Leonard Crawley
Encyclopedia
Leonard George Crawley was an English
sportsman and later journalist
. He was most accomplished at golf
and cricket
as detailed below, but also played tennis
to a very high standard and was an excellent ice-skater, a good rackets player and a fine shot.
er, playing four times in the Walker Cup
and winning the English Amateur
in 1931, and after retiring from playing sport he spent a quarter of a century as golf correspondent for the Daily Telegraph.
Played for Cambridge University v Oxford University in 1925.
Won the English Amateur Championship in 1931,beaten finalist (at 37th )in 1934 and 1937.
Won the Presidents Putter in 1932,1947,1951 and 1952.
Won the Worplesdon Open Mixed Foursomes in 1937 with Mrs Heppell and in 1949 and 1950 with Miss F.Stephens.
Won the London Amateur Foursomes with P.F.Scrutton in 1952.
Won the Berkshire Trophy in 1948.
Runner-up in the French Open in 1937.
Played for Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup in 1932,1934,1938,and 1947.
Played for England in the Home International Matches in 1931-32-33-34-36-37-46-47-48-49.
Won numerous amateur events in the 30's and 40's and many medals in the Royal and Ancient Golf club's Spring and Autumn meetings.Was a member of numerous Harrovian winning Halford Hewitt sides.
In 1932 he received an enquiry as to his availability to go to Australia on the M.C.C. Tour ( the Bodyline Series ) but had to decline as he had already been selected for the Walker Cup match at Brookline,at which he was the only British player to score a point.
XI, including a century against Eton
at Lord's
in 1921,
Crawley made his first-class
debut for Worcestershire
against Somerset
in early August 1922, even before he had appeared for Cambridge
.
Although he did little in that game, against Glamorgan
a few days later he — named as captain — made 91 out of 198 in Worcestershire's first innings.
In 1923 Crawley appeared regularly for Cambridge, fitting his Worcestershire appearances around those for the university, and he had a very successful year, ending with 801 first-class runs (his highest season's aggregate) at an average
of 44.50. His three games for Worcestershire in August included his maiden hundred: a knock of 161 against Northamptonshire
at Worcester
. In this game he shared a third-wicket stand of 304 with William Fox;
however, MCC
declared both Crawley and Fox's qualifications to play for the county invalid.
Fox was to play on for Worcestershire after a two-season break, but Crawley left the county at the end of the summer.
Crawley went with MCC to the Caribbean
in the winter of 1925-26, although as West Indies had yet to attain Test
status this was not considered a major tour, and he played no first-class games. Upon his return he joined Essex
, with whom he remained until the end of his county career. Although he never turned out for more than a few games each summer, he produced some notable feats of batting, such as the second-innings 176 not out
he hit, under pressure of time, to beat Sussex
in 1927.
Crawley's highest score of 222 was made in 1928 against Glamorgan, although this was a drawn game in which the teams' combined first innings approached a thousand.
A more impressive feat came in July 1936 (not 1937 as his Wisden obituary states) when he played his first match of the season (again against Glamorgan). In this game he made 118 in an innings where no other batsman passed 18.
The effort involved, however, meant that he was unable to bat in the second innings.
This was in fact to be the last century of his career, as he effectively retired at the end of the season, save only for one final outing, for MCC against Cambridge, in 1939.
A number of Crawley's relatives played first-class cricket: the most significant of these was his cousin Aidan Crawley
, who played 87 first-class matches, mostly between 1927 and 1932.
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 and later journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He was most accomplished at golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and 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...
as detailed below, but also played tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
to a very high standard and was an excellent ice-skater, a good rackets player and a fine shot.
Golf
Crawley was a very accomplished golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er, playing four times in the Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
and winning the English Amateur
English Amateur
The English Amateur is the national amateur match play golf championship of England. It has been played annually since 1925 and is organized by the English Golf Union....
in 1931, and after retiring from playing sport he spent a quarter of a century as golf correspondent for the Daily Telegraph.
Played for Cambridge University v Oxford University in 1925.
Won the English Amateur Championship in 1931,beaten finalist (at 37th )in 1934 and 1937.
Won the Presidents Putter in 1932,1947,1951 and 1952.
Won the Worplesdon Open Mixed Foursomes in 1937 with Mrs Heppell and in 1949 and 1950 with Miss F.Stephens.
Won the London Amateur Foursomes with P.F.Scrutton in 1952.
Won the Berkshire Trophy in 1948.
Runner-up in the French Open in 1937.
Played for Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup in 1932,1934,1938,and 1947.
Played for England in the Home International Matches in 1931-32-33-34-36-37-46-47-48-49.
Won numerous amateur events in the 30's and 40's and many medals in the Royal and Ancient Golf club's Spring and Autumn meetings.Was a member of numerous Harrovian winning Halford Hewitt sides.
In 1932 he received an enquiry as to his availability to go to Australia on the M.C.C. Tour ( the Bodyline Series ) but had to decline as he had already been selected for the Walker Cup match at Brookline,at which he was the only British player to score a point.
Cricket
After some excellent performances for the HarrowHarrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
XI, including a century against Eton
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"....
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...
in 1921,
Crawley 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 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...
against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset 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 Somerset...
in early August 1922, even before he had appeared for Cambridge
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...
.
Although he did little in that game, against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan 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 Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
a few days later he — named as captain — made 91 out of 198 in Worcestershire's first innings.
In 1923 Crawley appeared regularly for Cambridge, fitting his Worcestershire appearances around those for the university, and he had a very successful year, ending with 801 first-class runs (his highest season's aggregate) at an 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 44.50. His three games for Worcestershire in August included his maiden hundred: a knock of 161 against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
at Worcester
New Road, Worcester
New Road, Worcester, England, has been the home cricket ground of Worcestershire County Cricket Club since 1896. Immediately to the northwest is a road called New Road, part of the A44, hence the name.- Overview :...
. In this game he shared a third-wicket stand of 304 with William Fox;
however, 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...
declared both Crawley and Fox's qualifications to play for the county invalid.
Fox was to play on for Worcestershire after a two-season break, but Crawley left the county at the end of the summer.
Crawley went with MCC to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in the winter of 1925-26, although as West Indies had yet to attain Test
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...
status this was not considered a major tour, and he played no first-class games. Upon his return he joined 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...
, with whom he remained until the end of his county career. Although he never turned out for more than a few games each summer, he produced some notable feats of batting, such as the second-innings 176 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...
he hit, under pressure of time, to beat Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
in 1927.
Crawley's highest score of 222 was made in 1928 against Glamorgan, although this was a drawn game in which the teams' combined first innings approached a thousand.
A more impressive feat came in July 1936 (not 1937 as his Wisden obituary states) when he played his first match of the season (again against Glamorgan). In this game he made 118 in an innings where no other batsman passed 18.
The effort involved, however, meant that he was unable to bat in the second innings.
This was in fact to be the last century of his career, as he effectively retired at the end of the season, save only for one final outing, for MCC against Cambridge, in 1939.
A number of Crawley's relatives played first-class cricket: the most significant of these was his cousin Aidan Crawley
Aidan Crawley
Aidan Merivale Crawley, MBE was a British journalist, television executive and editor, and politician...
, who played 87 first-class matches, mostly between 1927 and 1932.