Norman Whiting
Encyclopedia
Norman Harry Whiting is a former English
cricketer
who played 59 first-class
matches for Worcestershire
in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was born in Wollaston
, which at that time lay within Worcestershire
. Primarily a batsman, he also bowled a little in later seasons and occasionally stood in as wicket-keeper
.
, opening the batting with Don Kenyon
and scoring 7 and 23. He appeared three more times that season, and six times in 1948, but after a match in May 1949 he had played 18 first-class innings with a top score of a mere 36. Demoted to the Second XI and playing in the Minor Counties Championship, he immediately started to score more heavily and consistently, with eleven successive innings at that level producing scores of between 27 and 87, and at the end of August he was recalled to the first team against the Combined Services
, making 56 — his maiden first-class half-century — and 1.
In late May 1950 Whiting scored the first of his two hundreds when he hit 118 against Essex
at Romford
, sharing a fourth-wicket partnership of 198 with Laddy Outschoorn
. Although Whiting played 20 matches in all that year, he made only one further half-century — 58 against Nottinghamshire
in late June — and finished the season with a batting average
of a bare 20.
1951 saw Whiting experience a good start to his summer, with 68* against Sussex
and 51* against Essex in his first two matches, but these were to prove his only substantial scores of a season in which he was dismissed for scores of 5 or below in 13 of his 22 innings, and in which his average fell markedly even from the previous year to 14.66. Some slight redemption was gained from his first first-class wickets: he took nine, the first being that of Essex's Frank Vigar
.
In 1952 Whiting suffered another poor year, and although he averaged slightly above 26, this was not a true reflection of his County Championship
form as almost all his significant scores came in university games. He made 111 and 83 in May against Oxford University
, and 39 and 31 against Cambridge University
; in the latter game he also took his last wicket, that of Mike Stevenson
. These matches apart, 32 against Warwickshire
was his highest score of the summer.
Although Whiting never played first-class cricket again, he did return in his fifties to captain his county in the Second Eleven Championship between 1974 and 1976. He was not at all successful with the bat, however, only twice reaching 20 in more than forty innings for the side.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 59 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 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...
in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was born in Wollaston
Wollaston, West Midlands
Wollaston is a village and suburb of Stourbridge, in West Midlands, England. It is within Dudley Metropolitan Borough. It is situated on the border between Dudley Metropolitan Borough and Staffordshire County , and until 1974 was in Worcestershire. Wollaston is one mile from Stourbridge town...
, which at that time lay within Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. Primarily a batsman, he also bowled a little in later seasons and occasionally stood in as 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...
.
Career
Whiting made his first-class debut in August 1947 against NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
, opening the batting with Don Kenyon
Don Kenyon
Donald Kenyon was an English cricketer, who played in eight Tests for England from 1951 to 1955. He captained Worcestershire between 1959 and 1967....
and scoring 7 and 23. He appeared three more times that season, and six times in 1948, but after a match in May 1949 he had played 18 first-class innings with a top score of a mere 36. Demoted to the Second XI and playing in the Minor Counties Championship, he immediately started to score more heavily and consistently, with eleven successive innings at that level producing scores of between 27 and 87, and at the end of August he was recalled to the first team against the Combined Services
Combined Services cricket team
The Combined Services cricket team represents the British armed forces. The team played at first-class level in England for more than forty years in the mid-twentieth century. Their first first-class match was against Gentlemen of England at Lord's in 1920, while their last was against Oxford...
, making 56 — his maiden first-class half-century — and 1.
In late May 1950 Whiting scored the first of his two hundreds when he hit 118 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 Romford
Gidea Park
Gidea Park is a place in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England. Gidea Park is a part of Romford post town.-History:Gidea Park is the location of the "Romford Garden Suburb" constructed in 1910 to 1911 on the Gidea Hall and Balgores Estates as an exhibition of town planning...
, sharing a fourth-wicket partnership of 198 with Laddy Outschoorn
Laddy Outschoorn
Ladislaus Frederick Outschoorn , usually known as Laddy Outschoorn, was a cricketer: a right-handed batsman and occasional right-arm medium-pace bowler who played for Worcestershire in the years after the Second World War...
. Although Whiting played 20 matches in all that year, he made only one further half-century — 58 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 June — and finished the season with a batting 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 a bare 20.
1951 saw Whiting experience a good start to his summer, with 68* 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...
and 51* against Essex in his first two matches, but these were to prove his only substantial scores of a season in which he was dismissed for scores of 5 or below in 13 of his 22 innings, and in which his average fell markedly even from the previous year to 14.66. Some slight redemption was gained from his first first-class wickets: he took nine, the first being that of Essex's Frank Vigar
Frank Vigar
Frank Henry Vigar was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Essex between 1938 and 1954. A right-handed batsman, and leg break bowler, Vigar served as an all-rounder with 8,858 runs at 26.28 and 241 wickets at 37.90. From his rained-off debut in 1938, Vigar went on to play 257...
.
In 1952 Whiting suffered another poor year, and although he averaged slightly above 26, this was not a true reflection of his County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
form as almost all his significant scores came in university games. He made 111 and 83 in May against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
, and 39 and 31 against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
; in the latter game he also took his last wicket, that of Mike Stevenson
Mike Stevenson
Michael Hamilton Stevenson was a schoolmaster, journalist and cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Derbyshire, Ireland and MCC between 1949 and 1969....
. These matches apart, 32 against 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...
was his highest score of the summer.
Although Whiting never played first-class cricket again, he did return in his fifties to captain his county in the Second Eleven Championship between 1974 and 1976. He was not at all successful with the bat, however, only twice reaching 20 in more than forty innings for the side.
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...