Alan Wharton Explained

Alan Wharton
Birth Date:30 April 1923
Birth Place:Heywood, Lancashire, England
Death Place:Colne, Lancashire, England
Batting:Left-handed
Bowling:Right-arm medium
Columns:2
Column1:Test
Matches1:1
Runs1:20
Bat Avg1:10.00
100S/50S1:0/0
Top Score1:13
Deliveries1: -
Wickets1: -
Bowl Avg1: -
Fivefor1: -
Tenfor1: -
Best Bowling1: -
Catches/Stumpings1:0/ -
Column2:First-class
Matches2:482
Runs2:21,796
Bat Avg2:32.24
100S/50S2:31/110
Top Score2:199
Deliveries2:16,844
Wickets2:237
Bowl Avg2:31.59
Fivefor2:2
Tenfor2:0
Best Bowling2:7/33
Catches/Stumpings2:288/ -
International:true
Country:England
Testdebutagainst:New Zealand
Testdebutdate:11 June
Testdebutyear:1949
Source:http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/22381.html CricInfo
Date:10 September
Year:2022
Module:
Embed:yes
Club1:Salford

Alan Wharton (30 April 1923 – 26 August 1993) was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire, Leicestershire and England.

Life and career

Wharton was born in Heywood, Lancashire, England.[1]

An attacking left-handed batsman, Wharton appeared to have a long Test match career ahead of him when, following three centuries in seven matches, he was picked for the Headingley Test against New Zealand in 1949. He helped Cyril Washbrook score a century by acting as his runner then, following orders, threw his bat in scoring just 7 and 13. He was injured before the next match at Lord's, and was never chosen again.[1] He was one of many signatories in a letter to The Times on 17 July 1958 opposing "the policy of apartheid" in international sport and defending "the principle of racial equality which is embodied in the Declaration of the Olympic Games".[2]

Wharton was a mainstay of Lancashire's strong batting line-up through the 1950s, scoring 1,000 runs in nine seasons and acting as captain on several occasions. He opened the innings regularly in his later years with Lancashire, scoring one "brilliant" century against the touring Australians of 1956 on a green flier of a wicket.[3] In 1961, he moved to Leicestershire where, with former Yorkshire, and England batsman Willie Watson as captain, he was part of a temporary revival in the fortunes of one of the traditionally weaker counties. He scored 1,000 runs again in 1961 and 1962 and retired at the end of the following year.

In addition to his batting, Wharton was a useful right-arm medium bowler, often used to break partnerships.[4]

Outside of cricket, Wharton was a magistrate, and a much respected teacher of English at Colne Primet High School, and he also played rugby league for Salford,[1] making his first team debut in 1947.[5]

Wharton died, in Colne, Lancashire, in August 1993, at the age of 70.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Bateman, Colin. If The Cap Fits. 1993. Tony Williams Publications. 1-869833-21-X. 186.
  2. Brown, Geoff, and Hogsbjerg, Christian (2020), Apartheid is not a Game: Remembering the Stop the Seventy Tour campaign, London: Redwords, p. 16. .
  3. [Jack Fingleton|Fingleton, Jack]
  4. Web site: Alan Wharton. Wisden. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. ESPNcricinfo. 30 April 2011.
  5. Web site: History & Heritage . Salford Red Devils . 5 June 2024.