he won a second blue in the University match and made his highest first-class score, an undefeated 46, in the first innings of the game, enabling Oxford to recover from a middle-order collapse. At the end of the university cricket season, Gurr was elected secretary – one of two honorary posts within the Oxford cricket club, the other being captain – for the 1978 season, but he then failed his prelims
Prelims
The use of the term Prelim varies and is synonymous with qualifying exam, but it generally refers to an examination that qualifies a student to continue studies at a higher level...
examinations and had to leave the university. He rejoined Somerset for the second half of the 1977 season and had one successful match, taking five Warwickshire wickets for 60 runs at 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...
. But competition for places in the Somerset side was more intense in 1977 following the recruitment of the West Indian fast bowler Joel Garner
Joel Garner
Joel Garner , also known as "Big Joel" or "Big Bird", is a former West Indian cricketer, and a member of the highly regarded late 1970s and early '80s West Indies cricket teams....
, and Gurr also started to have problems with his bowling action, which resulted in a large number of wide
Wide
In the sport of cricket, a wide is one of two things:* The event of a ball being delivered by a bowler too wide or high to be hit by the batsman, and ruled so by the umpire.* A run scored by the batting team as a penalty to the bowling team when this occurs....
s.
In 1978 and 1979, Gurr was on the Somerset staff, though he made limited appearances in both first-class and List A cricket. In 1978, Wisden reported, "Gurr's great potential was, unhappily, not available until the end [of the season], when he had manfully overcome a shattering loss of confidence". A year later, the Wisden report was little changed: "The recurring inability of Gurr to fill his ordained position as opening fast bowler continued to worry everyone," its report said. At the end of the season, Gurr got married and took a job with an insurance company. In his entry in the first-ever Cricketers' Who's Who book in 1980, Gurr wrote: "I will probably spend the 1980 season playing part-time, acting as stand-by. I hope to develop my career in the life assurance market while trying to keep in touch with the first-class game. If all goes well, I hope to try and spend more time in cricket in two or three seasons' time." In fact, he played in one second eleven match for Somerset in 1980, but never again appeared in first-class or List A cricket.