Percy Chapman

This article is about the cricketer. For the rapper, see Tragedy Khadafi.

Percy Chapman

Personal information
Full name	Arthur Percy Frank Chapman
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Left arm medium Slow left arm orthodox
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 213)	14 June 1924 v South Africa
Last Test	25 February 1931 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1920–1922	Cambridge University
1924–1938	Kent
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 26 394 Runs scored 925 16,309 Batting average 28.90 31.97 100s/50s 1/5 27/75 Top score 121 260 Balls bowled 40 1,576 Wickets 0 22 Bowling average  – 41.86 5 wickets in innings  – 1 10 wickets in match  –  – Best bowling  – 5/40 Catches/stumpings 32/– 356/–
Source: Cricinfo, 18 July 2009

Arthur Percy Frank Chapman (3 September 1900 – 16 September 1961), usually known as Percy Chapman, was an English cricketer who captained the England cricket team between 1926 and 1930. A left-handed batsman, he played 26 Test matches for England, captaining the side in 17 of those games. Appointed for the final, decisive Test of the 1926 series against Australia, replacing Arthur Carr in controversial circumstances, Chapman won the match so that England won The Ashes for the first time since 1912. An amateur cricketer, Chapman played Minor Counties cricket for Berkshire and first-class cricket for Cambridge University and Kent. He is one of only two men to score centuries in the three most prestigious matches played at Lord's Cricket Ground; in the University Match between Oxford and Cambridge, in the Gentlemen v Players game, and in a Test match.

Born in Reading, Berkshire and educated at Uppingham School, Chapman established a reputation as a talented school cricketer and was named one of Wisden's schoolboy Cricketers of the Year in 1919. He went to Pembroke College, Cambridge and represented the University cricket team with great success; his fame reached a peak when he scored centuries against Cambridge University and in the Gentlemen v Players match, both highly prestigious games, within the space of a week. Selected twice to tour Australia, with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) teams in 1922–23 and 1924–25, Chapman made his Test debut on the latter tour, although he had yet to play County Cricket. Having qualified for Kent, he was the surprise choice to take over from Carr in 1926, but went on to win his first nine matches in charge, setting a Test match record which still stands in 2012, but lost two and drew six of his remaining games. Perceived tactical deficiencies and possibly growing concerns over his heavy drinking contributed to Chapman's controversial removal from the team in 1930. Subsequently, his batting began to fade. Although he assumed the Kent captaincy in 1931, earning the acclaim of team-mates and critics, his career gradually declined until he resigned the position in 1936 and his career ended in 1939. By then, he was very overweight, in contrast to the athleticism of his earlier career, and was drinking very heavily.

Chapman was never a reliable batsman but had a respectable batting record. In Tests, he scored 925 runs at an average of 28.90 and in first-class cricket accumulated 16,309 runs at an average of 31.97. He could score runs very quickly and spectators found his batting enjoyable to watch, but his ability declined as his weight increased. As a fielder, contemporaries rated him one of the best of all time and he was capable of catches regarded as exceptional. Opinions were divided on his tactical ability as a captain but most critics believed he was an inspirational leader.

Chapman's fame as a cricketer made him a popular public figure; he and his wife, whom he married in 1925, were well known figures in fashionable society. Their appearances were followed closely in the press. Outside of cricket, Chapman worked for a brewery, which possibly contributed to his later alcoholism. In his later years, Chapman increasingly suffered from the effects of heavy drinking and was often seen drunk in public. He and his wife divorced in 1942 and Chapman spent his final years, mainly alone, suffering from depression, arthritis and his continued dependence on alcohol. Following a fall at his home and a subsequent operation, Chapman died in 1961, aged 61.

Early life

Chapman was born on 3 September 1900 in Reading, Berkshire, the son of Frank Chapman and his wife Bertha Finch. His father, a school teacher had recently moved to Reading from his home in Southampton to support his recently widowed mother, Chapman's grandmother. Shortly after Chapman's birth, the family moved to Carmarthenshire so that Chapman senior could assume a new teaching position at Llandovery College, and he later became headmaster of Fritham House School in Lyndhurst, Hampshire. Chapman's father encouraged him to play cricket and coached him personally; from an early age, Chapman was steered towards University cricket and playing for the Gentlemen.

Chapman was first educated at his father's preparatory school, Fritham House. By the age of eight, he was in the school's first eleven. In September 1910, Chapman joined Oakham School where his reputation as a cricketer grew. He scored his first century and dominated cricket and football at the school. In 1914, he went to Uppingham School where he remained until 1919. Although his academic performance was undistinguished at Uppingham, he was eventually appointed prefect and later a head of house. He displayed some immaturity but his teachers thought him to be a good influence and level-headed. He established his cricketing reputation in matches between the school houses; in one match for juniors, he scored 200 runs and later scored two centuries in one afternoon. By 1916, he was in the Uppingham first team, scored a century and achieved second place in the batting averages for the school. By now, his achievements were familiar to the wider public. Chapman improved his record in 1917, despite an unsuccessful season by the team. He scored 668 runs at an average of 111.33; after a poor start to the season, he scored two fifties, two centuries and a double century in his last five innings.

In 1918, Chapman scored 472 runs at 52.44 and took 15 wickets. His form meant that he was selected to appear in two prestigious school representative matches at Lord's Cricket Ground. Part of what cricket writer E. W. Swanton describes as "the best of all school vintages", Chapman's schoolboy team-mates included several people who went on to be successful cricketers. Their opponents included many famous cricketers and Chapman scored a fifty in one game. As a consequence of his achievements, he was chosen as one of the Cricketers of the Year for 1919 in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. The citation noted that Chapman displayed ability as a bowler but was mainly known as a batsman. Although it noted his defence could be better, it described him as "a left-handed player, and he is one of those who are able to put great power behind almost any stroke with very little apparent effort ... Chapman has a fine wrist and any amount of strokes all around the wicket." Chapman continued to impress in 1919; he captained the team, scored 637 runs at an average of 70.77 and took 40 wickets. He was chosen for the Lord's schools matches once again. Although his weak defence continued to draw comment, he was regarded as one of the most promising cricketers of his generation when he left Uppingham in 1919.

