| Mervyn Burden | |
| Country: | England |
| Fullname: | Mervyn Derek Burden |
| Birth Date: | 4 October 1930 |
| Birth Place: | Southampton, Hampshire, England |
| Death Place: | Whitchurch, Hampshire, England |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Bowling: | Right-arm off-break |
| Club1: | Hampshire |
| Columns: | 1 |
| Column1: | First-class |
| Matches1: | 174 |
| Runs1: | 901 |
| Bat Avg1: | 6.82 |
| 100S/50S1: | –/1 |
| Top Score1: | 51 |
| Deliveries1: | 29,210 |
| Wickets1: | 481 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 26.11 |
| Fivefor1: | 23 |
| Tenfor1: | 4 |
| Best Bowling1: | 8/38 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 76/– |
| Date: | 10 December |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Source: | http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/9298.html Cricinfo |
Mervyn Derek Burden (4 October 1930 – 9 November 1987) was an English first-class cricketer.
Burden was born at Southampton in October 1930, being educated there at King Edward VI School.[1] The school was evacuated to Poole during the Second World War, where he excelled at football more than cricket. While practicing in the cricket nets at the Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft factory in March 1947, in order to maintain his fitness for football,[2] he was spotted by Hampshire coach Sam Staples and their captain and secretary Desmond Eagar, who recommended him for a trial at the County Ground.[3] He reportedly turned up to his trial with no pads or bat. Bowling medium pace, his first delivery of his trial (bowled at Neil McCorkell)[2] flew over the nets without bouncing and shattered a dining-room window. His misfortune continued on the second day of his trial, when he was asked to assist groundsman Ernie Knights, having been struck on the ankle by a shot from Johnny Arnold, only to kick a bucket of whiting all over the square.[4] He subsequently spent two years on National Service.[3]
Burden would eventually turn to off spin bowling following a discussion with Staples successor, Arthur Holt, about Hampshire's lack of a spin-bowler following a number of retirements.[3] He made his debut for Hampshire in first-class cricket against Worcestershire at Worcester in the 1953 County Championship, with him making a second appearance that season against Surrey.[5] He established himself in the Hampshire side following a match against Leicestershire, in which he took figures of 7 for 48.[1] He played regularly for Hampshire throughout the 1950s in partnership with fellow spinner Peter Sainsbury,[3] taking over fifty wickets in a season in 1955, 1957, and 1958.[6] He received his county cap in 1955, the same season in which he took 70 wickets at an average of 21.75.[1] Described as a genuine number eleven, he made one half century in 1960 when he came in as a nightwatchman against Warwickshire.[4] The following season, he played an important role in helping Hampshire win their first County Championship title, taking exactly fifty wickets at an average of 22.92;[6] these included his career best bowling figures of 8 for 38 against Somerset at Bournemouth.[3] However, despite a successful season, he did not feature after July, with slow left-arm orthodox spinner Alan Wassell being preferred.[3] He returned to make seventeen appearances in 1962, taking 65 wickets, albeit at a higher average of 30.38.[6] In 1963, he made just three appearances in the County Championship,[5] but did take 6 for 84 in his penultimate match against Gloucestershire.[3] He was subsequently released from his contract in August of that year to take up an appointment outside of cricket.[7] In 174 first-class matches, Burden took 481 wickets at an average of 26.11; he took 23 five wicket hauls and took ten-wickets in a match on four occasions.[8]
Burden was popular among both players and spectators and was included in a 2005 list of Hampshire cricket cult figures.[4] His obituary in Wisden declared, "The value of such a man is not to be estimated in figures."[1] Tony Lewis said of him that "his humour was never extinguished by failure" and noted that John Arlott called Burden "salt of the cricketing earth".[9] Arlott himself devoted a chapter to Burden in his book, John Arlott's Book of Cricketers.[2] Burden died suddenly at Whitchurch on 9 November 1987, aged 57.[10]