Reginald Dare Explained

Reginald Dare
Country:England
Fullname:Reginald Arthur Dare
Birth Date:26 November 1921
Birth Place:Blandford Forum, Dorset, England
Death Date:October 1993 (aged 71)
Death Place:Bournemouth, Dorset, England
Heightft:6
Heightinch:0[1]
Batting:Right-handed
Bowling:Slow left-arm orthodox
Club1:Hampshire
Club2:Buckinghamshire
Columns:1
Column1:First-class
Matches1:109
Runs1:1,679
Bat Avg1:12.25
100S/50S1:1/3
Top Score1:109
Deliveries1:15,229
Wickets1:185
Bowl Avg1:35.02
Fivefor1:5
Tenfor1:
Best Bowling1:6/28
Catches/Stumpings1:70/–
Source:
23 February 2010
Embed:yes
Position:Centre-forward
Years1:?–1949
Clubs1:Alton
Caps1:?
Goals1:?
Years2:1949–1950
Clubs2:Southampton
Caps2:0
Goals2:0
Years3:1950–1951
Clubs3:Exeter City
Caps3:6
Goals3:?
Years4:1951–1957
Clubs4:Dorchester Town
Caps4:?
Goals4:?

Reginald Arthur Dare (26 November 1921 — October 1993) was an English first-class cricketer and association footballer. In first-class cricket, he was associated as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler for Hampshire, with Dare taking 185 wickets in 109 first-class matches for the county. As an association football centre-forward, he played for Alton, Dorchester Town, Exeter City, and Southampton.

Cricket career

First-class cricket

Dare was born in November 1921 in Blandford Forum, Dorset. He made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Oxford University at Bournemouth in 1949, with Dare playing a second match that season against the Combined Services at Portsmouth.[2] A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, he came into the Hampshire side when their elder spin bowlers such as Jim Bailey, Tom Dean and Gerry Hill were coming to the end of their careers.[3] He established himself in the Hampshire side in 1950, making nineteen appearances.[2] In these, he took 43 wickets at an average of 31.53;[4] he claimed his maiden five wicket haul during the season against Oxford University, when he took 6 for 28,[5] and later in the season he took 5 for 33 against Northamptonshire.[6] The following season, Dare featured in just twelve matches and struggled to take wickets, claiming only 8 wickets at an average of 71.62.[4] Despite his poor return in 1951, Hampshire persevered with him.[3]

In 1952, Dare took 56 wickets at an average of 33.82 from 28 matches; just as he did in 1950, he took two five wicket hauls.[4] During the season, he scored what would become his only first-class century, when he made an unbeaten 109 against Worcestershire.[7] Across the season, he scored 628 runs at a batting average of 17.94, which was to be his most productive season with the bat.[8] He played 27 matches in 1953, taking 44 wickets at an average of 34.27.[4] Against Derbyshire, he notably made 74 runs in 43 minutes to guide Hampshire to a victory by four wickets.[9] In 1954, he took a further 31 wickets from 21 matches, at an average of 32.41;[4] he claimed one five wicket haul, with 5 for 49 against Derbyshire.[10] With the emergence of spinners Mervyn Burden and Peter Sainsbury, Dare was released by Hampshire at the end of the 1954 season.[3] In his 109 first-class matches for Hampshire, Dare took 185 wickets at an average of 35.02.[11] With the bat, he scored 1,679 runs at an average of 12.25.[12]

Club and minor counties cricket

Dare signed as the professional and coach for Torquay Cricket Club in November 1955,[13] [14] and in his first season he claimed over 100 wickets.[15] In 1957, he was granted a benefit match by Torquay against Hampshire.[16] His second season at Torquay yielded him 150 wickets and nearly 1,000 runs.[17] Dare joined Wycombe Cricket Club in High Wycombe in 1958,[18] and in the same season he made his debut in minor counties cricket for Buckinghamshire against Norfolk in the Minor Counties Championship. He played minor counties cricket for Buckinghamshire until 1963, making twenty appearances in the Minor Counties Championship.[19]