University cricket

In 1919, Chapman entered Pembroke College, Cambridge, at a time when many talented cricketers were available to play for Cambridge University. Following the First World War, and some short-lived experimentation with the cricket programme in 1919, interest in cricket was high before the 1920 season. Consequently there was great interest in the trial matches held at Cambridge to select the cricket team. Chapman failed in both trial games and even his reputation as a schoolboy cricketer was insufficient to keep him in the team for Cambridge's opening first-class match against Essex, so great was the competition for places. But on the day of the match, a player withdrew from the Cambridge team and Chapman replaced him. Making his first-class debut, on 15 May 1920, he scored 118 in a rapid innings and maintained his place in the team for the remainder of the season. He scored a century against Somerset and fifties against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the Royal Navy to secure his place in the University Match against Oxford. Appearing at number seven in the batting order, Chapman scored 27 in this final game to aggregate 613 runs at an average of 40.86, second in the Cambridge batting averages. Unusually for someone in their first year of University cricket, he was subsequently selected for the prestigious Gentlemen v Players match at Lord's. Although not particularly successful with the bat, critics singled him out for his effective fielding. Following this match, Chapman played Minor Counties cricket during August for Berkshire as an amateur and headed the team's batting averages; he later appeared in three end-of-season games at the Scarborough Festival where he scored 101 in a Gentlemen and Players game against a bowling attack containing three internationals. In all first-class matches that season, Chapman scored 873 runs at 39.68.

Chapman going out to bat in the early 1920s

The following season, Chapman averaged over 50 for the University, although his growing reputation meant some critics felt he had underachieved, and scored three centuries. He once again played in the University match and for the Gentlemen against the Players, and impressed commentators. Some critics suggested he, along with other promising University players, should be selected for England; the Test side were in the middle of a series against Australia which was lost 3–0, in the course of which 30 players were chosen by England. Chapman once more appeared for Berkshire in August, scoring 468 runs and taking 19 wickets. At the end of the season, he was selected by Archie MacLaren in a match at Eastbourne, playing for an all-amateur non-representative England team against the undefeated Australian touring team. In a match which became famous in later years, MacLaren's team became the first to defeat the tourists, although Chapman was not successful personally. Chapman went on to play in end-of-season festival games and finished the season with 954 runs at 39.75.

That winter, The Cricketer magazine named Chapman as a young cricketer of the year; his hitting powers, ability as a fielder and his occasionally impetuous aggression were referred to. However, at the beginning of the 1922 season, his form was poor to the point where critics suggested leaving him out of the University Match. He had scored 300 runs from 14 innings before it began but retained his place partially on the strength of his fielding. After Cambridge batted very slowly on the first day, Chapman attacked the bowling on the second morning to score 102 not out. The Times commented: "Last season Mr. Chapman failed to make the advance in judgment, and pertinacity, which was to be expected from one who, as a freshman, had been proclaimed the legitimate successor of Mr. F. G. J. Ford. Yesterday, unless we are mistaken, he established himself ... Apart from [one careless] stroke, he maintained the balance exactly poised between caution and daring." Cambridge won easily, concluding Chapman's cricket at the university, but his innings impressed critics to the extent that he was selected the following week for the Gentlemen v Players match at Lord's. There, he scored 160 and shared century partnerships with Arthur Carr and Frank Mann. Chapman earned great praise for his aggression and his stroke-play on the off side. The Times described it as "one of the great innings in the history of the game" and praised his defence as well as his hitting. Shortly after this, Sydney Pardon wrote in The Times: "In the cricket field the most interesting figure at the moment is, beyond all comparison, Mr. A. P. F. Chapman. A fortnight ago we were all lamenting his ill-success this season and wondering whether he would ever do justice to his great gifts and fulfil the hopes entertained of him in 1920. Most effectually he has put his critics to shame ... [he is] in such a position that if an England eleven had to meet Australia next week he would be picked at once with acclamation." Prior to this, only R. E. Foster had scored centuries in the University Match and the Gentlemen v Players match. Chapman ended his season by scoring 805 runs and taking 19 wickets for Berkshire, and playing in festival games. He aggregated 607 runs at 33.72 in first-class matches for the season.

Chapman was popular at Cambridge and enjoyed his time there. He took part in a variety of social engagements and also became involved in other sports. These included fives, tennis, rugby union, golf and football. He captained Pembroke College at rugby and was close to playing for the full university side. Chapman continued to play rugby for Berkshire Wanderers until he was nearly 30 years old. Also for Pembroke, Chapman played as goalkeeper in the football team and may have played for the university at hockey had he taken the sport seriously. In later years, Chapman also displayed proficiency at tennis, where critics considered he could have reached a high standard if motivated to do so, and golf.

Cricket career in the mid-1920s

MCC tour to Australia and New Zealand

The MCC team that toured Australian in 1922–23: Chapman is sitting on the front row on the extreme left.

During the English winter of 1922–23, the MCC selected two overseas touring parties. The main tour to South Africa included Test matches but Chapman, despite some suggestions from critics that he should go to South Africa, was chosen in the team to tour Australia and New Zealand. This side, composed mainly of amateurs, was not particularly strong and contained several players chosen for their social standing rather than cricketing ability. Chapman, as one of the most accomplished batsmen, was expected to do well. The team initially played four first-class games in Australia against state teams; the first was drawn and the others were lost. After scores of 75 and 58 against Western Australia, Chapman played consecutive innings of 53, 73 and 69 against South Australia and Victoria, followed by 100 in the most eagerly awaited match of the tour against a strong New South Wales side. The press and public praised his attacking, fast-scoring batting and his fielding, although Frank Iredale, a former Test cricketer, noticed some flaws in his technique. In particular, The Sydney Morning Herald praised his century as "one of the most delightful exhibitions seen in Sydney for many a day." When the team moved on to New Zealand, after an uncertain start Chapman scored 533 runs at an average of 48.45, including two centuries. The tourists returned to Australia for the last leg of the tour; Chapman scored 91 against New South Wales and 134 in 142 minutes against South Australia. In all the Australian games, Chapman totalled 782 runs at 65.16; in all the matches on tour he had 1,315 runs at an average of 57.15. His bowling, which was expected to make an impact, was ineffective. Australian critics praised him and he was very popular with the public, who enjoyed watching him bat and field.

Qualifying for Kent

Sydney Pardon, writing in Wisden prior to the 1923 season, said: "Our great hope at the moment is A. P. F. Chapman. He may not be quite sound in method, he may need a good wicket and be uncertain in dealing with the fast ball just outside the off stump, but he has the genius of the game in him, and as he is happily going on with his cricket no limit can be placed on what he may do in the next few years. By right of his batting and his glorious fielding he is the most attractive personality in the new generation of players." When Chapman returned to England, he began to work for a brewery based in Kent, H & G Symonds, which allowed him to qualify for Kent County Cricket Club. At the time, the County Championship had strict qualification rules preventing a player appearing for a team in the Championship until he had lived for two years in that county. There were few opportunities for Chapman to appear in first-class cricket until he qualified. His cricket was mainly restricted to club level in 1923, with some further games for Berkshire. He played 12 first-class games for a variety of teams in 1923; he was selected for the Gentlemen v Players matches at Lord's and The Oval, scoring 83 in the latter game, and played in two trial matches for players on the verge of England selection, although no Tests were played that year. In total, he scored 615 runs at 29.28, including a century for the Free Foresters Cricket Club.

