John Dewes
Encyclopedia
John Dewes is a former English
cricket
er, who played for Cambridge University
and Middlesex
, and was chosen for five Tests
between 1948 and 1950.
). In 1945, he was one of three relative unknowns from public schools included in the England side for the third Victory Test against Australia at Lord's
(it was his first-class
debut). The others were Donald Carr
from Repton School
and the Etonian
, Luke White. Dewes, who had left Aldenham School
the previous year, owed his call-up to his form for Cambridge University earlier that summer, including scoring 1,000 runs in May. In the event, the three contributed little, and did not figure again in the other Victory matches.
His full Test debut came against Donald Bradman
's formidable side in 1948, when he struggled to make runs against the opening attack of Ray Lindwall
and Keith Miller
. The next season, he shared a record unbeaten stand of 429 with Hubert Doggart
for Cambridge against Essex
and, in 1950, added 343 for the first wicket with David Sheppard
in the Cambridge total of 594-4 declared against the touring West Indians
. The 1950 season was Dewes' peak, and he scored 2,432 runs in the full season at an average of 59.31, with nine centuries.
He played two Test matches against the West Indies that summer and, in the first of them, made 67 in an unsuccessful rearguard action against the spin
of Sonny Ramadhin
and Alf Valentine
. He was also picked for the tour to Australia of 1950-51 and played two Tests there. But in all Tests he reached double figures on just three occasions, and only once passed 50.
After this tour, he became a teacher and was never able to play more than a few matches each season, although as late as 1955 he made 644 runs in seven matches. He was a master at Tonbridge School
, Rugby School
and Dulwich College
, and was headmaster of Barker College
, Sydney, from 1958-1963. His final first-class match was in 1957.
His son, Anthony, also played first-class cricket for Cambridge University in 1978 and 1979.
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, who played 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...
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...
, and was chosen for five Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
between 1948 and 1950.
Life and career
Dewes was a protegee of E. J. H. Nash, the British Evangelical Anglican clergyman, (along withIn fellow cricketer David SheppardDavid Sheppard
David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...
). In 1945, he was one of three relative unknowns from public schools included in the England side for the third Victory Test against Australia at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
(it was 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). The others were Donald Carr
Donald Carr
Donald Bryce Carr is a former English cricketer who played for Derbyshire from 1946 to 1967, for Oxford University from 1948 to 1951, and twice for England in 1951/52. He captained Derbyshire between 1955 and 1962, and scored over 10,000 runs for the county...
from Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
and the Etonian
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, Luke White. Dewes, who had left Aldenham School
Aldenham School
Aldenham School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged thirteen to eighteen, located between Elstree and the village of Aldenham in Hertfordshire, England...
the previous year, owed his call-up to his form for Cambridge University earlier that summer, including scoring 1,000 runs in May. In the event, the three contributed little, and did not figure again in the other Victory matches.
His full Test debut came against Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
's formidable side in 1948, when he struggled to make runs against the opening attack of Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
and Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
. The next season, he shared a record unbeaten stand of 429 with Hubert Doggart
Hubert Doggart
Hubert Doggart, O.B.E., MA was an English administrator, cricketer and schoolmaster...
for Cambridge 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...
and, in 1950, added 343 for the first wicket with David Sheppard
David Sheppard
David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...
in the Cambridge total of 594-4 declared against the touring West Indians
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
. The 1950 season was Dewes' peak, and he scored 2,432 runs in the full season at an average of 59.31, with nine centuries.
He played two Test matches against the West Indies that summer and, in the first of them, made 67 in an unsuccessful rearguard action against the spin
Spin bowling
Spin bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as spinners or spin bowlers.-Purpose:The main aim of spin bowling is to bowl the cricket ball with rapid rotation so that when it bounces on the pitch it will deviate, thus making it difficult for the...
of Sonny Ramadhin
Sonny Ramadhin
Sonny Ramadhin was a West Indian cricketer, and a dominant bowler of the 1950s. He was the first West Indian cricketers of Indian origin, and was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1951.- Biography and career :...
and Alf Valentine
Alf Valentine
Alfred Louis Valentine, April 28, 1930–11 May 2004 , was a West Indian cricketer in the 1950s and 1960s. He is most famous for his performance in the West Indies' 1950 tour of England, which was immortalised in the Victory Calypso.-The 1950 tour:...
. He was also picked for the tour to Australia of 1950-51 and played two Tests there. But in all Tests he reached double figures on just three occasions, and only once passed 50.
After this tour, he became a teacher and was never able to play more than a few matches each season, although as late as 1955 he made 644 runs in seven matches. He was a master at Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
, Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and 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,...
, and was headmaster of Barker College
Barker College
Barker College is an independent Anglican, day and boarding school, located in Hornsby, a North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1890 by the Reverend Henry Plume at Kurrajong Heights, Barker is an all-boys school from Kindergarten to Year 9, and co-educational from...
, Sydney, from 1958-1963. His final first-class match was in 1957.
His son, Anthony, also played first-class cricket for Cambridge University in 1978 and 1979.