George Duckworth
Encyclopedia
George Duckworth was a professional cricket
er who played first-class cricket
for Lancashire
and England
.
Duckworth, who won his cricketing fame as a wicket-keeper
, joined Lancashire in 1922, playing his first game in 1923 and his last in 1938 and went on to become a Lancashire committeeman. 1928 saw his best season, with him taking 77 catches and 30 stumpings, and this earned him the accolade of being one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year
in 1929. He played 24 Test match
es for England, but as a wicket-keeper he was in direct competition in his later years with Les Ames
, who was a much better batsman. He was awarded a benefit in 1934, which raised £1,257. He was reputed to have the loudest shout of appeal of any cricketer of his time.
Duckworth's total of 925 dismissals for Lancashire is a record for the county.
After retirement, Duckworth was a journalist and a broadcaster on both cricket and rugby league
. He also acted as a cricket tour organiser and as baggage master and scorer on MCC
tours.
A dog-bone roundabout in his home town Warrington has been named after him. Duckworth's Roundabout is at Birchwood Way (A574) and Oakwood Gate.
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
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...
for 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...
and England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
.
Duckworth, who won his cricketing fame as a wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
, joined Lancashire in 1922, playing his first game in 1923 and his last in 1938 and went on to become a Lancashire committeeman. 1928 saw his best season, with him taking 77 catches and 30 stumpings, and this earned him the accolade of being one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
in 1929. He played 24 Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
es for England, but as a wicket-keeper he was in direct competition in his later years with Les Ames
Les Ames
Leslie Ethelbert George Ames, CBE was an outstanding wicket-keeper and batsman for the England cricket team and Kent County Cricket Club. In his obituary, the Wisden of 1991 described him as the greatest wicket-keeper-batsman of all time...
, who was a much better batsman. He was awarded a benefit in 1934, which raised £1,257. He was reputed to have the loudest shout of appeal of any cricketer of his time.
Duckworth's total of 925 dismissals for Lancashire is a record for the county.
After retirement, Duckworth was a journalist and a broadcaster on both cricket and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
. He also acted as a cricket tour organiser and as baggage master and scorer on MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
tours.
A dog-bone roundabout in his home town Warrington has been named after him. Duckworth's Roundabout is at Birchwood Way (A574) and Oakwood Gate.