The focus of attention during the 1924 season was selection of a team to contest the Ashes during a Test-playing tour of Australia the following winter. Critics regarded Chapman as a certainty for selection. Continuing to play as an amateur, Chapman made his first appearance for Kent in a non-Championship match, as he was still qualifying, and was very successful in early season club matches. That summer, England played South Africa in a Test series and Chapman was selected for a trial game before the first Test. He scored 64 not out and 43 for "The Rest", and following the withdrawal of a batsman owing to injury before the first Test, Chapman made his Test debut against South Africa on 14 June. He became one of the few cricketers to represent England while playing for a minor county rather than a team playing in the County Championship. Chapman batted once and scored eight runs; South Africa were heavily beaten and Chapman drew praise from Wisden for an "amazing" catch on the last day. He retained his place for the second Test but did not bat: only four English batsmen were needed in the game as their team dominated the game and won by an innings. Although selected for the third game, Chapman did not play owing to a motorbike accident. Riding home from a ball, his raincoat became entangled with the bike's back wheel, throwing him into the road. Chapman was not seriously hurt but missed the remainder of the Test series and the Gentlemen v Players game at Lord's. Upon recovering, he returned to play for Berkshire without much success and played several festival games at the end of the season. By this stage, he had already been selected to tour Australia that winter, to the approval of critics. In the final match of the season, he was selected for "The Rest" to play the County Champions, Yorkshire. He scored 74 in 50 minutes and hit three sixes, two of them from consecutive deliveries from Wilfred Rhodes. This was his highest score of the season, in which he made 561 runs at 31.16.

Second tour to Australia

The MCC team was led by Arthur Gilligan. In the first matches of the tour, Chapman was cheered by the crowds, but he failed to make any significant scores despite good starts, although his fielding drew praise. His positive reception partly arose from his achievements on his previous tour. But former Australian captain Monty Noble criticised his over-adventurous batting. His first big innings came against Victoria; MCC had lost several wickets in pursuit of a substantial winning total when Chapman came out to bat. He made 72 runs out of 111 scored while he was batting before being dismissed shortly before his team won. Against Queensland in the following match, he scored 80 in 70 minutes and then hit 93 against a representative Australian XI.

Chapman played in the first four Tests of the five-match series. Playing aggressive cricket, he made several substantial scores but only passed fifty in the second innings of the third Test. In this innings, his first Test score over fifty, he scored 58 runs, hitting the ball hard and disrupting the bowlers. During the same Test, Gilligan strained a muscle while bowling and had to leave the field and Chapman took over as captain. England lost the first three matches, giving Australia an insurmountable lead in the series, but won the fourth. However, Chapman was left out of the side for the final Test. In the series, he scored 185 runs at an average of 30.83, and critics were divided as to his ability and effectiveness. Noble believed he could be a good batsman if he curbed his aggression but The Cricketer considered his technique to be faulty. Wisden did not consider Chapman a complete failure and noted that he "made useful scores at times", but Chapman's biographer David Lemmon believes that the slow grinding cricket of Test cricket in Australia in this period did not suit Chapman's batting style. In all first-class games, Chapman scored 625 runs at 34.72. Although Chapman had a mixed time on the cricket field, the tour was a success for him socially. The highlight came at the end of the tour when Chapman visited New Zealand and married Beet Lowry; the wedding was reported in the press in England.

Now qualified to play county cricket for Kent, Chapman played only four games in the County Championship in 1925 as he wished to establish himself in his other career in the brewery trade. Chapman was not sufficiently wealthy to play cricket full-time as an amateur and throughout his career his business commitments restricted his appearances on the cricket field. In his first Championship match, commencing on 8 July 1925, he scored 18 and 49. During his limited first-class appearances, Chapman scored 207 runs at 25.87 and Wisden in noting his debut, said that he "did nothing out of the common".

England captain

Ashes series of 1926

By the beginning of the 1926 season, Chapman was no longer seen as the saviour of English cricket. Although still respected and highly regarded for his achievements for Cambridge and the Gentlemen, he had a modest record in Test and first-class cricket. During the season, the Australians toured England for another Ashes series. Chapman did not play in the early season games and his first match for Kent was against the touring side. He scored 51, his first first-class fifty since January 1925. A week later, he scored 159 against Hampshire and at least one newspaper considered him a certainty for the England team. His next innings yielded 89 runs in a Test trial game against the Australians, during which he batted well against Arthur Mailey and Clarrie Grimmett, the leading Australian bowlers whom critics regarded as crucial to Australia's chances. He scored a century for the Free Foresters in his next innings. Chapman's appearances for Kent were sporadic for the rest of the season, but he scored 629 runs in his nine County Championship games at an average of 57.18 to lead the Kent averages. He scored a second century for Kent and a further one during the Gentlemen v Players game at Lord's.

Early in the season, Arthur Carr was named as England captain for the start of the series; Carr was a popular choice and the only other serious contender at the time was Percy Fender. Chapman played in two of the three trial matches and was chosen for the first Test but did not bat in a match ruined by rain. The second Test was drawn but Chapman scored fifty out of a large England total. Australia dominated most of the third Test but England saved the game; Chapman scored 15 and 42 not out in the match. However, Carr faced criticism after he chose to omit Charlie Parker, asked Australia to bat after winning the toss, and dropped a catch offered by Charlie Macartney before he had scored—the batsman went on to score a century before lunch on the first day. Critics also stated his positioning of fielders was poor and that he lost control of the side on the first day when Australia were on top. Chapman was omitted from the side for the fourth Test, but fielded as substitute when Carr became ill during the game.

Appointment and Ashes victory

On 8 August, the selection committee met to choose the team for the final, decisive Test, to be played at The Oval. Aware that England had beaten Australia only once in the last nineteen Test matches, replaced Carr as captain, although the decision was not unanimous Chapman, at the time fourth in the national batting averages, was appointed in Carr's place. The decision met with enormous controversy; press sympathy favoured Carr, particularly as not only was Chapman unproven as captain, his place in the team was insecure. Other critics questioned Chapman's youth and claimed he would be merely a figurehead for others to lead the team. The Times correspondent noted: "The composition of the team will come as something of a surprise, and much regret will be felt at the absence of Mr. Carr, who has proved his ability to captain England ... It may be argued that Mr. Chapman lacks experience in captaincy, but he has at any rate considerable experience of Test Match cricket, and will have the inestimable benefit of the advice of either of two seasoned and experienced men in Hobbs and Rhodes." Home Gordon, a cricket writer, later claimed that Carr remained on the selection committee after being dropped from the team and cast the decisive vote for Chapman. Gordon also wrote that "a certain amateur" other than Chapman, whom Alan Gibson believes to have been Percy Fender, was expecting to be chosen and was ready to join the committee. Pelham Warner, the chairman of selectors, later denied this version of events.

