Jump to content

Edward Gothard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edward Gothard
Personal information
Full name
Edward James Gothard
Born(1904-10-01)1 October 1904
Burton upon Trent, England
Died17 January 1979(1979-01-17) (aged 74)
Birmingham, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1947–1948Derbyshire
FC debut31 May 1947 Derbyshire v Northamptonshire
Last FC18 August 1948 Derbyshire v Essex
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 45
Runs scored 543
Batting average 12.34
100s/50s 0/1
Top score 50
Balls bowled 1,136
Wickets 18
Bowling average 40.55
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 3/84
Catches/stumpings 10/–
Source: CricketArchive, 16 February 2010

Edward James Gothard OBE, MBE, TD (1 October 1904 – 17 January 1979) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Derbyshire in 1947 and 1948 and captained the side in both years.

Gothard was born in Burton-on-Trent, the son of William Henry Gothard who played cricket for Staffordshire. Gothard himself represented Staffordshire in the Minor Counties Championship in 1927. He was an able rugby player but as a result of injury took to playing hockey instead. He was captain of Burton Hockey Club from 1933 to 1939.[1] During the Second World War he played four cricket matches for Nottinghamshire in 1943. He was captain of Burton Hockey Club again from 1946 to 1947, and was a regular player for the club after the war. He played hockey for Derbyshire 30 times and was a trialist for the "Midlands".[1]

Gothard became cricket captain for Derbyshire in the 1947 season and made his first-class debut at the age of 42 at the end of May against Northamptonshire. An innings victory marked the start of a good run for the Derbyshire team. Gothard was a strict disciplinarian,[2] and they finished in fifth place in the 1947 County Championship. Against Middlesex Gothard took a hat-trick, including the wicket of Bill Edrich, one of the season's top scorers.[3] During the 1948 season, Gothard clean bowled Don Bradman at Derby. At the end of the 1948 season, when Derbyshire finished sixth, he retired from first-class cricket. Gothard was a right-arm medium-pace bowler who took 18 first-class wickets at an average of 40.55 and a best performance of 3–84. He was a right-handed batsman who batted in the lower-order. He played 63 innings in 45 first-class matches with one half-century and an average of 12.34.[4]

Gothard was later secretary and treasurer of the club.[5] He died in Birmingham at the age of 74.

Gothard's son, Squadron Leader Edward Leigh Gothard, MBE,[6][circular reference] played first class cricket for both the Royal Air Force and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Burton Hockey Club – History of the Club". Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  2. ^ Adrian Smith, Dilwyn Porter, Amateurs and Professionals in Post-war British Sport, Frank Cass, 2000.
  3. ^ Bygone Derbyshire – Derbyshire's cricket summer of 1947
  4. ^ Edward Gothard at Cricket Archive
  5. ^ Wisden Obituaries 1979
  6. ^ 1986 Birthday Honours
Sporting positions
Preceded by Derbyshire cricket captains
1947–1948
Succeeded by