Ludford Docker Explained

Ludford Docker
Country:England
Fullname:Ludford Charles Docker
Birth Date:26 November 1860
Birth Place:Smethwick, Staffordshire, England
Death Place:Alveston Leys, Warwickshire, England
Batting:Right-handed
Bowling:Right-arm medium-fast
Role:All-rounder
Club1:Derbyshire
Club2:Warwickshire
Year2:1894–1895
Type1:FC
Debutdate1:12 May
Debutyear1:1881
Debutfor1:Derbyshire
Debutagainst1:MCC
Lastdate1:27 June
Lastyear1:1895
Lastfor1:Warwickshire
Lastagainst1:Yorkshire
Columns:1
Column1:First-class
Matches1:77
Runs1:2,665
Bat Avg1:20.82
100S/50S1:1/14
Top Score1:107
Deliveries1:498
Wickets1:9
Bowl Avg1:31.11
Fivefor1:0
Tenfor1:0
Best Bowling1:3/38
Catches/Stumpings1:41/–
Date:1 February
Year:2010
Source:https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29103/29103.html CricketArchive

Ludford Charles Docker (26 November 1860 – 1 August 1940) was a businessman and an English cricketer. He played first-class cricket for Derbyshire between 1881 and 1886, captaining the side in 1884, and for Warwickshire in 1894 and 1895.

Early life

Docker was born in Smethwick, Staffordshire, the son of Ralph Docker and his wife Sarah Sankey. His father was a solicitor in practice at Birmingham and Smethwick who took on a large number of public appointments.[1] He was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham.

Cricket career

Docker played cricket for Birmingham and Kidderminster in 1879 and also played for Derbyshire Colts in the 1879 season. His first-class debut was for Derbyshire in the 1881 season. He topped their batting averages that season. He played 48 first-class matches for Derbyshire and captained the team in the 1884 season. He played his club cricket with Handsworth Wood, in the Birmingham League and in 1886 presented the Docker Shield for competition between Birmingham Schools. In 1887 he moved to Warwickshire and in the winter of 1887/88 he played with Arthur Shrewsbury's XI in Australia. He played several non-class games and some first-class games for Warwickshire when they joined the league, his last match being in 1895.[2]

Business and public service

Docker had joined his brother Frank Dudley Docker in Docker Brothers in 1886 and in 1898 became a director of Metropolitan Railway Carriage and Wagon Company of Saltley Birmingham before the amalgamation of carriage companies by his brother in 1902. He was President of Warwickshire County Cricket Club from 1915 to 1930 and in 1923 was High Sheriff of Warwickshire. He was also a J. P.

Docker died in Alveston Leys, Warwickshire aged 79. Docker's brothers Ralph Docker and Frank also played cricket for Derbyshire and Warwickshire.

Notes and References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=kHx7hVRhKfYC&dq=%22Docker+brothers%22&pg=PA12 R. P. T. Davenport-Hines Dudley Docker: The Life and Times of a Trade Warrior Cambridge University Press 2004
  2. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29103/29103.html Ludford Docker on Cricket Archive