Leslie Wright
Encyclopedia
Leslie Wright was an English
cricketer
who played 193 first-class
matches between 1925 and 1933, every one of them for Worcestershire
. He was primarily an opening batsman
, although he did pick up some useful (if expensive) wickets with his medium-pacers.
Wright played as a professional for Stourbridge Cricket Club
before beginning his county
career.
His first-class debut came in May 1925, when he scored 31 and 14 against Oxford University
at The Parks.
He did not play again that season, but in 1926 he appeared on 26 occasions, and ended the summer with 873 first-class runs at an average
of 18.97.
This tally included his maiden hundred, 111 against Hampshire
(sharing an opening partnership of 185 with Maurice Jewell
) in midsummer.
He also picked up the first of his 76 wickets when he removed Leicestershire
's Les Berry
and Alec Skelding
in early June.
From then until the end of his career in 1933, Wright was a regular sight in the Worcestershire team: in only two seasons (1931 and 1933) did he make fewer than 20 appearances. His most productive season was 1928, when he made 1,402 runs at 24.07, including 101 and 57 against Hampshire.
He also passed his thousand runs in 1930, when he hit 1,180: this was the only year in which he made two centuries, of which the higher (his career best) was 134 against Northamptonshire
in July.
He narrowly missed out on the landmark in 1929, making 992 runs that year.
After 1930 Wright never scored another hundred, and although his form recovered somewhat after a dreadful 1931 in which he averaged less than 10,
in 92 innings in the last three years of his career the highest score was the 86 he struck against the touring Indians at Worcester
in June 1932.
He did hit another six half-centuries that summer, and a further three in his final season of 1933. His last game, against Glamorgan
in late August 1933, was an anticlimax: Wright was bowled
by George Lavis for 3 in his only innings, and went wicketless from ten overs.
Wright also played football
as a centre-forward in the Worcester League. After retiring from cricket, he ran a remand
home in Mitcham
, Surrey
.
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 193 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 1925 and 1933, every one of them 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...
. He was primarily an opening batsman
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
, although he did pick up some useful (if expensive) wickets with his medium-pacers.
Wright played as a professional for Stourbridge Cricket Club
Stourbridge Cricket Club
Stourbridge Cricket Club is an English cricket club based in Stourbridge, West Midlands. The club play at the War Memorial Athletic Ground in Stourbridge, and compete in the Crusader Worcestershire County Cricket League....
before beginning his county
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:...
career.
His first-class debut came in May 1925, when he scored 31 and 14 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...
at The Parks.
He did not play again that season, but in 1926 he appeared on 26 occasions, and ended the summer with 873 first-class runs 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 18.97.
This tally included his maiden hundred, 111 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...
(sharing an opening partnership of 185 with Maurice Jewell
Maurice Jewell
Maurice Frederick Stewart Jewell, CBE was an English cricketer: a right-handed batsman and slow left arm bowler who played the bulk of his first-class cricket for Worcestershire between the wars...
) in midsummer.
He also picked up the first of his 76 wickets when he removed 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....
's Les Berry
Les Berry
George Leslie "Les" Berry, born at Dorking, Surrey on 28 April 1906 and died at Great Glen, Leicestershire on 5 February 1985, was a cricketer who played for Leicestershire and holds many of the county's first-class batting records....
and Alec Skelding
Alec Skelding
Alexander Skelding was a first-class cricketer and umpire, who is remembered as one of the great characters in the game.-The Fast Bowler:...
in early June.
From then until the end of his career in 1933, Wright was a regular sight in the Worcestershire team: in only two seasons (1931 and 1933) did he make fewer than 20 appearances. His most productive season was 1928, when he made 1,402 runs at 24.07, including 101 and 57 against Hampshire.
He also passed his thousand runs in 1930, when he hit 1,180: this was the only year in which he made two centuries, of which the higher (his career best) was 134 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...
in July.
He narrowly missed out on the landmark in 1929, making 992 runs that year.
After 1930 Wright never scored another hundred, and although his form recovered somewhat after a dreadful 1931 in which he averaged less than 10,
in 92 innings in the last three years of his career the highest score was the 86 he struck against the touring Indians 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 June 1932.
He did hit another six half-centuries that summer, and a further three in his final season of 1933. His last 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...
in late August 1933, was an anticlimax: Wright was bowled
Bowled
Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
by George Lavis for 3 in his only innings, and went wicketless from ten overs.
Wright also played football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
as a centre-forward in the Worcester League. After retiring from cricket, he ran a remand
Detention of suspects
The detention of suspects is the process of keeping a person who has been arrested in a police-cell, remand prison or other detention centre before trial or sentencing. One criticism of pretrial detention is that eventual acquittal can be a somewhat hollow victory, in that there is no way to...
home in Mitcham
Mitcham
Mitcham is a district in the south west area of London, in the London Borough of Merton. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London, and home to Mitcham Town Centre,...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.