View source for Henry Preston (cricketer)

{{short description|English cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Henry Preston
| image = 
| country = England
| fullname = Henry John Berridge Preston
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1883|10|25|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Bareilly]], [[North-Western Provinces]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1964|4|23|1883|10|25|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Hastings]], [[Sussex]]
| heightft = 
| heightinch = 
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm medium
| role = 
| club1 = [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]]
| year1 = {{nowrap|1907–1913}}
| type1 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
| debutdate1 = 27 June
| debutyear1 = 1907
| debutfor1 = Kent
| debutagainst1 = [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex]]
| lastdate1 = 9 June
| lastyear1 = 1913
| lastfor1 = Kent
| lastagainst1 = [[Worcestershire County Cricket Club|Worcestershire]]
| columns = 1
| column1 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| matches1 = 19
| runs1 = 84
| bat avg1 = 6.46
| 100s/50s1 = 0/0
| top score1 = 18
| deliveries1 = 2,081
| wickets1 = 43
| bowl avg1 = 20.11
| fivefor1 = 1
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 5/23
| catches/stumpings1 = 4/–
| date = 20 April
| year = 2016
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/19046.html CricInfo
}}
'''Henry John Berridge Preston''' (25 October 1883 – 23 April 1964), known also as '''Harry Preston''', was an English professional [[cricket]]er who played for [[Kent County Cricket Club]] between 1907 and 1913. He also played in the [[Lancashire League (cricket)|Lancashire League]], and in Scotland where he also coached, and represented [[Scotland cricket team|Scotland]]. He was born in [[Bareilly]] in India in 1883 and died, aged 80, in [[Hastings]] in 1964.<ref name=carlaw>Carlaw D (2020) ''Kent County Cricketers A to Z. Part One: 1806–1914'' (revised edition), pp. 456–457. ([https://archive.acscricket.com/books/Kent_Cricketers_A_to_Z_Part_One_Revised_Expanded.pdf Available online] at the [[Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians]]. Retrieved 2020-12-21.)</ref>

==Cricket career==
Preston made his debut for [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]] in June 1907 against [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex]] at [[County Ground, Leyton|Leyton]].<ref name=cafc>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32166/First-Class_Matches.html First-class matches played by Henry Preston], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref> Primarily a bowler, he played occasionally for Kent until 1913, never making more than seven appearances in a season, and made 19 first-class appearances in his career with the county.<ref name=caseasons>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32166/f_Batting_by_Season.html First-class batting and fielding in each season by Henry Preston], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref> He was awarded his Kent [[Cap (sport)|cap]] in 1910 and played in the [[County Championship]] winning sides of [[Kent County Cricket Club in 1909|1909]], 1910 and 1913.<ref name=caprofile>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32166/32166.html Henry Preston], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref>

He took a total of 43 wickets in his first-class career at an [[bowling average|average]] of 20.11.<ref name=caprofile /> His best figures were 5/23 achieved against [[Northamptonshire County Cricket Club|Northamptonshire]] in June 1912, the only time he took five wickets in an innings in his first-class career.<ref name=canorthants12>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8714.html Northamptonshire v Kent in 1912 - scorecard], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref><ref name=cafcbowlingseasons>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32166/f_Bowling_by_Season.html First-class bowling in each season by Henry Preston], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref> A tail-end batsman, Preston [[Batting average (cricket)|averaged]] only 6.46 with the bat.<ref name=caprofile /> Preston made his final first-class appearance in June 1913 against [[Worcestershire County Cricket Club|Worcestershire]] and left Kent's staff at the end of the 1913 season.<ref name=cafc />

Preston moved to [[Lancashire League (cricket)|Lancashire League]] side [[Nelson Cricket Club]] as a club professional for the 1914 season, appearing in 22 matches during the season.<ref name=call>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32166/ll_Batting_by_Season.html Lancashire League batting and fielding in each season by Henry Preston], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref><ref name=ll>[http://lancashireleague.com/Players/Lancashire/PRO_PLAYERS/NELSONPROS.html Nelson Professionals], Lancashire League. Retrieved 2009-12-08</ref> He took 88 wickets at an average of 11.72 to lead Nelson's bowling attack.<ref name=canelson14>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/8/Lancashire_League_1914/Nelson_Bowling.html Bowling for Nelson, Lancashire League, 1914], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref> At this time leagues such as the Lancashire League would often pay professionals more than first-class counties.<ref name=birley188>Birley D (1999) ''A social history of English cricket'', London [[Aurum Press]]. See, for example, pp.188–190.</ref>

After [[World War I]] Preston played as a professional for the [[West of Scotland Cricket Club|West of Scotland]]<ref name=scotsman36>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Articles/14/14228.html Scotland v Sir Julien Cahn's XI 3 & 4 July 1936], ''[[The Scotsman]]'', 1936. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref> where he also coached.<ref name=wisden65>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228442.html Preston, Harry J - Obituaries in 1965], ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'', 1965. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref> He represented [[Scotland cricket team|Scotland]] twice, once in a Scotland XI in 1930 against the [[Australian cricket team in England in 1930|touring Australians]] and once, in a capped match, in 1936 against Sir [[Julien Cahn]]'s XI. He took the wicket of the Australian captain [[Bill Woodfull]] in the first match and was described as doing "far better than his figures would appear to suggest"<ref name=scotsman30>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Articles/14/14158.html Scotland XI v Australia 19 & 21 July 1930], ''[[The Scotsman]], 1930. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref> as he took 2/94.<ref name=cascotland30>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/105/105821.html Scotland XI v Australians - scorecard], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-04-20.</ref>

After playing professionally, Preston became a groundsman at the [[Central Recreation Ground]] in [[Hastings]]. He played for [[Hastings and St Leonards Priory Cricket Club]] into his 60s and retired after an accident with a lawn mower which led to the loss of this right hand.<ref name=wisden65 />

==See also==
*[[List of Nelson Cricket Club professionals]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cricinfo|id=19046}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Preston, Henry}}
[[Category:1883 births]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]
[[Category:English cricketers]]
[[Category:Kent cricketers]]
[[Category:British sportspeople in British India]]