Roy Tattersall
Encyclopedia
Roy Tattersall is an English
former Lancashire
cricket
er, who played sixteen Tests
for England as a specialist off spin
bowler.
Tattersall had an unusual style, quite different from the orthodox Jim Laker
, who kept him out of a Test place for most of his career. Tattersall held his index finger
around the seam of the ball and this allowed him to bowl a carefully disguised away-swinger to supplement his sharp off-break. He was rather faster than Laker, and this served to increase his penetration on the many wet wickets of his home county. Of small account as a batsman, he did nonetheless help Reg Simpson
in a tenth wicket stand of 74 to give England its first victory over Australia since their record win at The Oval
in 1938.
career in 1948, at a time when English bowling was weak because World War II
had decimated their pre-war pace attack. He first played for Lancashire in 1948 as a medium fast bowler, taking 66 Second XI wickets. He did not establish himself until 1950 after Roberts, Price and Nutter had left the staff and he changed to bowling mainly off-breaks, something he developed in Minor County cricket. That year, largely as a result of groundsmen
at Old Trafford
deciding to eliminate watering of the pitch, Tattersall consistently had pitches tailor-made for him and he did not disappoint, being the leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket with 193 victims for under 14 apiece. This won him the inaugural Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year
award. Although he was not risked in the Tests
against a powerful West Indian batting line-up, Tattersall was chosen as a reinforcement for the 1950–51 Ashes series
that winter. He did modestly in Australia, but bowled well enough on the more helpful New Zealand pitches to establish himself in the Test team for fourteen consecutive matches.
against them. Tattersall went to India that winter, and on a "biting" pitch at Kanpur, he took eight wickets for 125 runs and helped England gain their only victory of the series. However, his being used as a stock bowler delivering 246 subcontinent
overs in eight innings, affected his performances, and Tattersall was never the same bowler again. Returning home he found that Jim Laker
, Johnny Wardle
and Roly Jenkins
were ahead of him in the selectors' eyes, despite taking over 100 wickets every year until 1957. Tattersall made only two further appearances in Test cricket: in 1953 against Australia and in 1954 against Pakistan.
wickets every year except 1956, when after an irresistible start, he unaccountably lost form. In the wet summer of 1958. he failed to reach 100 wickets for the first time since 1949. The eminent Lancashire cricket writer, John Kay, felt Tattersall the victim of inconsistent policy at Old Trafford. In 1956, he was left out in mid-season, a move that probably cost the County the championship. Nonetheless, it was a surprise to see Tattersall and Malcolm Hilton
dropped at the beginning of 1959, for the leg-spinner Tommy Greenhough
. Although Tattersall was recalled at the beginning of the 1960 season, he did not do well enough to keep his place after May.
He and Hilton, however, were rewarded for their service to the county in the 1950s, with a remarkably productive joint benefit
against Yorkshire
that was watched by over seventy four thousand spectators. Tattersall was not re-engaged by the county for 1961, but did play for the MCC against his former county (in Lancashire's Centenary Match) with remarkable success, taking six for 63 in the first innings on an unhelpful wicket.
In 1961, Tattersall endured a poor season as a professional in the Birmingham League, but was engaged by Worcestershire
for 1962. Aged over forty, Tattersall was only modestly successful for their Second XI, taking against extremely weak opposition, 21 wickets for 17 each, and being in the middle of their bowling averages. Tattersall did not play a single game for Worcestershire's first eleven (Norman Gifford
and Martin Horton
were their spin bowlers), and dropped out of the Second XI in 1963 apart from one match.
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...
former 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...
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...
er, who played sixteen Tests
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...
for England as a specialist off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
bowler.
Tattersall had an unusual style, quite different from the orthodox Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
, who kept him out of a Test place for most of his career. Tattersall held his index finger
Index finger
The index finger, , is the first finger and the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the first and third digits, between the thumb and the middle finger...
around the seam of the ball and this allowed him to bowl a carefully disguised away-swinger to supplement his sharp off-break. He was rather faster than Laker, and this served to increase his penetration on the many wet wickets of his home county. Of small account as a batsman, he did nonetheless help Reg Simpson
Reg Simpson
Reginald Thomas Simpson is an English former cricketer, who played in twentry seven Tests from 1948 to 1955.-Life and career:...
in a tenth wicket stand of 74 to give England its first victory over Australia since their record win at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in 1938.
