Gerry Hill
Encyclopedia
Gerald Hill was an English
cricketer
who played for Hampshire
from 1932–1954. A right-handed batsman and right-arm off break
bowler, Hill played 371 first class games for Hampshire. Hill was spotted by the cricketer and writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
. Doyle was playing golf
with Hill's father when he spotted the young Hill playing on an adjoining pitch. Doyle then wrote to Colonel
J. G. Greig
, Hampshire's secretary, to arrange a trial, which was to be the beginning of Hill's long career spanning 22 years.
In 1935, Hill was hit for 32 in an over by Glamorgan's Cyril Smart (6, 6, 4, 6, 6, 4), then the most expensive in first-class history. In 1937, during a County Championship
match played against Sussex
at the United Services Recreation Ground
, Hill and Donald Walker put on 235 for the 5th wicket, which remains to this day a Hampshire record.
Kent
captain Percy Chapman
, a family friend of Hill's, presented him with his County Cap in 1935. Hill was accidentally shot in the leg by teammate Len Creese
, while bowling in the nets. The bullet stayed in Hill's leg for the remainder of his life. Hill fought in the Second World War in Italy
and resumed his first class career with Hampshire after the resumption of the County Championship
in 1946. Hill retired from first-class cricket in 1954. Hill batted in all 11 positions for Hampshire scoring four centuries, including a highest score of 161 against Sussex at Portsmouth.
Hill died peacefully in his sleep at his home at Lyndhurst in the New Forest
on 31 January 2006.
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...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played for 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...
from 1932–1954. A right-handed batsman and right-arm off break
Off break
Off break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is the attacking delivery of an off spin bowler. Off breaks are known as off spinners....
bowler, Hill played 371 first class games for Hampshire. Hill was spotted by the cricketer and writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
. Doyle was playing golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
with Hill's father when he spotted the young Hill playing on an adjoining pitch. Doyle then wrote to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
J. G. Greig
J. G. Greig
Canon John Glennie Greig was an Englishman who played most of his cricket in India....
, Hampshire's secretary, to arrange a trial, which was to be the beginning of Hill's long career spanning 22 years.
In 1935, Hill was hit for 32 in an over by Glamorgan's Cyril Smart (6, 6, 4, 6, 6, 4), then the most expensive in first-class history. In 1937, during a County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
match played 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...
at the United Services Recreation Ground
United Services Recreation Ground
The United Services Recreation Ground is a cricket ground in Portsmouth, Hampshire. The first recorded match on the ground was on 17 August 1882 which saw Cambridge University Past and Present play the touring Australians...
, Hill and Donald Walker put on 235 for the 5th wicket, which remains to this day a Hampshire record.
Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
captain Percy Chapman
Percy Chapman
Arthur Percy Frank Chapman was an English cricketer who captained England to a then English-record-equalling seven consecutive Test match wins, a record that was not surpassed until Michael Vaughan's team won eight in a row in 2004...
, a family friend of Hill's, presented him with his County Cap in 1935. Hill was accidentally shot in the leg by teammate Len Creese
Len Creese
William Charles Leonard Creese was a South African born English cricketer. Creese was a left-handed batsman who bowled left-arm medium pace....
, while bowling in the nets. The bullet stayed in Hill's leg for the remainder of his life. Hill fought in the Second World War in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and resumed his first class career with Hampshire after the resumption of the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
in 1946. Hill retired from first-class cricket in 1954. Hill batted in all 11 positions for Hampshire scoring four centuries, including a highest score of 161 against Sussex at Portsmouth.
Hill died peacefully in his sleep at his home at Lyndhurst in the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
on 31 January 2006.
External links
- Gerry Hill on CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
- Gerry Hill on 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...