Alan Shirreff
Encyclopedia
Squadron Leader
Alexander 'Alan' Campbell Shirreff (12 February 1919 – 16 December 2006) was an English
cricketer
. Shirreff was a right-handed batsman who bowled medium pace
and played as an all-rounder
. Shirreff was educated at Dulwich College
.
Shirreff made his first-class debut for Cambridge University
in 1939 against Northamptonshire
. Shirreff played 12 matches for the University, all coming in 1939. Shirreff's final match for the University came against Oxford University
. He played no further first-class matches for the University due to the onset of the Second World War. In his 12 matches for the University he scored 219 runs at a batting average
of 13.68, with a single half century score of 51*
against Surrey
. With the ball Shirreff took 41 wickets at a bowling average
of 21.75, with 2 five wicket hauls and best figures of 7/44 against Gloucestershire
in 1904. For his time representing the University, Shirreff was awarded a Cambridge Blue.
Following the end of the war, Shirreff returned to first-class cricket, playing his first match after the war for the Combined Services
against Oxford University. He played for the Combined Services in 40 first-class matches between 1946 and 1957, while maintaining his career in the Royal Air Force
. Shirreff's final match for the Combined Services came against Warwickshire
in 1957. In his 40 matches for the team he scored 1,492 runs at a batting average of 24.45, with 9 half centuries and a single century score of 115*
against Essex
in 1950. With the ball Sherriff took 126 wickets at a bowling average of 27.60, with 6 five wicket hauls and best figures of 7/81 against Gloucestershire in 1947. In the field he took 28 catches for the team.
In 1946 Shirreff joined Hampshire
, making his debut for the county against Surrey in the County Championship
. From 1946 to 1947 he represented Hampshire in 12 first-class matches, with his final first-class match for the county coming against Yorkshire
in 1947. In his 12 matches for Hampshire, Shirreff scored 387 runs at a batting average of 21.50, with two half centuries and a high score of 77*
against Essex in 1946. With the ball he took 13 wickets at a bowling average of 56.23 with best figures of 3/48.
Two years would pass before Sherriff played first-class cricket for a county again. Shirreff joined Kent in 1950, making his debut for the county against Gloucestershire. He played 46 first-class matches for Kent from 1950 to 1956, with his final first-class match for Kent coming against Sussex
in 1956. During his time at Kent, Shirreff played infrequently due to his career in the Royal Air Force, by which time he held the rank of Squadron Leader
. In his 46 first-class matches for the county he scored 1,503 runs at a batting average
of 21.47, with 7 half centuries and a high score of 87*
against Middlesex
in 1952. An all-rounder, with the ball he took 121 wickets at a bowling average of 30.55, with 3 five wicket hauls and best figures of 8/111 against Leicestershire
in 1956. In the field he took 37 catches for Kent.
After leaving Kent, Shirreff joined Somerset
in 1958, where he made just two County Championship appearances for the county against Sussex and Essex, before leaving Somerset after falling out with Somerset captain
Maurice Tremlett
.
As well as playing first-class matches for those teams already mentioned, Shirreff also represented the Royal Air Force
in a single first-class match against Worcestershire
in 1946. Shirreff made four first-class appearances for the Marylebone Cricket Club
, making his debut for club against Oxford University in 1947 and playing his final match for the club against Cambridge University in 1955. Shirreff also played two first-class matches for the Free Foresters
against Cambridge University in 1949 and 1950.
In Shirreff's overall first-class career he scored 3,887 runs at a batting average of 21.71, with 20 half centuries and a single century score of 115*
. With the ball he took 304 wickets at a bowling average of 31.49, with 11 five wicket hauls and best figures of 8/111. In the field Shirreff took a combined total of 88 catches.
Shirreff died at West Wickham
, London
on December 16, 2006.
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Alexander 'Alan' Campbell Shirreff (12 February 1919 – 16 December 2006) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
. Shirreff was a right-handed batsman who bowled medium pace
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
and played as an all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
. Shirreff was educated at Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
.
