Godfrey Evans
Template:Infobox Historic Cricketer Thomas Godfrey Evans CBE (August 18, 1920 – May 3, 1999) was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England.
Described by Wisden as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals in 91 Test match appearances between 1946 and 1959 and a further 1066 in first-class matches for Kent. En route he was the first wicket keeper to reach 200 Test dismissals and the first Englishman to reach both 1000 runs and 100 dismissals and 2000 runs and 200 dismissals in Test cricket. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1951.
Test career
Evans made his Test debut in 1946 against India when he was chosen for the Third Test at The Oval, replacing Paul Gibb. In a largely rain affected contest he didn't bat or take any dismissals.[1]
Evans was selected as a member of Wally Hammond’s side to tour Australia in 1946/47. After Gibb had played in the First Test, Evans got his chance in the Second at Melbourne, Australia won the match by an innings having scored 659/8 declared in their first innings, in 173 overs of English bowling Evans failed to concede a single bye, with Wisden commenting he 'kept wicket magnificently'.[2]
In the Fourth Test at Adelaide Evans shared in a vital ninth wicket partnership with Denis Compton, at 255/8 England were in danger of losing the Test but Evans played a fine defensive innings, scoring 10 not out in 133 minutes, this enabled Compton to complete his second century of the match and Hammond the chance to declare. Evans took 97 minutes to score his first run, a Test record which stood until 1999 when beaten by Geoff Allott.[3]
In the 1947 home series with South Africa, Evans played in all 5 Tests scoring 209 runs at 41.80 and taking 14 dismissals, in the First Test at Trent Bridge he scored his maiden Test fifty with an innings of 74 that contained 14 fours.[4]
England toured the West Indies in January 1948, Evans as first choice keeper played all four Tests scoring 128 runs at 18.28 and claiming 7 victims.[5] Of his series performance Wisden wrote: "Evans delighted the native crowds with his spectacular wicket-keeping, but as a batsman he accomplished little".[6]
During the 1948 Ashes Evans was once again an ever-present, he scored 188 runs at 26.85 and took 12 dismissals.[7] His most notable act of the series were two missed stumpings as Australia successfully chased down, a Test record, 404 in the Fourth Test at Headingley. The first chance occured when Arthur Morris was on 32, he would score 182, the second chance when Donald Bradman was on 108, he finished with 173 not out.[8]
On the tour of South Africa in 1948/49 Evans was dropped after 22 consecutive Tests, a record sequence for a wicket-keeper.[9] He did play the first three Tests but after scoring only 49 runs in five innings he was replaced for the final two Tests by Billy Griffith.
Evans regained his place in the team for the home series against New Zealand in 1949, in the four Test series which ended 0-0 Evans scored 61 runs in four innings and took 12 dismissals.[10]
West Indies were the tourists in 1950, in the First Test at Old Trafford, Evans made his maiden Test century. He came to the wicket with England 88/5 in the first innings, but together with Trevor Bailey he recovered the innings with a partnership of 161 runs. Evans score of 104 contained 17 fours with Wisden commenting that he "neglected no opportunity to hit hard".[11]
After cricket
After his retirement from professional cricket Evans became a cricket expert for bookmakers Ladbrokes, famously offering odds of 500 to 1 on an England victory against Australia at Headingley in 1981, the match in which Ian Botham and Bob Willis fought back from following-on at 227 runs behind to achieve a memorably improbable victory.
References
- ^ England v India, 3rd Test, 1946, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 3 December 2008
- ^ Australia v England, 2nd Test, 1946/47, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 3 December 2008
- ^ Allott sets new marks, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 3 December 2008
- ^ England v South Africa, 1st Test, 1947, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 3 December 2008
- ^ England in West Indies Test Series, 1947/48 - England averages, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 5 December 2008
- ^ MCC in West Indies, 1947-48, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 5 December 2008
- ^ The Ashes, 1948 - England averages, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 5 December 2008
- ^ England v Australia 1948, Fourth Test Match, Wisden Report
- ^ M.C.C Team in South Africa, 1948-49, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 5 December 2008
- ^ New Zealand in England, 1949 - England averages, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 5 December 2008
- ^ England v West Indies 1950, First Test Match, Wisden Report, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 5 December 2008
External links
- Godfrey Evans at ESPNcricinfo
- David Frith, Ebullient keeper with eternal charm, The Independent, May 4, 1999
- Norman Harris, Obituary, The Independent, May 4, 1999
   | This biographical article of an English Test cricketer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |