Chick Cray
Encyclopedia
Stanley James Cray was an English
cricket
er. Cray was a right-handed batsman and known to fellow players as Chick. He was born in Stratford, Essex
.
Cray made his first-class
debut for Essex
against Worcestershire
in the 1938 County Championship
. He became a regular in the Essex team in 1939, but the start of the Second World War abruptly ended his first-class career with Essex in its tracks. Serving in the war, Cray served in the British Raj
, while stationed there he played two first-class matches for a Services XI against an Indian XI and a Bengal Governor's XI, both in 1944. Following the war, Cray returned to Essex, where he played first-class cricket once more from 1946 to 1950. As well as his appearances for Essex and a Services XI, he also played a single first-class match for a combined Essex and Middlesex
team against a combined Surrey
and Kent
team in 1947. Cray was a member of the Essex team which tied with Northamptonshire in 1947, a match in which he scored a century in the Essex first-innings.
In total he made 99 first-class appearances for the county, scoring 4,062 runs at a batting average
of 24.46, with sixteen half centuries, seven centuries
and a high score of 163. His highest first-class score came against Nottinghamshire
in 1950. Cray passed 1,000 runs for a season twice, in 1947 and 1949. Following the 1950 season
, Cray coached in South Africa
when out of the blue he received a phonecall informing him his services were no longer required by Essex.
Following his release he played Minor Counties Championship cricket for Devon
on two occasions, firstly in 1954 against the Surrey Second XI
and secondly against Oxfordshire
in 1957. While in Devon he was the professional at Paignton Cricket Club. He retired fully from playing and coaching in 1961, following problems with a hand injury he had sustained in a car accident. He had a number of jobs outside of cricket, including as a postman and a kitchen assistant.
One of the few cricketers to have played first-class cricket before the war, Cray died in Torquay
, Devon
on 10 October 2008.
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...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. Cray was a right-handed batsman and known to fellow players as Chick. He was born in Stratford, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
Cray made his 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...
debut for 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...
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 the 1938 County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
. He became a regular in the Essex team in 1939, but the start of the Second World War abruptly ended his first-class career with Essex in its tracks. Serving in the war, Cray served in the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, while stationed there he played two first-class matches for a Services XI against an Indian XI and a Bengal Governor's XI, both in 1944. Following the war, Cray returned to Essex, where he played first-class cricket once more from 1946 to 1950. As well as his appearances for Essex and a Services XI, he also played a single first-class match for a combined Essex and 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...
team against a combined 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...
and Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
team in 1947. Cray was a member of the Essex team which tied with Northamptonshire in 1947, a match in which he scored a century in the Essex first-innings.
In total he made 99 first-class appearances for the county, scoring 4,062 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 24.46, with sixteen half centuries, seven centuries
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
and a high score of 163. His highest first-class score came against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire 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 Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
in 1950. Cray passed 1,000 runs for a season twice, in 1947 and 1949. Following the 1950 season
1950 English cricket season
-Honours:*County Championship - Lancashire and Surrey shared the title*Minor Counties Championship - Surrey II*Wisden Cricketers of the Year from 1951 edition of Wisden for deeds in the 1950 season – Godfrey Evans, Sonny Ramadhin, Alf Valentine, Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell-County...
, Cray coached in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
when out of the blue he received a phonecall informing him his services were no longer required by Essex.
Following his release he played Minor Counties Championship cricket for Devon
Devon County Cricket Club
Devon County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Devon and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
on two occasions, firstly in 1954 against the Surrey Second XI
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...
and secondly against Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire County Cricket Club
Oxfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Oxfordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in 1957. While in Devon he was the professional at Paignton Cricket Club. He retired fully from playing and coaching in 1961, following problems with a hand injury he had sustained in a car accident. He had a number of jobs outside of cricket, including as a postman and a kitchen assistant.
One of the few cricketers to have played first-class cricket before the war, Cray died in Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
on 10 October 2008.
External links
- Chick Cray at ESPNcricinfo
- Chick Cray 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...