The fifth Test began on 14 August. Chapman won the toss and decided that England should bat first. When it was his turn to bat, Chapman was given a good reception by the crowd; he tried to score quickly and to disrupt the rhythm of the bowlers. Wisden noted that he "hit out in vigorous fashion". Once he was dismissed for 49, the remaining batsmen were out quickly, leaving England with a disappointing total of 280. Australia replied with 302, restricted by the effectiveness of the English bowling. On a pitch affected by rain and extremely difficult to bat on, England then scored 436, mainly because of a large partnership between opening batsmen Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe. Australia needed to score 415 to win, which was unlikely given the condition of the pitch. The team were bowled out for 125, and at least one of Chapman's tactical decisions resulted in Australia losing a wicket. Wisden reported that "not a catch was missed nor was a run given away, the whole England side rising gallantly to the occasion. Naturally a scene of tremendous enthusiasm occurred at the end, the crowd swarming in thousands in front of the pavilion, and loudly cheering the players, both English and Australian." The correspondent also commented" "Chapman ... despite lack of experience in leading a first-class team in the field, turned out a very happy nomination for the post of captain, the young amateur, for the most part, managing his bowling with excellent judgement, and in two or three things he did, showing distinct imagination." Throughout the match, Chapman chose to follow his own tactics rather than rely on the veteran players in the team for advice, despite his captaincy inexperience. However, his carefree style of captaincy in this game was not appreciated by the 49-year-old Wilfred Rhodes, whom the selectors had also recalled for the decisive game. In the final innings, he had taken four wickets and hoped for more; Chapman replaced him with another bowler and when questioned by Rhodes, replied that it would be pleasant to share the wickets between the other bowlers. In the series, Chapman scored 175 runs at 58.33.

Aftermath and success

Following the match, Chapman was lauded as a cricketing hero, and among those who sent congratulatory messages were George V and Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. Playing for Kent a week after the Test, Chapman was given an enthusiastic reception by the crowd. Although a car accident caused him to miss some games, Chapman played several more times that season, and captained Kent and an "England XI" against the Australians. In all first-class matches in the season, he scored 1,381 runs at an average of 51.14, the first time he had passed four figures in a season. He continued to receive recognition and praise from the public once the season had ended. In his history of England cricket captain, Alan Gibson notes that the controversy over Chapman's appointment was soon forgotten following his success. He writes: "English cricket had a new hero who looked the part ... Every selector was a champion!"

During the 1927 season, Wisden, in its summary of the season placed him as Kent's best batsman: "He played in dazzling fashion. Chapman, indeed, last season was at his best as a batsman. Not only did he maintain his remarkable hitting powers, but his defence was more certain, and he curbed his tendency to lash out directly he went in." In his first match of the season, he scored 158 against Worcestershire. Against Lancashire, who retained the County Championship in 1927, he scored 260 in three hours batting. The Lancashire bowling attack included former Australian Test bowler Ted McDonald, regarded as the fastest bowler in the world at the time and feared by most county batsmen. When Chapman came out to bat with Kent in difficulties, he and Geoffrey Legge shared a partnership of 284 runs. Many critics regarded Chapman's innings as one of the best ever played. He hit the ball with great power, and hooked and cut McDonald frequently. In total, he hit 32 fours and five sixes; one six from McDonald's bowling was hit so hard that the bowler applauded the batsman. Although Chapman was passed over when the Kent captaincy became available, he was selected to lead the Gentlemen against the Players at Lord's for the first time in 1927. He also led representative sides in two of the three Test trials held that season, and scored 70 in the first of them. After missing the second match—although selected, he chose to play for Kent instead—he returned for the third and critics praised his captaincy. He ended the season with a century in a festival match, his fourth of the summer, and totalled 1,387 runs in first-class games at an average of 66.04, the highest aggregate and average of his career. The Kent captaincy once more became available at the end of the season, but Chapman was not appointed; according to Lemmon, he was probably approached but was unable to dedicate the necessary time to the position.

Chapman was unavailable for the Test series in South Africa in the winter of 1927–28, but was considered a certainty to lead the MCC team to Australia in 1928–29. He began the 1928 season in good form with 141 runs against Somerset and an uncharacteristically defensive match-winning 40 against Northamptonshire. However, he was never as effective as in 1927, and although his captaincy in an early Test trial was praised by critics, there were concerns over his increasing weight. He captained England to a 3–0 series win over West Indies, playing their first Test matches. He reached fifty just once, and scored 58 runs at an average of 29.00, but his fielding impressed critics to offset concerns over his fitness, heightened when he strained a muscle in the second Test. Chapman was named as captain for the Australian tour, but the selectors wanted him to play more regularly and he made more appearances in 1928 than in any previous season. In total, he scored 967 runs at 37.19. The MCC touring team was regarded as a strong one by commentators; the only controversy was the omission of Frank Woolley which was not fully explained. Rumours in later years said that Chapman was responsible for leaving Woolley out as he was jealous of his county team-mate, but Lemmon regards this as unlikely.

Tour of Australia

Chapman (centre) leading out the team at Brisbane, 1928

From the moment the English cricketers arrived in Australia, Chapman made a favourable impression on the Australian public. As he stepped off the boat, he bet a dockworker that his team would retain the Ashes. Although the MCC team was affected by injuries during the early part of the tour, their strategy was established in the opening matches. While the first matches were drawn, the English batsmen made a series of large totals. Chapman contributed his share, scoring 145 runs in two-and-a-quarter hours against South Australia and 71 against Victoria, sharing a partnership of 93 in 48 minutes in the process. The selection committee for the tour comprised Chapman and four other players: Jack White, Douglas Jardine, Jack Hobbs and Ernest Tyldesley. For the first Test, they selected a team containing just three specialist bowlers, an unusually small number, in an attempt to make the batting as strong as possible; Chapman believed that this was an essential policy in Tests which were to be played to a finish, with no possibility of a draw.

England batted first in the opening Test match and scored 521; Chapman scored 50, playing a very aggressive innings before he was out early on the second day; critics believed he was too aggressive and should have batted more cautiously. When Australia began their innings, Chapman held a catch from Bill Woodfull in the gully which several observers rated as among the best they had seen. Sydney Southerton, writing of the English fielding, said: "The high note was struck by Chapman himself at Brisbane when, with a catch that will be historic, he dismissed Woodfull. Only a man of his height and reach and possessed in a marked degree of the anticipatory sense could have made the ground and held the ball as he did with left hand outstretched to its fullest extent. It is my opinion that catch had a pronounced effect on the course of events in the three subsequent Tests for fielding, as Chapman generally did, at silly mid-off he exercised a most restraining influence on the Australian batsmen." Australia were bowled out for 122 by Harold Larwood; Chapman did not ask Australia to follow-on but batted again, to the crowd's displeasure, and his batsmen relentlessly built up the England lead. When Chapman became the first captain to declare an innings closed in a timeless Test match, Australia needed 742 to win. On a rain-affected pitch, Australia were bowled out for 66. Chapman's team followed this with a comfortable victory in the second Test after England reached 636 in their first innings, the highest team total in Tests at that time.

