Laurie Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Laurence Cyril Hawkins played first-class
cricket
for Somerset
in 46 matches between 1928 and 1937. He was born in Solihull
, Warwickshire
, and died at Padstow
, Cornwall
.
Hawkins was a middle or lower order batsman and an occasional right-arm leg-spin bowler who was a long-standing player for Weston-super-Mare Cricket Club
and turned out as an amateur for Somerset in a few games every season for 10 years. In 1934, he appeared in 12 matches, but in no other season was he picked for more than seven games.
Hawkins made a promising start to county cricket, hitting 65 in his first innings in the match against Nottinghamshire
at Taunton in 1928 and sharing in a ninth wicket stand of 89 in 90 minutes with Wally Luckes
. But in 17 other matches in that and the following three seasons he did not pass 50 in any innings.
It was against Nottinghamshire again that Hawkins played his next significant innings: in the 1932 match, batting at No 9, he made an unbeaten 63 and shared a last-wicket partnership of 67 with Bill Andrews
. And yet again, Nottinghamshire were the opposition when Hawkins began the 1934 season with an innings of 82: Hawkins scored more than half of Somerset's runs and came in after six wickets had gone for just 31 runs to make what was then his highest score. This innings propelled Hawkins temporarily up the Somerset batting to a middle-order position, and it was from there, less than three weeks later, that he made his highest first-class score, 96 against Middlesex
at Lord's, sharing a seventh wicket stand of 125 with Jack White
that enabled Somerset to save a game where they had trailed by 207 on the first innings.
Hawkins' absence, rather than his presence, produced a highlight of the 1935 season. As Wisden
put it in his obituary in the 2004 edition: "He was injured for the game against Essex
at Frome, which led to the call-up of 20-year-old Harold Gimblett
and the most famous of all debut innings." And Hawkins himself had one final good match for Somerset in 1936, scoring 79 and 43 not out against the Indians
and taking four wickets for 39 runs, his best bowling figures in first-class cricket and including a spell of four wickets for 10 runs. He did not play for Somerset after the 1937 season.
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 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...
in 46 matches between 1928 and 1937. He was born in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, and died at Padstow
Padstow
Padstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
Hawkins was a middle or lower order batsman and an occasional right-arm leg-spin bowler who was a long-standing player for Weston-super-Mare Cricket Club
Weston-super-Mare Cricket Club
Weston-super-Mare Cricket Club is an amateur cricket club based in the town of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England. Since the clubs formation in 1845, they have nurtured a number of players who have gone on to play for Somerset County Cricket Club and a select few who have gone on to play for the...
and turned out as an amateur for Somerset in a few games every season for 10 years. In 1934, he appeared in 12 matches, but in no other season was he picked for more than seven games.
Hawkins made a promising start to county cricket, hitting 65 in his first innings in the match 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...
at Taunton in 1928 and sharing in a ninth wicket stand of 89 in 90 minutes with Wally Luckes
Wally Luckes
Walter Thomas "Wally" Luckes, born in Lambeth, London on 1 January 1901 and died at Bridgwater, Somerset on 27 October 1982, was a cricketer who played for Somerset....
. But in 17 other matches in that and the following three seasons he did not pass 50 in any innings.
It was against Nottinghamshire again that Hawkins played his next significant innings: in the 1932 match, batting at No 9, he made an unbeaten 63 and shared a last-wicket partnership of 67 with Bill Andrews
Bill Andrews (cricketer)
Bill Andrews was an English cricketer who played for Somerset. He was a right-arm fast-medium pace bowler and useful middle-order right-handed batsman...
. And yet again, Nottinghamshire were the opposition when Hawkins began the 1934 season with an innings of 82: Hawkins scored more than half of Somerset's runs and came in after six wickets had gone for just 31 runs to make what was then his highest score. This innings propelled Hawkins temporarily up the Somerset batting to a middle-order position, and it was from there, less than three weeks later, that he made his highest first-class score, 96 against 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...
at Lord's, sharing a seventh wicket stand of 125 with Jack White
Jack White (cricketer)
John Cornish White, known as "Farmer" or "Jack", was an English cricketer who played for Somerset and England. White was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1929...
that enabled Somerset to save a game where they had trailed by 207 on the first innings.
Hawkins' absence, rather than his presence, produced a highlight of the 1935 season. As Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
put it in his obituary in the 2004 edition: "He was injured for the game against 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 Frome, which led to the call-up of 20-year-old Harold Gimblett
Harold Gimblett
Harold Gimblett was a cricketer who played for Somerset and England. He was known for his fast scoring as an opening batsman and for the much-repeated story of his debut...
and the most famous of all debut innings." And Hawkins himself had one final good match for Somerset in 1936, scoring 79 and 43 not out against the Indians
Indian cricket team in England in 1936
The Indian cricket team toured England in the 1936 season and played 28 first-class fixtures, winning only four whilst losing 12 and drawing 12.India played three Test matches and lost the series to England 2-0 with one match drawn...
and taking four wickets for 39 runs, his best bowling figures in first-class cricket and including a spell of four wickets for 10 runs. He did not play for Somerset after the 1937 season.