Alan Spencer (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Alan Horace Spencer is an English
former cricketer
who played 27 first-class
matches for Worcestershire
between 1957 and 1961.
Spencer made his debut against Oxford University
late in the 1957 season, scoring 16 in his only innings, but it was not until the following season that he played again. He then played no cricket of note until in 1959 he was again selected against Oxford University; he then appeared five more times in the second half of August. In all that season he made 291 runs at 29.60
and hitting two half-centuries, the higher of these being the 81 he made against Lancashire
at Southport
.
In 1960 Spencer had his longest run in the team, playing 18 matches and scoring 597 runs at 16.58, including a career-best 85 against Northamptonshire
at Dudley
in late May. He was out of the side briefly in mid-season, but then scored 122 not out
for the seconds against their Somerset
counterparts and was soon back in first-team action. It was a false dawn, however, as in his ten remaining first-class innings he managed a top score of only 35, being dismissed for single-figure scores on seven occasions.
By 1961 Spencer's days as a first-class player were drawing to a close, and he appeared only twice that season, although he continued to turn out regularly for the Second XI. After that season, however, he dropped out even of the second team, although he did make a very brief comeback at that level in 1968 when he played one match against Surrey
seconds.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former 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"....
who played 27 first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches for 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...
between 1957 and 1961.
Spencer made his debut 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...
late in the 1957 season, scoring 16 in his only innings, but it was not until the following season that he played again. He then played no cricket of note until in 1959 he was again selected against Oxford University; he then appeared five more times in the second half of August. In all that season he made 291 runs at 29.60
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 :...
and hitting two half-centuries, the higher of these being the 81 he made against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
at Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
.
In 1960 Spencer had his longest run in the team, playing 18 matches and scoring 597 runs at 16.58, including a career-best 85 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...
at Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
in late May. He was out of the side briefly in mid-season, but then scored 122 not out
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...
for the seconds against their 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...
counterparts and was soon back in first-team action. It was a false dawn, however, as in his ten remaining first-class innings he managed a top score of only 35, being dismissed for single-figure scores on seven occasions.
By 1961 Spencer's days as a first-class player were drawing to a close, and he appeared only twice that season, although he continued to turn out regularly for the Second XI. After that season, however, he dropped out even of the second team, although he did make a very brief comeback at that level in 1968 when he played one match 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...
seconds.
External links
- Statistical summary from 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...