Shirreff made his first-class debut for Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
in 1939 against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
. Shirreff played 12 matches for the University, all coming in 1939. Shirreff's final match for the University came against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
. He played no further first-class matches for the University due to the onset of the Second World War. In his 12 matches for the University he scored 219 runs at a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 13.68, with a single half century score of 51*
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
against Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
. With the ball Shirreff took 41 wickets at a bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 21.75, with 2 five wicket hauls and best figures of 7/44 against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
in 1904. For his time representing the University, Shirreff was awarded a Cambridge Blue.
Following the end of the war, Shirreff returned to first-class cricket, playing his first match after the war for the Combined Services
Combined Services cricket team
The Combined Services cricket team represents the British armed forces. The team played at first-class level in England for more than forty years in the mid-twentieth century. Their first first-class match was against Gentlemen of England at Lord's in 1920, while their last was against Oxford...
against Oxford University. He played for the Combined Services in 40 first-class matches between 1946 and 1957, while maintaining his career in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Shirreff's final match for the Combined Services came against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
in 1957. In his 40 matches for the team he scored 1,492 runs at a batting average of 24.45, with 9 half centuries and a single century score of 115*
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
in 1950. With the ball Sherriff took 126 wickets at a bowling average of 27.60, with 6 five wicket hauls and best figures of 7/81 against Gloucestershire in 1947. In the field he took 28 catches for the team.
In 1946 Shirreff joined Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
, making his debut for the county against Surrey in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
. From 1946 to 1947 he represented Hampshire in 12 first-class matches, with his final first-class match for the county coming against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
in 1947. In his 12 matches for Hampshire, Shirreff scored 387 runs at a batting average of 21.50, with two half centuries and a high score of 77*
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
against Essex in 1946. With the ball he took 13 wickets at a bowling average of 56.23 with best figures of 3/48.
Two years would pass before Sherriff played first-class cricket for a county again. Shirreff joined Kent in 1950, making his debut for the county against Gloucestershire. He played 46 first-class matches for Kent from 1950 to 1956, with his final first-class match for Kent coming against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
in 1956. During his time at Kent, Shirreff played infrequently due to his career in the Royal Air Force, by which time he held the rank of Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
. In his 46 first-class matches for the county he scored 1,503 runs at a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 21.47, with 7 half centuries and a high score of 87*
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
in 1952. An all-rounder, with the ball he took 121 wickets at a bowling average of 30.55, with 3 five wicket hauls and best figures of 8/111 against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
in 1956. In the field he took 37 catches for Kent.
After leaving Kent, Shirreff joined Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
in 1958, where he made just two County Championship appearances for the county against Sussex and Essex, before leaving Somerset after falling out with Somerset captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
Maurice Tremlett
Maurice Tremlett
Maurice Fletcher Tremlett was an English cricketer, who played for Somerset, Central Districts and England....
.
As well as playing first-class matches for those teams already mentioned, Shirreff also represented the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force cricket team
The Royal Air Force cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Royal Air Force. The team played 11 first-class matches: nine between 1922 and 1932, mostly against other branches of the Services, and another two in 1945 and 1946. Their home ground is the Royal Air Force Sports Ground,...
in a single first-class match against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
in 1946. Shirreff made four first-class appearances for the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, making his debut for club against Oxford University in 1947 and playing his final match for the club against Cambridge University in 1955. Shirreff also played two first-class matches for the Free Foresters
Free Foresters Cricket Club
Free Foresters Cricket Club is an English amateur cricket club, established in 1856 for players from the Midland counties of England. It is a 'wandering' club, having no home ground....
against Cambridge University in 1949 and 1950.
In Shirreff's overall first-class career he scored 3,887 runs at a batting average of 21.71, with 20 half centuries and a single century score of 115*
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
. With the ball he took 304 wickets at a bowling average of 31.49, with 11 five wicket hauls and best figures of 8/111. In the field Shirreff took a combined total of 88 catches.
Shirreff died at West Wickham
West Wickham
West Wickham is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is 10.3 miles south east of Charing Cross. West Wickham history dates back to early settlements existing since 1068, although the name `Wickham` is an indication of an earlier Anglo-Saxon settlement...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on December 16, 2006.
External links
- Alan Shirreff at CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
- Alan Shirreff at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...
- Matches and detailed statistics for Alan Shirreff