Tony Diment Explained

Tony Diment
Country:England
Fullname:Robert Anthony Diment
Birth Date:9 February 1927
Birth Place:Tortworth, Gloucestershire, England
Death Place:Leicester, Leicestershire, England
Batting:Right-handed
Role:Batsman
Club1:Gloucestershire
Year1:1952
Club2:Leicestershire
Year2:1955–58
Type1:First-class
Debutdate1:23 July
Debutyear1:1952
Debutfor1:Gloucestershire
Debutagainst1:Essex
Lastdate1:30 August
Lastyear1:1958
Lastfor1:Leicestershire
Lastagainst1:Gloucestershire
Columns:1
Column1:FC
Matches1:60
Runs1:1595
Bat Avg1:16.44
100S/50S1:–/6
Top Score1:71
Deliveries1:6
Wickets1:
Bowl Avg1:
Fivefor1:
Tenfor1:
Best Bowling1:0/4
Catches/Stumpings1:35/–
Date:18 August 2013
Source:https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29075/29075.html CricketArchive

Robert Anthony "Tony" Diment (9 February 1927  - 18 June 2005) was an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in 1952 and for Leicestershire between 1955 and 1958.[1] He was born at Tortworth, Gloucestershire and died at Leicester.

Diment was a right-handed middle-order batsman who was recruited by Leicestershire in 1955 as assistant secretary to the secretary/captain, Charles Palmer, and was therefore allowed to play as an amateur. He played in 59 first-class games for the county over the next four seasons, being a fairly regular member of the side in both 1957 and 1958.[2] But although he passed 50 in six innings, his career batting average was only 16 and his highest first-class score was just 71, made in his first match for Leicestershire, against Derbyshire in 1955.[3] He had earlier played a single match for his native Gloucestershire in 1952, without success.

Palmer retired as both player and secretary at the end of the 1957 season. Diment succeeded him as secretary, but Leicestershire recruited Willie Watson, the Yorkshire and England professional player, as captain from 1958.[4] When Watson regained his Test place that season and also missed a few matches through injury, Diment captained the Leicestershire team in five games: they included the last game he played in first-class cricket.[5]

Diment remained as the secretary of Leicestershire until after the 1959 season, but played only for the second eleven that year. In a Minor Counties Championship match against Shropshire in July 1959 he made an unbeaten 200 at more than a run a ball, astonishingly fast for an era of stodgy batsmanship.[6] But at the end of that season he left Leicestershire to take a job in the leather industry.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tony Diment . 1 August 2013 . ESPN Cricinfo .
  2. Web site: First-class Batting and Fielding in each Season by Tony Diment . www.cricketarchive.com . 18 August 2013.
  3. Web site: Scorecard: Leicestershire v Derbyshire . 9 July 1955 . www.cricketarchive.com . 18 August 2013.
  4. Book: . 2006 . . Obituaries . 1504.
  5. Web site: Scorecard: Leicestershire v Gloucestershire . 27 August 1958 . www.cricketarchive.com . 18 August 2013.
  6. Web site: Scorecard: Leicestershire Second XI v Shropshire . 15 July 1959 . www.cricketarchive.com . 18 August 2013.