John Warr
Encyclopedia
John James Warr is an English
former cricket
er. He played in two Test matches
for England.
His Test bowling average remains the worst of any English player, but Warr turned it into comic relief in his highly humorous after dinner speeches
.
as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, in 260 first-class
matches between 1949 and 1960. He took 703 wickets for the county at an average of 20.75, with a personal best of 9 for 65. He captained
the county in 1959 and 1960. After taking 87 wickets in the 1950 season
, which ranked him 32nd on the list of wicket-takers in the first-class season.
Warr was selected for the 1950–51 Ashes tour
. He played in two of the five Test matches, but went wicketless through his three first innings, and in the fourth he took the wicket of Australia's number seven, Ian Johnson
, caught behind. In those four innings, he conceded 281 runs, and his bowling average remains the worst of any England Test player. According to the 1952 Wisden Cricketer's Almanack Warr "tried hard and cheerfully, but he could not be regarded as Test class."
However, he did take 100 first-class wickets twice - in 1956
and 1959
, and played a total of 15 matches for the Gentlemen of England
.
After retirement, he became a leading figure at the Jockey Club
and was President of the MCC
in 1987-8.
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...
former 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. He played in two Test matches
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...
for England.
His Test bowling average remains the worst of any English player, but Warr turned it into comic relief in his highly humorous after dinner speeches
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
.
Life and career
He played for MiddlesexMiddlesex 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...
as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, in 260 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 between 1949 and 1960. He took 703 wickets for the county at an average of 20.75, with a personal best of 9 for 65. He captained
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
the county in 1959 and 1960. After taking 87 wickets in 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...
, which ranked him 32nd on the list of wicket-takers in the first-class season.
Warr was selected for the 1950–51 Ashes tour
English cricket team in Australia in 1950-51
Freddie Brown captained the English cricket team in Australia in 1950–51, playing as England in the 1950-51 Ashes series against the Australians and as the MCC in their other matches on the tour. They were regarded as a weak team - some critics wanted to cancel the tour - and failed to regain the...
. He played in two of the five Test matches, but went wicketless through his three first innings, and in the fourth he took the wicket of Australia's number seven, Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson (cricketer)
Ian William Geddes Johnson CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a slow off-break bowler between 1946 and 1956. Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an average of...
, caught behind. In those four innings, he conceded 281 runs, and his bowling average remains the worst of any England Test player. According to the 1952 Wisden Cricketer's Almanack Warr "tried hard and cheerfully, but he could not be regarded as Test class."
John in fact in these two Tests took one for 281, which caused a few of us thereafter childishly to hum in his presence the Ancient and Modern HymnHymns Ancient and ModernHymns Ancient and Modern was a hymnal in common use within the Church of England. Over the years it has grown into a large family of hymnals....
number 281, 'Lead us Heavenly Father, lead us', with emphasis on the lines "Lone and Dreary, Faint and Weary, Through the Desert thou did'st go." In fact, of course, it was J.J. Warr's prime virtue was that he never seemed either faint or weary, on the field or off. Laughter was seldom far away when he was about... - E.W. Swanton
However, he did take 100 first-class wickets twice - in 1956
1956 English cricket season
The 1956 English cricket season is memorable for the performances of Jim Laker, especially his unique feat in taking 19 wickets in a match, which he performed in the Old Trafford Test Match. He took a total of 46 wickets in the 5 Tests, a record in an England-Australia series...
and 1959
1959 English cricket season
The 1959 English cricket season saw the inauguration of the Second XI Championship which was to end the involvement of first-class counties in the Minor Counties Championship, though it took several years before all county second XIs switched to the new competition...
, and played a total of 15 matches for the Gentlemen of England
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
.
After retirement, he became a leading figure at the Jockey Club
Jockey Club
The Jockey Club is the largest commercial organisation in British horseracing. Although no longer responsible for the governance and regulation of the sport, it owns 14 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham and Newmarket, amongst other concerns such as the National Stud and...
and was President of the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
in 1987-8.