Fred Gardner (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Fred Charles Gardner was an English
cricket
er and footballer. He was a right-hand opening batsman who played for Warwickshire
.
when World War II
came to Europe
. He guested for Port Vale
in 1946, before moving on to Coventry City
, Newport County and then Rugby Town
. He later became the trainer-coach of Lockheed Leamington
.
. He played 338 first-class
matches for his home county between 1947 and 1961, he also made one appearance for an England XI against the touring South Africans in 1955
and played once for the Players against the Gentlemen
in 1957.
Gardner scored a total of 17,905 first-class runs at an average
of 33.71, passing 1,000 runs in a season for ten consecutive years between 1949 and 1958. His best seasonal total came in 1950 when he scored 1,911 runs at 45.50, included in this was his highest score of his career, an innings of 215 not out
against Somerset
at Taunton. Also in that season, he scored centuries in both innings during the fixture with Essex
at Ilford.
Gardner made his first-class debut in 1947 at the age of 25, becoming a regular in 1949 when he was awarded his county cap. He was an ever-present in the 1951 season
when Warwickshire won the County Championship
, he contributed 1,338 runs and 27 catches to the success.
In 1953 Gardner scored 110 against the touring Australians
becoming the first Warwickshire batsman to score a hundred against an Australian side. He was awarded a benefit season in 1958, the last season in which he appeared regularly. After finishing his playing career in 1961, he joined the umpires list standing in 98 first-class matches between 1962 and 1965. Following this he dedicated time to coaching juniors in the Coventry area.
Gardner died at the age of 56, in his native Coventry, following a long illness.
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 and footballer. He was a right-hand opening batsman who played for 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...
.
Football career
Gardner was playing for BirminghamBirmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
when 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...
came to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He guested for Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in 1946, before moving on to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, Newport County and then Rugby Town
Rugby Town F.C.
Rugby Town F.C. is a football club based in Rugby, Warwickshire, which plays in the Southern Football League Division One Central. It is nicknamed The Valley, and plays its home matches at Butlin Road...
. He later became the trainer-coach of Lockheed Leamington
Leamington F.C.
Leamington Football Club is the main football club in Whitnash, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, currently playing in the Southern Football League Premier Division....
.
Cricket career
Gardner was a solid defensive player, who formed a productive opening partnership with Norman HornerNorman Horner
Norman Frederick Horner was an English first-class cricketer, who played two games for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1950, before moving to Warwickshire County Cricket Club in 1951...
. He played 338 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...
matches for his home county between 1947 and 1961, he also made one appearance for an England XI against the touring South Africans in 1955
South African cricket team in England in 1955
The South African cricket team toured England in the 1955 season to play a five-match Test series against England.England won the series 3-2 with no matches drawn.-South African team:...
and played once for the Players against the Gentlemen
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
in 1957.
Gardner scored a total of 17,905 first-class 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 33.71, passing 1,000 runs in a season for ten consecutive years between 1949 and 1958. His best seasonal total came in 1950 when he scored 1,911 runs at 45.50, included in this was his highest score of his career, an innings of 215 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
against 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...
at Taunton. Also in that season, he scored centuries in both innings during the fixture with Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex 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 Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
at Ilford.
Gardner made his first-class debut in 1947 at the age of 25, becoming a regular in 1949 when he was awarded his county cap. He was an ever-present in the 1951 season
1951 English cricket season
The 1951 English cricket season produced a surprise championship win for Warwickshire, their first for forty years and only the second in their history. It was noteworthy for the period in being achieved under a professional captain, Tom Dollery...
when Warwickshire won the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
, he contributed 1,338 runs and 27 catches to the success.
In 1953 Gardner scored 110 against the touring Australians
Australian cricket team in England in 1953
The Australian cricket team toured England in the 1953 season to play a five-match Test series against England for The Ashes.England won the final Test to take the series 1-0 after the first four Tests were all drawn. England therefore recovered the Ashes for the first time since losing them in...
becoming the first Warwickshire batsman to score a hundred against an Australian side. He was awarded a benefit season in 1958, the last season in which he appeared regularly. After finishing his playing career in 1961, he joined the umpires list standing in 98 first-class matches between 1962 and 1965. Following this he dedicated time to coaching juniors in the Coventry area.
Gardner died at the age of 56, in his native Coventry, following a long illness.