The third Test proved to be decisive to the outcome of the series as England's victory ensured that the series was won and the Ashes were retained. Australia's first innings 397 was surpassed by England's reply of 417; Chapman scored 24 but was criticised for attempting to score too quickly. Australia replied with 351 but rain overnight meant that England had to score 332 on a rain-damaged pitch, a task which critics did not believe was possible. However, Hobbs and Sutcliffe shared an opening partnership of 105, batting extremely skilfully. During the course of the partnership, Hobbs sent a message to the England dressing room that Chapman should alter the batting order so that Jardine batted when a wicket fell as Hobbs considered Jardine the best equipped batsman to survive the conditions. But the team could not find Chapman, who according to Percy Fender, in attendance as a journalist, spent most of his time sitting in the Ladies' Stand. Consequently, the team decided to follow Hobbs' plan without the approval of the captain. For the rest of the game, the batsmen took England close to the winning target and the team needed 14 to win when the fourth wicket fell. Chapman came in and batted in an unusual way; after attempting some big shots, he began to play ultra-defensively, possibly in an attempt to allow Patsy Hendren to reach fifty runs before England won. Hendren was out soon after, then Chapman tried to hit a six and was caught. The batsmen continued to play recklessly and a further wicket fell to a run out. Douglas describes the end of the match: "Meanwhile, Geary was quite unruffled by the sudden upsets, he wound up for the next delivery and thumped it through mid-on for 4, bellowing, 'Dammit, we've done 'em!' It was an appropriate way for a side under Chapman to win the Ashes."

England won the fourth Test by the narrow margin of 12 runs; according to Lemmon, Chapman's tactics were important in securing the victory. Up until this point, Chapman enjoyed a harmonious relationship with the Australian crowds. But in the match against Victoria which followed the fourth Test, the crowd barracked the MCC team when Chapman brought Larwood, his fast bowler, on to bowl against Bert Ironmonger, the number eleven. Such a tactic was regarded as unsporting. Chapman could not calm down the situation through words or actions and the Victorian captain declared the innings closed so that the match could continue. As the team returned to the pavilion, Chapman was insulted by members of the crowd in the midst of a minor scuffle. These events may have influenced Chapman to withdraw from the team for the final Test, although illness and his poor form may also have been factors. Gibson writes; "There was an impression he had been dropped, with his own approval, partly because his form was not especially good and partly to let Maurice Leyland have a go." According to Lemmon, it was suggested in later years that Chapman did not play owing to his heavy drinking. In his absence, Australia won the fifth Test and according to Southerton, the home batsmen played with much greater freedom when his fielding was not a restraining factor. He wrote in Wisden: "I shall always think a mistake was made by the Selection Committee of the team in allowing him to stand down on that occasion. His inspiration to the rest of the side could be seen all the time he was playing. " White assumed the captaincy, and Maurice Leyland, Chapman's replacement, scored a century. After the fifth day of play and having played both his innings, Jardine left the match for reasons which are unclear, and Chapman acted as his substitute in the field. Douglas notes that it looked like England "were trying to pull a fast one by picking their strongest batting side (which meant dropping Chapman) without weakening the fielding (since Chapman was Jardine's substitute)." The Australians agreed on the condition that Chapman did not field near the batsmen.

In the Tests, Chapman scored 165 runs at 23.57, and in all first-class matches he reached 533 runs and averaged 33.31. Southerton summarised his performance: "Chapman himself began well in batting but in the later matches was too prone to lash out at the off ball and, as the tour progressed, the Australian bowlers discovered his weakness. Still, he had no reason to be dissatisfied with his doings." On Chapman's captaincy, Southerton wrote: "Chapman captained the side uncommonly well, improving out of all knowledge as the tour progressed." Chapman's team got on very well, a factor Lemmon attributes to their success. He remained popular with Australians who appreciated his straightforward nature and his enjoyment of a good time; according to Douglas, "He hardly put a foot wrong during the tour and, even though he gave Australia their biggest hiding to date, he was and probably remains ... one of the most popular English captains to tour Australia." Throughout the tour, Chapman wore colourful headgear; in many games, he wore a Quidnuncs cap which he had been awarded at Cambridge for playing good cricket and similar to the Harlequins cap worn by Jardine. Such caps were commonly worn by amateurs, but unlike Jardine, Chapman was never criticised or barracked for wearing his as he treated such matters frivolously. This humour peaked in the fourth when he wore an especially colourful cap, awarded to Cambridge cricketers who made two scores of 0 in the same match, decorated with two large noughts embroidered on the front and "Chaps" on the back. Socially, Chapman enjoyed the tour and kept a postcard collection of each place visited on the trip for the rest of his life. He attended many social gatherings and often had alcoholic drinks. According to Bill Ferguson, the team scorer, he only saw Chapman annoyed once on the tour: when his accustomed drink was not waiting for him at a lunch interval.

Ashes series of 1930

Following the end of the 1928–29 tour, Chapman did not return to England with the rest of the team. Instead, he and his wife visited the Lowry family in New Zealand before returning home via Canada. He did not reach England until July, midway through the cricket season, and Jack White took over as England captain in his absence. Chapman and his wife were featured extensively in the press upon their return as they attended several well-publicised social events; a dinner was also held in honour of the England team at which Chapman was present. He also resumed playing for Kent shortly after his return home but appeared in only seven matches, with a top-score of 28. His season was curtailed when he fell awkwardly while fielding in a match against Sussex at the beginning of August, twisted his knee and had to be helped off the pitch. He did not return until the end of the season, when he played two festival games but had to withdraw from the second with a recurrence of his injury. In the meantime, Arthur Carr assumed the England captaincy from White for the final two Tests of the five-Test series against South Africa. Chapman also missed the two MCC tours that winter to New Zealand and West Indies.

The England captaincy assumed greater importance in 1930 as Australia toured England once more. Before the Test matches began, Chapman was not a unanimous choice among press correspondents, and several critics believed he should not be in the team on account of his rapidly increasing weight—Pelham Warner suggested he needed to lose at least two stone—and concern over his poor batting form. Once Chapman began the season with scores of 65 and 107 in his second and third games, he was selected to captain an MCC team against the Australian touring side. Although he failed with the bat, his captaincy and fielding were praised and he was chosen to captain an England side in a trial match. Despite a series of low scores with the bat, Chapman was subsequently named as England captain for the first Test match. In the first innings of that match, he scored 52 in 65 minutes to rescue England from a poor position; he scored 29 in England's second innings, after which Australia needed 429 to win. Despite a century from Donald Bradman, England won the match by 93 runs. The Wisden correspondent wrote: "Chapman, with his resources limited, managed his bowling well and himself fielded in dazzling fashion." This was Chapman's sixth successive victory over Australia and he had won all nine of the Tests in which he was captain. However, it was to be his last Test victory.