Early career
Tattersall, a late developer, began his first-class cricketFirst-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...
career in 1948, at a time when English bowling was weak because World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
had decimated their pre-war pace attack. He first played for Lancashire in 1948 as a medium fast bowler, taking 66 Second XI wickets. He did not establish himself until 1950 after Roberts, Price and Nutter had left the staff and he changed to bowling mainly off-breaks, something he developed in Minor County cricket. That year, largely as a result of groundsmen
Groundskeeping
Groundskeeping is the activity of tending an area of land for aesthetic or functional purposes; typically in an institutional setting. It includes mowing grass, trimming hedges, pulling weeds, planting flowers, etc. The U.S. Department of Labor estimated that more than 900,000 workers are employed...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (cricket)
Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...
deciding to eliminate watering of the pitch, Tattersall consistently had pitches tailor-made for him and he did not disappoint, being the leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket with 193 victims for under 14 apiece. This won him the inaugural Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year
Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year
The Young Cricketer of the Year is an annual award voted by the Cricket Writers' Club for the best young cricket player in England and Wales, and has been awarded since 1950. Former recipients include Fred Trueman, Geoffrey Boycott, Ian Botham and David Gower....
award. Although he was not risked in the Tests
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...
against a powerful West Indian batting line-up, Tattersall was chosen as a reinforcement for the 1950–51 Ashes series
1950–51 Ashes series
The 1950–51 Ashes series consisted of five cricket Test matches, each of six days with five hours play each day and eight ball overs. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1950–51 and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club...
that winter. He did modestly in Australia, but bowled well enough on the more helpful New Zealand pitches to establish himself in the Test team for fourteen consecutive matches.
Test career
Tattersall held his place throughout the 1951 Test against South Africa, taking 12 for 101 on his home pitch. In addition, he claimed eight for 51 for the MCCMarylebone 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...
against them. Tattersall went to India that winter, and on a "biting" pitch at Kanpur, he took eight wickets for 125 runs and helped England gain their only victory of the series. However, his being used as a stock bowler delivering 246 subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
overs in eight innings, affected his performances, and Tattersall was never the same bowler again. Returning home he found that Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
, Johnny Wardle
Johnny Wardle
Johnny Wardle was an English spin bowler of post-war cricket. His Test bowling average of 20.39, is the lowest in Test cricket by any recognised spin bowler, since World War I....
and Roly Jenkins
Roly Jenkins
Roly Jenkins was an English cricketer, almost exclusively for Worcestershire as a leg spinner in the period immediately after World War II...
were ahead of him in the selectors' eyes, despite taking over 100 wickets every year until 1957. Tattersall made only two further appearances in Test cricket: in 1953 against Australia and in 1954 against Pakistan.
County cricket
Tattersall, however, bowled in excellent form for Lancashire right up to 1957; taking 100 County ChampionshipCounty Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
wickets every year except 1956, when after an irresistible start, he unaccountably lost form. In the wet summer of 1958. he failed to reach 100 wickets for the first time since 1949. The eminent Lancashire cricket writer, John Kay, felt Tattersall the victim of inconsistent policy at Old Trafford. In 1956, he was left out in mid-season, a move that probably cost the County the championship. Nonetheless, it was a surprise to see Tattersall and Malcolm Hilton
Malcolm Hilton
Malcolm Jameson Hilton was an English left-arm spin bowler, who played for Lancashire and in four Test matches for England....
dropped at the beginning of 1959, for the leg-spinner Tommy Greenhough
Tommy Greenhough
Thomas "Tommy" Greenhough was an English cricketer, who represented Lancashire during the 1950s and 1960s, as well as playing four Tests for England....
. Although Tattersall was recalled at the beginning of the 1960 season, he did not do well enough to keep his place after May.
He and Hilton, however, were rewarded for their service to the county in the 1950s, with a remarkably productive joint benefit
Benefit (sports)
A benefit or testimonial is a match or season of activities granted by a sporting body to a loyal sportsman to boost their income before retirement. Often this is in the form of a match for which all the ticket proceeds are given to the player in question.There have been occasions when a...
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....
that was watched by over seventy four thousand spectators. Tattersall was not re-engaged by the county for 1961, but did play for the MCC against his former county (in Lancashire's Centenary Match) with remarkable success, taking six for 63 in the first innings on an unhelpful wicket.
In 1961, Tattersall endured a poor season as a professional in the Birmingham League, but was engaged by 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...
for 1962. Aged over forty, Tattersall was only modestly successful for their Second XI, taking against extremely weak opposition, 21 wickets for 17 each, and being in the middle of their bowling averages. Tattersall did not play a single game for Worcestershire's first eleven (Norman Gifford
Norman Gifford
Norman Gifford was an English cricketer, who played primarily as a left-arm spinner...
and Martin Horton
Martin Horton
Martin John Horton was an English cricketer, who played in two Tests in 1959. He was born in Worcester, England, and played the bulk of his first-class cricket for his native county....
were their spin bowlers), and dropped out of the Second XI in 1963 apart from one match.