Football career

A centre-forward, Dare began his football career with Alton, playing for the club in the 1948–49 Hampshire Intermediate Cup.[20] He was signed by Southampton ahead of the 1949–50 season, where he led the Southampton reserves during the season.[21] He left Southampton after one season, having not featured in the first team, and was subsequently signed by Exeter for £250,[22] following negotiations between Southampton manager Sid Cann and his contemporary at Exeter, George Roughton;[23] Dare had initially declined the move, fearing it would interfere with his cricket career.[24] He debuted for Exeter in a 4–2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion in the 1950–51 season, but played just a single season at St James Park,[25] after which he transferred to Dorchester Town, who competed in the Western Football League.[26]

Later life and death

Dare was persuaded to relocate from High Wycombe in 1974 to take up the post of head cricket coach and groundsman at King's College School in Wimbledon.[22] He remained there until his retirement in 1986.[22] Dare died in Bournemouth in October 1993. He was married to Doris, with the couple having one daughter.[22]

Notes and References

  1. News: Southampton player for Exeter. Western Morning News. Plymouth. 8. 4 August 2024. 6 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  2. Web site: First-Class Matches played by Reg Dare. CricketArchive. 4 August 2024. subscription.
  3. Web site: A–Z (D1). www.hampshirecrickethistory.wordpress.com. 4 August 2024.
  4. Web site: First-Class Bowling in Each Season by Reg Dare. CricketArchive. 4 August 2024. subscription.
  5. Web site: Oxford University v Hampshire, University Match 1950. CricketArchive. 4 August 2024. subscription.
  6. Web site: Hampshire v Northamptonshire, County Championship 1950. CricketArchive. 4 August 2024. subscription.
  7. Web site: Townsend takes 4 for 3 in 18 balls. Birmingham Daily Gazette. 6. 29 August 1952. 5 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  8. Web site: First-Class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Reg Dare. CricketArchive. 5 August 2024. subscription.
  9. Web site: Hurricane hitting. Western Mail. Cardiff. 7. 22 May 1954. 5 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  10. Web site: Hampshire v Derbyshire, County Championship 1954. CricketArchive. 5 August 2024. subscription.
  11. Web site: First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Reg Dare. CricketArchive. 5 August 2024. subscription.
  12. Web site: First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Reg Dare. CricketArchive. 5 August 2024. subscription.
  13. Web site: Torquay C.C.s' new pro – Reg Dare. Torquay Times, and South Devon Advertiser. 11. 4 November 1955. 5 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  14. Web site: Reg Dare as coach. Bristol Evening Post. 21. 28 April 1956. 5 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  15. Web site: 100th wicket. Express and Echo. Exeter. 7. 3 August 1956. 5 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  16. Web site: More big names at Torquay Recreation Ground next week. Torquay Times, and South Devon Advertiser. 9. 16 August 1957. 5 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  17. Web site: Bad luck individually. Torquay Times, and South Devon Advertiser. 10. 6 September 1957. 5 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  18. Web site: New cricket pro. Buckinghamshire Examiner. Chesham. 8. 7 July 1961. 5 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  19. Web site: Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Reg Dare. CricketArchive. 5 August 2024. subscription.
  20. Web site: Southampton sign ex-guardsman. Birmingham Weekly Mercury. 18. 29 May 1949. 6 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  21. Web site: Two make debut against Warwick. Birmingham Daily Gazette. 8. 3 May 1950. 6 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  22. R. A. Dare. Old King's Club Newsletter. Old King's Club. April 1994. 84. 11.
  23. Web site: Reg Dare for Exeter. Hull Daily Mail. 6. 3 August 1950. 6 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  24. Web site: Dare for Exeter. Coventry Evening Telegraph. 14. 5 August 1950. 6 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.
  25. Web site: The Grecian Archive. www.grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk. 6 August 2024.
  26. Web site: Exeter City's ex-centre forward Reg Dare. Express and Echo. Exeter. 11. 9 November 1956. 6 August 2024. subscription. British Newspaper Archive.