Walter Marcon
Encyclopedia
Walter Marcon was an English cricket
er who played six first-class matches for Oxford University
in 1843 and 1844. He had previously established a reputation for extremely fast bowling
at Eton College
.
. Marcon's pace was so quick that he warranted three long stops despite the wicketkeeper standing well back.
WG Grace wrote in his book Cricket that Marcon's deliveries would smash a stump if making a direct hit without bouncing first; he reported his father saying that he "could hardly trace the ball" when fielding at point. Marcon once bowled a ball that knocked the bat out of the batsman's hands and through the wicket.
Marcon joined the Oxford University team in 1843, making his debut against Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC) on 24 May at Bullingdon Green near Oxford
. Batting third, he scored 2 in the first innings and was run out for a duck
in the second. That was his only match in 1843.
In 1844, he played against MCC at the Magdalen Ground on 30 May, scoring 15 and 5. He then played for West of England at Lord's
on 24 June, making no score in either innings. He scored another duck followed by his career best 29 playing for Oxford against MCC at Lord's on 27 June.
In the University Match against Cambridge University
at Lord's on 4 July, he scored 24 and 8 not out. His final match was for West of England against MCC at Bath, Somerset on 5 August, when he scored 2 and was not out without scoring in the second innings. His bowling analysis was recorded in this match: he took no wickets for 8 runs from 40 balls.
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 six first-class matches for 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...
in 1843 and 1844. He had previously established a reputation for extremely fast bowling
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
.
Schools cricket
Marcon played for the Eton First XI in 1841 and 1842 alongside another fast bowler Harvey FellowsHarvey Fellows
Harvey Winson Fellows was an English amateur cricketer. He was the brother of Walter Fellows.-Career:Fellows was a right-handed batsman and a roundarm right arm fast bowler...
. Marcon's pace was so quick that he warranted three long stops despite the wicketkeeper standing well back.
WG Grace wrote in his book Cricket that Marcon's deliveries would smash a stump if making a direct hit without bouncing first; he reported his father saying that he "could hardly trace the ball" when fielding at point. Marcon once bowled a ball that knocked the bat out of the batsman's hands and through the wicket.
First-class career
Surprisingly given his reputation as a bowler, Marcon took no known wickets in his first-class career. Bowling analyses were rarely compiled at the time and bowlers were not credited with wickets which fell to catches.Marcon joined the Oxford University team in 1843, making his debut against Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone 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...
(MCC) on 24 May at Bullingdon Green near Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. Batting third, he scored 2 in the first innings and was run out for a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
in the second. That was his only match in 1843.
In 1844, he played against MCC at the Magdalen Ground on 30 May, scoring 15 and 5. He then played for West of England at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
on 24 June, making no score in either innings. He scored another duck followed by his career best 29 playing for Oxford against MCC at Lord's on 27 June.
In the University Match 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...
at Lord's on 4 July, he scored 24 and 8 not out. His final match was for West of England against MCC at Bath, Somerset on 5 August, when he scored 2 and was not out without scoring in the second innings. His bowling analysis was recorded in this match: he took no wickets for 8 runs from 40 balls.
Later life
Marcon abandoned cricket after he left Oxford to become a vicar in Cornwall and eventually the Rector of Edgefield in his native Norfolk, where he died in 1875.External links
- Player Profile: Walter Marcon from Cricket Archive