England lost the second Test by seven wickets, and Gibson describes the match as the "turning point in Chapman's fortunes". The Wisden report summarises the end of the game: "Briefly, the Englishmen lost a match, which, with a little discretion on the last day, they could probably have saved." England scored 425 in their first innings, but Bradman hit 254 runs and Australia reached 729 for six declared. When Chapman came in to bat, England still trailed by 163 runs and had lost four wickets—a fifth fell soon after. At this point, before he had scored, Chapman could have been dismissed when he hit a ball in the air, but it landed between two fielders. He then began to attack the bowling, particularly Grimmett, whom the other batsmen found very difficult to play. He scored fifty runs in 90 minutes and shared a large partnership with Gubby Allen. When Allen was out, Chapman began to score even faster and took England into the lead. He reached his only Test century after 140 minutes batting and was given an ovation by the crowd. He now began to hit out at almost every delivery; Wisden commented: "It was about this time that, with a little care and thoughtfulness, England might have saved the game for at the luncheon interval with, five men out, they had cleared off all but 42 of the arrears. So far from devoting their energies to defence they continued hitting away, adding another 113 runs in an hour and a quarter afterwards but losing their last five wickets." Chapman was finally dismissed for 121, after batting for 155 minutes and striking 12 fours and 4 sixes. He had mainly scored runs through driving the ball and many of his runs came from Grimmett's bowling. England were all out for 375, leaving Australia needing to score just 72 runs to win. During the innings, Chapman held a difficult catch from Bradman which was praised by commentators, but Australia won for the loss of three wickets. Chapman's century made him the first batsman to score centuries at Lord's in the University match, in the Gentlemen v Players game and for England in a Test match; only Martin Donnelly later performed a similar feat, though his Test century was scored for New Zealand. As the Gentlemen v Players match ceased in 1962, the feat will never be repeated.

In the immediate aftermath of the game, Chapman was praised for his batting and although the team and selectors were criticised for the defeat, Chapman was not blamed. However, his captaincy and tactics were later criticised, by Pelham Warner among others. His field placings were called into question, for example for making his bowlers field a long way from the batsmen, as well as his refusal to play defensively to save the match. Gibson notes that historians regard this match as a turning point in Test matches; afterwards, captains became more concerned to avoid defeat rather than follow Chapman's policy of playing entertaining, attacking cricket whatever the result. Chapman's unwillingness to play for a draw was in later years held up as "the last sporting gesture by an England captain".

Loss of captaincy

In the third Test, Bradman made the highest individual score in a Test match by scoring 334 out of Australia's 566. Assisted by rain that shortened the available playing time, England drew the match but faced criticism for claiming that the light was too bad to continue while they were batting. The press considered this to be unsporting but did not blame Chapman. Chapman scored 45 in his only innings of the match and captained the Gentlemen against the Players immediately after. Around this time, he accepted an invitation to captain an MCC team which was to tour South Africa that winter. The fourth Test match was also badly affected by rain which brought about another draw. Chapman now faced criticism for his captaincy. Warner claimed he over-used the silly point fielding position, noted that his tactics were poor and that he was slow to react to the opposition. His other use of field placings and his deployment of bowlers also came under criticism. According to Leo McKinstry, the biographer of Jack Hobbs, the selectors (of whom Hobbs was one in 1930) had lost faith in Chapman on account of his inconsistent, risky batting and his increased tactical shortcomings. However, McKinstry also writes that the selectors and other influential members of the cricketing establishment were privately concerned by Chapman's heavy drinking. They felt that it was affecting his leadership and there were rumours that Chapman was drunk during some sessions of the fourth Test.

Following an extended meeting of the selectors, it was announced that Chapman had been left out of the side and replaced as captain by Bob Wyatt, although the information leaked to the newspapers ahead of the official announcement. According to at least one press report, the decision had not been unanimous among the selectors. The press were united in attacking the decision; journalists observed that Chapman was third in the English Test batting averages, was an inspiration in the field and demonstrated good leadership. On the other hand, critics stated that Wyatt was lacking experience and would not have the support of the team. Even Australians were critical and former Australian captain Monty Noble gave a speech attacking the selectors for the decision. Chapman gave an interview to the Daily Mail which questioned his removal as captain, but also sent a message to Wyatt wishing him luck and wrote a later article which backed the selectors' decision. Gibson observes: "In 1930, despite the occasional criticisms, Chapman's position did not seem in any danger. He was still the popular, boyish, debonair hero. He had been having his most successful series with the bat, and as a close fields man England still did not contain his equal. He could not seriously be blamed because the English bowlers could not get Bradman out (though this was perhaps more apparent in retrospect than at the time). Wyatt, though nothing was known against him ... was a figure markedly lacking in glamour." According to Jack Hobbs, the decision to drop Chapman was unanimous but he later believed it was a mistake.

When Wyatt batted in the final Test, he was given a good reception by the crowd and scored 64. However, Bradman scored another century and England lost the match and series. Wisden's match report stated: "The Selection Committee no doubt felt that a steadying influence on the middle batting was required. Wyatt certainly played his part in the first innings with a fine exhibition at a critical period and, with the bowling at command, Chapman could have done little, if any, better than Wyatt in his management of it. There can be no question, however, that the absence of Chapman's inspiring influence in the field was felt." Chapman was invited by Wyatt into the English dressing room for the duration of the game, and wrote about the match for the Daily Mail. The two men remained friends during and after the controversy. In comparing circumstances of Chapman's appointment with those of his sacking, Gibson writes: "In 1926, England won: in 1930, England lost. That is why the echoes took so long to die down and why the selectors remained villains." He concludes that, even though Wyatt did relatively well, "It does seem, after all these years, an odd decision to have taken." In the series, Chapman scored 259 runs at 43.16. In all first-class cricket, he passed four figures for the final time, reaching 1,027 runs at an average of 29.34.

Final tour

Already chosen as tour captain before the final 1930 Ashes Test, Chapman led an MCC team to a 1–0 series defeat the following winter. Several first-choice players were not selected and the team suffered from injuries and illness. Chapman was popular with the crowds but made a poor start to the tour with the bat until he scored more substantially in the lead-up to the Test series. England lost the opening match of the series by 28 runs and the other four were drawn. Needing to win the final match to level the series, England were frustrated when the start of the match was delayed. Chapman had won the toss and chose to bowl on a damp pitch which would have favoured his bowlers. However, the umpires discovered the bails were the wrong size and would not start the game until new ones could be made; in the 20 minutes which were lost, the pitch dried out and England lost much of the advantage of bowling first. Chapman made an official protest before leading his team onto the field. In the series, he scored 75 runs at 10.71, and 471 runs at 27.70 in all first-class games. Wisden observed that "without finding his full powers as a punishing hitter, Chapman occasionally batted well". Socially, the tour was more successful. Chapman was accompanied by his wife, and his parents joined the tour for a time. He took part in many social events and visited several whiskey firms which were associated with his employers in England.

