Gordon Lord
Encyclopedia
Gordon John Lord is a former cricketer
: a left-handed batsman who played for Warwickshire
and Worcestershire
, but who despite a promising start in which he played three Youth Tests for England never fulfilled this promise and retired well short of 100 first-class
games.
After his matches for Young England in the West Indies in 1979-80, Lord had to wait more than three years before making his senior debut for Warwickshire, in a John Player League
game against Nottinghamshire
in late August 1983. He made 40, and was retained for the County Championship
match against the same opponents which immediately followed: in this he hit 61 and 29 to keep himself in the team for two more September Championship matches.
Lord had another few outings in 1984, and had a longer run in the first team the following year. However, the highlights — 199 against Yorkshire
(he was run out one short of what would have been his only double century) and his only List A century, 103 against Derbyshire
— were overshadowed by his poor form at other times; his second-highest first-class score that season was a mere 18. Another forgettable summer, with few opportunities, followed, and Lord departed for rivals Worcestershire for the 1987 season.
At New Road
, Lord was given more chances in the first team, and when he hit 862 first-class runs in 1988 it seemed that his career might receive the kick-start it so badly needed, but a wretched 1989 followed in which he averaged
under 19 and made only two fifties all year. In the batsmans'-dream summer of 1990, he averaged over 45, including a score of 190 against Hampshire in August, and finally broke through the 1,000-run mark, being awarded the county cap that had eluded him at Warwickshire. But it was a false dawn, and after another mediocre season in 1991 Lord's first-class career came to a quiet end at Kidderminster
, being dismissed for 3 in his only innings. He did, however, play two minor games for Herefordshire
in the 1992 Holt Cup.
His uncle, Charles Watts, played one first-class match for Leicestershire
in 1924.
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"....
: a left-handed 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...
and Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire...
, but who despite a promising start in which he played three Youth Tests for England never fulfilled this promise and retired well short of 100 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...
games.
After his matches for Young England in the West Indies in 1979-80, Lord had to wait more than three years before making his senior debut for Warwickshire, in a John Player League
National League (cricket)
The NatWest Pro40 League was a one-day cricket league for first-class cricket counties in England and Wales. It was inaugurated in 1999, but was essentially the old Sunday League retitled to reflect the fact that large numbers of matches were played on days other than Sunday.-Sunday League:The...
game against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire 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 Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
in late August 1983. He made 40, and was retained for the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
match against the same opponents which immediately followed: in this he hit 61 and 29 to keep himself in the team for two more September Championship matches.
Lord had another few outings in 1984, and had a longer run in the first team the following year. However, the highlights — 199 against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
(he was run out one short of what would have been his only double century) and his only List A century, 103 against Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
— were overshadowed by his poor form at other times; his second-highest first-class score that season was a mere 18. Another forgettable summer, with few opportunities, followed, and Lord departed for rivals Worcestershire for the 1987 season.
At New Road
New Road, Worcester
New Road, Worcester, England, has been the home cricket ground of Worcestershire County Cricket Club since 1896. Immediately to the northwest is a road called New Road, part of the A44, hence the name.- Overview :...
, Lord was given more chances in the first team, and when he hit 862 first-class runs in 1988 it seemed that his career might receive the kick-start it so badly needed, but a wretched 1989 followed in which he averaged
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 :...
under 19 and made only two fifties all year. In the batsmans'-dream summer of 1990, he averaged over 45, including a score of 190 against Hampshire in August, and finally broke through the 1,000-run mark, being awarded the county cap that had eluded him at Warwickshire. But it was a false dawn, and after another mediocre season in 1991 Lord's first-class career came to a quiet end at Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, being dismissed for 3 in his only innings. He did, however, play two minor games for Herefordshire
Herefordshire County Cricket Club
Herefordshire 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 Herefordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in the 1992 Holt Cup.
His uncle, Charles Watts, played one first-class match 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....
in 1924.
External links
- Statistical summary from 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...