Jim Cumbes
Encyclopedia
James Cumbes sometimes known as Jim or Jimmy, is a former English
sportsman. He played first-class cricket
for four counties as a right-arm fast-medium bowler and lower-order right-handed batsman, and later served as Chief Executive of Lancashire
; while he also had a substantial career as a professional footballer, where he played in goal. He was born in East Didsbury, Manchester
.
in late August 1963
. In a game ruined by bad weather, only 55 overs were possible, although in this time Cumbes did manage to take his maiden first-class wicket, that of Worcestershire captain Don Kenyon
. However, it was to be almost three years before he played another first-class match, and when that came (against Kent
) his 4-42 was rather overshadowed by Derek Underwood
's outstanding return of 6-9 for Lancashire's opponents.
Moving to Surrey
for the 1968 season
, Cumbes at last managed a long run in the side, and took 54 wickets at 17.68
including 6-35 against Oxford University
and 6-47 against Hampshire
. He was rather less successful the following year
, and did not play first-class cricket at all in 1970
, although he did appear in two John Player League
games.
For 1971
Cumbes returned to Lancashire, but played only for two months between mid-May and mid-July due to football commitments. Partially due to business interests he moved to Worcestershire. Here he stayed for the best part of a decade with reasonable success, especially in 1977
when he claimed 51 wickets and produced his best innings bowling of 6-24 against Yorkshire
to help his side to an innings victory
. He was capped by the county the following year, an award heralded by Wisden 1978, who commented on the player's great popularity.
By now playing a great deal of one-day cricket, Cumbes' final year as a player, 1982
, was spent with his fourth county, Warwickshire
, for whom he took 21 wickets, the last of these being Middlesex
and England
wicket-keeper
Paul Downton
. During the season he suffered a punctured lung during the Sunday League match at Grace Road
from which he rapidly recovered.
As of 2009, he is currently Chief Executive of Lancashire CCC, having held the post since 1998.
. All in all, he appeared in 376 Football League appearances in a 13 year career. He also played football in the U.S.
for the Portland Timbers
, where he played in a match against Pelé
.
During the 1970s, the eloquent Cumbes cemented his popularity as Aston Villa's goalkeeper by presenting a series of shows on BBC Local Radio in the West Midlands.
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...
sportsman. He 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 four counties as a right-arm fast-medium bowler and lower-order right-handed batsman, and later served as Chief Executive of 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...
; while he also had a substantial career as a professional footballer, where he played in goal. He was born in East Didsbury, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Cricket
Much of Jimmy Cumbes early cricket career was limited by his full-time involvement in League football. He made his Lancashire debut against WorcestershireWorcestershire 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 late August 1963
1963 English cricket season
The 1963 English cricket season marked the beginning of limited overs cricket at List A level with the inauguration of the knockout competition that was originally called the Gillette Cup. It also included a memorable Test series against West Indies...
. In a game ruined by bad weather, only 55 overs were possible, although in this time Cumbes did manage to take his maiden first-class wicket, that of Worcestershire captain Don Kenyon
Don Kenyon
Donald Kenyon was an English cricketer, who played in eight Tests for England from 1951 to 1955. He captained Worcestershire between 1959 and 1967....
. However, it was to be almost three years before he played another first-class match, and when that came (against 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...
) his 4-42 was rather overshadowed by Derek Underwood
Derek Underwood
Derek Underwood MBE is an English former international cricketer, and a former President of the MCC....
's outstanding return of 6-9 for Lancashire's opponents.
Moving to 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...
for the 1968 season
1968 English cricket season
The 1968 English cricket season was something of a watershed for it was the last in which the County Championship predominated. From 1969, a new limited overs league began and the number of Championship matches was therefore reduced...
, Cumbes at last managed a long run in the side, and took 54 wickets at 17.68
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...
including 6-35 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...
and 6-47 against 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...
. He was rather less successful the following year
1969 English cricket season
The 1969 English cricket season saw the inauguration of the Sunday League , sponsored by the John Player tobacco company. All matches were played on Sundays with each of the 17 first-class counties playing each other once. They were of 40 overs a side...
, and did not play first-class cricket at all in 1970
1970 English cricket season
The 1970 English cricket season was marked by controversy when a tour by South Africa was forced to be abandoned in view of mounting opposition to the apartheid policy maintained by that country's then government...
, although he did appear in two John Player League
National League (cricket)
The NatWest Pro40 League was a one-day cricket league for first-class cricket counties in England and Wales. It was inaugurated in 1999, but was essentially the old Sunday League retitled to reflect the fact that large numbers of matches were played on days other than Sunday.-Sunday League:The...
games.
For 1971
1971 English cricket season
The 1971 English cricket season saw a first series win by India in England. This was a huge surprise at the time because England, having just won the Ashes in Australia, had a very strong team.-Honours:*County Championship - Surrey...
Cumbes returned to Lancashire, but played only for two months between mid-May and mid-July due to football commitments. Partially due to business interests he moved to Worcestershire. Here he stayed for the best part of a decade with reasonable success, especially in 1977
1977 English cricket season
The 1977 English cricket season was played out in the aftermath of the Kerry Packer affair. Geoffrey Boycott returned to Test cricket and managed to time things so that he scored his 100th career century in the Headingley Test...
when he claimed 51 wickets and produced his best innings bowling of 6-24 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....
to help his side to an innings victory
The result in cricket
The result in a game of cricket may be a win for one of the two teams playing, a draw or a tie. In the case of a limited overs game, the game can also end with no result...
. He was capped by the county the following year, an award heralded by Wisden 1978, who commented on the player's great popularity.
By now playing a great deal of one-day cricket, Cumbes' final year as a player, 1982
1982 English cricket season
The 1982 English cricket season saw the welcome return to top class cricket of the leg spinner's art as Abdul Qadir proved the most entertaining player of an otherwise disappointing season.-Honours:*County Championship - Middlesex...
, was spent with his fourth county, 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...
, for whom he took 21 wickets, the last of these being 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...
and England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
Paul Downton
Paul Downton
Paul Downton is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty eight ODIs from 1977 to 1989. He was a wicket-keeper and a useful batsman in the lower middle-order...
. During the season he suffered a punctured lung during the Sunday League match at Grace Road
Grace Road
Grace Road is a cricket ground, in Leicester, England, home to Leicestershire County Cricket Club.-History:The land which Grace Road is built on was bought by Leicestershire County Cricket Club in 1877 from the then Duke of Rutland and spent the massive sum of £40,000 on developing a cricket club,...
from which he rapidly recovered.
As of 2009, he is currently Chief Executive of Lancashire CCC, having held the post since 1998.
Football
Cumbes enjoyed a varied professional football career as a goalkeeper with Tranmere Rovers, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Southport F.C.Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
. All in all, he appeared in 376 Football League appearances in a 13 year career. He also played football in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers (NASL)
The Portland Timbers were a team in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1982. The name has been used by two other soccer franchises: the Timbers of the WSA/APSL, Portland Timbers of the USL and the current team which began play as part of Major League Soccer in 2011.-History:In January...
, where he played in a match against Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
.
During the 1970s, the eloquent Cumbes cemented his popularity as Aston Villa's goalkeeper by presenting a series of shows on BBC Local Radio in the West Midlands.
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...
- NASL career stats