Chapman played no further Test cricket; in 26 Tests, he scored 925 runs at an average of 28.90 and held 32 catches. He captained England in 17 matches, winning nine and losing two with the others drawn. This included seven consecutive wins, equalling the English record, which was not surpassed until 2004. His nine victories came in his first nine games as captain which remains a Test record as of 2012.

Later career

Kent captain

Although Chapman lost the England captaincy, he became official captain of Kent in 1931, having previously captained the side occasionally. Wisden commented that Chapman "exercised an invigorating influence" on the side. However, while his fielding remained influential, his batting form was poor: he scored 662 runs at an average of 18.38. Even so, some critics believed he should be retained as England captain despite his poor form and he was given the opportunity to captain the MCC against the New Zealand touring team at the start of the season. However, the tourists recorded an innings victory and Chapman did not score a run in either innings. Chapman's replacement, Douglas Jardine, had a mixed reception from the press and The Times correspondent disapproved of Jardine's appointment. On the other hand, the selectors expressed the desire for the captain on the 1932–33 tour of Australia to exercise more discipline over the team than was displayed in 1928–29. At the end of the season, Chapman toured West Indies in a team chosen by Lord Tennyson and scored 203 runs in first-class matches at 33.83.

Having expressed a desire to improve his batting, Chapman began the 1932 season in good form and appeared fitter than he had for many seasons. The press were encouraged and there were further calls for him to captain England again. Jardine's captaincy in 1931 left critics unimpressed and C. Stewart Caine, the editor of Wisden wrote: "Whether Jardine lacks some of the essentials for a successful captain or not, the impression appears to be widely entertained that Chapman, were he in form, would again be given charge of the team. Unhappily Chapman, while still unsurpassed as a fieldsman near the wicket and in that way capable of setting his men a brilliant example, has apparently lost his judgment in batting. Remembering the triumphs of his early manhood, he has been very disappointing for several seasons and last year he accomplished practically nothing until the summer was nearly at an end." Christopher Douglas believes that the difference between Jardine and Chapman in captaincy style may have made it harder for the press to accept Jardine. He writes: "Chapman's was just the kind of daredevil approach that is remembered with affect and, even though it was barely a year since he had lost the leadership, his reign was being regarded through rose-coloured specs." Although Chapman captained an MCC team against the touring Indian side, he was not selected in a Test trial, generating mild controversy in the press. Debate continued among cricket writers over his merits, but it is likely that the selectors never considered returning to him. During the season, Chapman scored 951 runs, averaged 29.71, and led Kent to third place in the County Championship for the second year in succession. While Jardine captained MCC on the "Bodyline" tour that winter, Chapman concentrated on his business interests and social events.

Decline

In 1933, he scored 834 runs but his average fell to 21.94 and he never again averaged over 23 in any season where he played regularly. Owing to his increasing weight and lack of physical fitness, he found batting much harder. His batting was always based on co-ordination and quick movements rather than technique; once his physique declined, he was unable to produce the same batting feats he had managed previously. In addition, although he could still catch the ball effectively in the field, he could not longer move quickly or chase the ball and tended to field closer to the batsmen. He always fielded at silly point, no matter the state of the game—even if this was not a good tactic at the time—and he took fewer catches. In both 1934 and 1935, he averaged around 22 with the bat and scored under 800 runs. In 1935, he scored his final first-class century against Somerset, having not reached the landmark since 1931. Team-mates and observers noticed that in the final years of his career, Chapman frequently left the field during matches, and they suspected he was drinking in the pavilion.

Chapman played infrequently in 1936, appearing in fewer than half of Kent's matches and the captaincy was shared between him and two others. He was reluctant to bat, to the extent of dropping down the batting order to avoid doing so; Lemmon writes: "It was apparent to those close to him that Chapman's nerve had gone ... He had once been called a perfectly fearless captain, but the hard living had taken a premature toll." At the end of the season, he announced that business commitments forced him to give up the captaincy. Wisden commented: "Chapman always brought such an inspiring influence to bear on the side, particularly in the field, that, if his intention remains unaltered, his familiar figure will be greatly missed." Over the following three seasons, Chapman played for Kent in three more matches: against the New Zealand touring side in 1937 and in two Championship games in 1938. He also captained a non-representative England XI in a festival game against the New Zealanders in 1937, batting at number ten in the batting order and scoring 61. His remaining first-class matches were low profile games against the universities; he played 13 games in his final three seasons. In his last game, he captained MCC against Oxford University, scoring 12 and 0. In all first-class cricket, Chapman scored 16,309 runs in 394 matches at an average of 31.97, and held 356 catches. By the time his career ended, his weight had increased even further, and Lemmon believes that he had become an embarrassment to other cricketers and faded away without much comment. In subsequent years, Chapman played occasional minor games but he was not successful. However, he kept in contact with cricket and cricketers for several years.

Before Chapman assumed the Kent captaincy, the county team was sharply divided along social lines and the amateur leadership was aloof from and often dismissive of the professional players. Frank Woolley described Chapman as bringing "a breath of fresh air into our stuffy dressing room". Although critics and players thought that he was past his best by the time he became captain, and already affected by alcoholism, he was successful. Les Ames believed that his main achievements were off the field: "He achieved ... an improved atmosphere in the dressing room, particularly between amateurs and professionals. With him, it was all hail fellow, well met!" Hopper Levett said that "Percy Chapman certainly made us all enjoy our cricket. Despite the drink problem, he was a marvellous man and, for much of his time, a wonderful cricketer."

Style and technique

Chapman batting in Australia in 1928

Cricket writer R. C. Robertson-Glasgow said in 1943 that it was much harder to prevent Chapman scoring runs than for the majority of batsmen. While batting, Chapman always tried to attack the bowling, although this meant he made mistakes which resulted in his dismissal. Robertson-Glasgow described him as: "Tall, strong, and lithe, he was a left-handed hitter with orthodox defence, much of which was rendered unnecessary by a vast reach, and an ability to drive good-length balls over the head of mid-off, bowler, and mid-on. His cover-driving, too, was immensely strong." E. W. Swanton called him an "adventurous" batsman, who could change the course of a match through his hitting ability, but noted that he was "too venturesome to be a consistent scorer." Ivo Tennant writes: "A superb cutter and driver, who enjoyed lofting the ball great distances into the deep field, Chapman could dominate a match by the sheer insolence of his left-handed batting, using power, intuition, and authority against the fiercest bowling attacks." Gibson notes that Chapman's career batting figures were good, but that critics believed that, with his talent, he should have scored more runs. Gibson writes: "When Chapman was going well, he looked quite as good as Woolley [his Kent and England team-mate] at the other end, and in the mid-1920s there was no other English left-hander, possibly no other England batsman at all except Hobbs, of whom that could be said." His Wisden obituary stated that he was "a tall, polished left-handed batsman who, excelling in the off-drive and leg-side strokes, was generally willing and able to attack the bowling". His increased weight in the 1930s robbed him of confidence and slowed him down to the point where his batting declined. When batting, Chapman usually wore the Quidnuncs cap.

