Alan Burgess (cricketer)
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alan Thomas Burgess | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 May 1920 Christchurch, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Slow left-arm orthodox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Thomas Burgess (father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1940-41 to 1951-52 | Canterbury | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricket Archive, 19 January 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alan Thomas Burgess (born 1 May 1920, Christchurch, New Zealand) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Canterbury from 1940 to 1952. He was a tank driver in World War II. In June 2020, Burgess became the world's oldest living first-class cricketer.[1]
Life and career
Alan Burgess's father Thomas was a cricket umpire who stood in a Test match in Christchurch in 1933.[2]
Burgess became an apprentice upholsterer after leaving school.[3] In his first first-class match in December 1940 Burgess played as a bowler,[4] taking 6 for 52 and 3 for 51 with his left-arm spin against Otago.[5] Later that season he batted as high as number seven, scoring 61 not out against Wellington.[6]
He joined the New Zealand Army when he turned 21 in 1941, and was soon posted overseas.[3] He served in Egypt and Italy as a tank driver in the Tank Brigade of the 20th Battalion.[7] He fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944.[8][2] After the war ended in Europe he toured England with the New Zealand Services team from July to September 1945, playing as a batsman. He made another score of 61 not out in the only first-class match.[9]
In nine matches for Canterbury between 1945-46 and 1951-52 his top score was 42 against Auckland in 1950-51, when he put on 105 for the first wicket with Ray Emery.[10]
He ran his own upholstery business in Christchurch. He was married twice, and has three children. He lives in Rangiora.[2] He became New Zealand's oldest living first-class cricketer when Tom Pritchard died in August 2017.[11]
Burgess celebrated his 100th birthday in May 2020.[12] On 13 June 2020, following the death of Vasant Raiji, Burgess became the oldest living first-class cricketer.[13][14]
See also
References
- ^ "Kiwi Alan Burgess now world's oldest living first class cricketer". Stuff. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ a b c Knowler, Richard (9 December 2015). "Ex-tank driver and rep cricketer Alan Burgess, 95, still batting strongly". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ a b Dangerfield, Emma (22 April 2017). "Pragmatic view of war from one of the last survivors of Charles Upham's battalion". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ "What's the most runs scored on the first day of a Test?". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Canterbury v Otago 1940-41". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "Wellington v Canterbury 1940-41". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ Knowler, Richard (25 April 2020). "WWII tank driver and talented cricketer Alan Burgess eyes century". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ^ "Alan Thomas Burgess". Auckland Museum. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ "H.D.G. Leveson-Gower's XI v New Zealand Services 1945". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "Auckland v Canterbury 1950-51". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "Tom Pritchard passes away". New Zealand Cricket. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ "Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor surprises Alan Burgess on his 100th birthday". Stuff. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Vasant Raiji, the world's oldest first-class cricketer, dies aged 100". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ "Vasant Raiji, world's oldest first class cricketer, passes away at age of 100". Times Now News. Retrieved 13 June 2020.