Fred Cooper (1921–1986)
Encyclopedia
Fred Cooper was an English
cricketer
who played first-class cricket
for Lancashire
and Worcestershire
shortly after the Second World War.
Cooper had played for Lancashire's Second XI as a teenager before the war, but his first-class debut came for that county against Oxford University
in May 1946; he made 6 and 20 not out
. Later that season he made his County Championship
bow against Leicestershire
, playing three Championship games in total, all in July. However, he left the county for Worcestershire at the end of the season.
1947 was nothing special for Cooper as his 26 innings brought only 380 runs at 18.09
, but the following summer he had his best season in county cricket
, hitting 618 runs at 22.88 including his only first-class century: 113 not out
in the second innings against Nottinghamshire
; his brother and team-mate Edwin
had made exactly 100 in the first innings of the same match.
1948 also saw Cooper selected for West of England against East of England, the last such first-class match. He made 53 and 16, but the West were beaten by 223 runs.
In the 1949 and 1950 seasons, Cooper played only intermittently for the Worcestershire first team, spending a considerable amount of time turning out for the Second XI in the Minor Counties Championship. He made one first-class half-century in each season, but he was dismissed for single-figure scores in 13 of his 20 innings, and after the 1950 season his time in first-class cricket was brought to an end.
Cooper was born in Bacup
, Lancashire
; he died in Stourport-on-Severn
, Worcestershire
at the age of 65.
His brother Edwin
had a much longer career with Worcestershire, playing 249 times for the county.
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...
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 first-class cricket
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...
for 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...
and 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...
shortly after the Second World War.
Cooper had played for Lancashire's Second XI as a teenager before the war, but his first-class debut came for that county 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...
in May 1946; he made 6 and 20 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...
. Later that season he made his County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
bow 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....
, playing three Championship games in total, all in July. However, he left the county for Worcestershire at the end of the season.
1947 was nothing special for Cooper as his 26 innings brought only 380 runs at 18.09
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 :...
, but the following summer he had his best season in county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
, hitting 618 runs at 22.88 including his only first-class century: 113 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...
in the second innings 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...
; his brother and team-mate Edwin
Edwin Cooper
Edwin Cooper was an English cricketer: a right-handed batsman who played 249 first-class matches for Worcestershire between 1936 and 1951...
had made exactly 100 in the first innings of the same match.
1948 also saw Cooper selected for West of England against East of England, the last such first-class match. He made 53 and 16, but the West were beaten by 223 runs.
In the 1949 and 1950 seasons, Cooper played only intermittently for the Worcestershire first team, spending a considerable amount of time turning out for the Second XI in the Minor Counties Championship. He made one first-class half-century in each season, but he was dismissed for single-figure scores in 13 of his 20 innings, and after the 1950 season his time in first-class cricket was brought to an end.
Cooper was born in Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
; he died in Stourport-on-Severn
Stourport-on-Severn
Stourport-on-Severn, often shortened to Stourport, is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of North Worcestershire, England, a few miles to the south of Kidderminster and down stream on the River Severn from Bewdley...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
at the age of 65.
His brother Edwin
Edwin Cooper
Edwin Cooper was an English cricketer: a right-handed batsman who played 249 first-class matches for Worcestershire between 1936 and 1951...
had a much longer career with Worcestershire, playing 249 times for the county.
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...