Critics claimed that Chapman was not a subtle captain and was not tactically astute. Even so, his record as captain is at least as good as others who captained England during Chapman's career. Of those who played with him, Les Ames noted that "there have been one or two better tacticians and more shrewd skippers", and Chapman's successor, Wyatt, numbered Chapman among several over-rated captains and said he "was good up to a point but he was no tactician". Pelham Warner believed that Chapman started well as England captain, but that in the later stages of 1930, his captaincy and tactical sense markedly deteriorated. On the other hand, several of Chapman's contemporaries believed him to be one of the best captains. Arthur Gilligan, one of Chapman's predecessors, considered him to be an ideal captain, and Bert Oldfield, who played against Chapman as Australia's wicket-keeper, thought that Chapman possessed an "aptitude" for leadership and rated him as the best opposing captain he played against. He wrote: "He was always an individualist, seldom seeking advice from others, and appeared to be blessed with the uncanny gift of taking the correct decision at the right moment. He studied his opponents and did not make the mistake of feeding their strength."

Chapman's teams were usually harmonious and his sympathetic handling of his players often brought out the best in them. Writing in 1943, Robertson-Glasgow said: "His captaincy, like his batting, was natural. It was founded on quick perceptions, a wide knowledge of human nature, and a happiness of disposition which native shrewdness never allowed to deteriorate into mere geniality. He knew his men as perhaps no other captain of modern times has known them." Swanton believes that Chapman's cavalier reputation was misleading in assessing his captaincy, and that "underlying the boyish facade was both a shrewd cricket brain and the good sense to ask advice from those of greater experience." In his A Social History of English Cricket, Derek Birley points out that despite Chapman's reputation as a carefree, debonair amateur, he batted again rather than making Australia follow-on in his first Test as captain in Australia, even though his team led by nearly 400 runs, to set Australia over 700 to win, when the home side were missing two batsmen owing to injury.

Robertson-Glasgow described Chapman as among the greatest fielders of all time, and The Times observed that "at his best he had been one of the finest fielders ever to play for England". In his earlier years, he fielded in the deep but when he played for Kent and England, he was positioned closer to the batsmen—usually at gully or silly point. His Wisden obituary said that "he made a name as a silly point, cover or slip of amazing speed and brilliancy", while The Cricketer commented that his "capacious hands made him a brilliant close-to-the-wicket fielder, and some of his catches were miraculous". In his youth, Chapman bowled quite regularly, but his negative experience bowling for Berkshire lessened his enthusiasm, and he did not take it seriously. Robertson-Glasgow concluded his 1943 analysis of Chapman: "My own idea of a cricket match is to bowl on a fast pitch with damp on top and to have Chapman, as captain, in the gully."

Personal life

Marriage and fame

During May 1921, Chapman met Beet Lowry, the sister of Tom Lowry, a cricketer from New Zealand who played for Cambridge and Somerset and went on to captain his country. The couple met again when Chapman toured New Zealand in 1922–23 and the pair became engaged. At the end of his tour of 1924–25, the pair married and returned to England together. The wedding was widely reported and until the end of the decade the couple became heavily involved in social events. They were popular guests at functions, and became notable figures in the fashionable society of the upper classes. For example, in 1926 they went on a golfing holiday in the fashionable resort of Le Touquet and were prominently featured in magazines which followed society people.

In 1923, Chapman joined a Kent brewery, H & G Symonds. His wife believed that his choice of a career working in the alcohol trade made his life difficult and contributed to his heavy drinking. The social duties associated with his job also contributed to his increased weight and failing fitness in the later part of his cricket career. Further problems arose through his fame, as both well-meaning friends and those attracted by celebrity became associated with him through cricket or business. As he wanted to keep people happy, he drank frequently and attended many social functions. Ivo Tennant believes that "his taste for conviviality was his undoing". He always appeared happy, but Gibson observes "that is the way some men disguise their unhappiness", and Lemmon suggests that Chapman was seeking acceptance and felt lonely at heart. According to Lemmon, by the end of the Second World War, Chapman was largely living in the past, and that "mentally he was still in the happy days of University cricket."

Later struggle

E. W. Swanton observes that "from the war onwards [Chapman's] life went into a sad eclipse." In 1942, Chapman was divorced from his wife; according to Lemmon, "Beet had stood much, but there is a point for all relationships beyond which one must not go". She returned to live in New Zealand in 1946. After 1946, Chapman lived with the steward of West Hill Golf Club, Bernard Benson, and his health continued to deteriorate. He was frequently observed to be drunk in public, although his appearance and manners remained impeccable; the cricket establishment ignored him and regarded him with embarrassment, particularly on the occasions appeared at Lord's as a spectator. By the end of his life, he was unable to attend any cricket matches. In addition to his alcoholism, Chapman became increasingly isolated, suffering from loneliness and depression. By the 1950s, he had developed arthritis, probably as a result of his sporting activities. On one occasion in 1955, Chapman was invited to a dinner organised by Kent; he was later discovered in the car park on the bumper of a car in a distressed state and had to be assisted back into the dinner.

In September 1961, Chapman fractured his knee when he fell at his home. He was taken to hospital for an operation but died on 16 September 1961. The newspapers reported that he had been ill for a long time; his former wife later commented that "he must have died a very sad man". Tributes focused on his successes as a cricketer and appealing personality. Summing up Chapman's life, Gibson writes: "But just as a good end can redeem a sad life, so a good life can redeem a sad end, and he had known his hours, his years of glory." Swanton concluded his obituary of Chapman in 1961: "The elderly and the middle-aged will recall him rather in his handsome sunlit youth, the epitome of all that was gay and fine in the game of cricket."

Bibliography

• Douglas, Christopher (2002). Douglas Jardine: Spartan Cricketer. London: Methuen. ISBN 0-413-77216-0.
• Lemmon, David (1985). Percy Chapman: a biography. London: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0-356-10458-3.
• Marshall, Michael (1987). Gentlemen and Players: Conversations with Cricketers. London: Grafton Books. ISBN 0-246-11874-1.
• McKinstry, Leo (2011). Jack Hobbs: England's Greatest Cricketer. London: Yellow Jersey Press. ISBN 978-0-224-08329-4.
• Peebles, Ian (1978). Spinner's Yarn. Newton Abbot: Readers Union Ltd.
• Robertson-Glasgow, R. C. (1943). Cricket Prints: Some Batsmen and Bowlers, 1920–1940. London: T. Werner Laurie Ltd. OCLC 3257334.
• Swanton, E. W. (1999). Cricketers of My Time. London: Andre Deutsch. ISBN 0-233-99746-6.