Michael Bennett (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Michael Bennett (17 December 1909 – 26 July 1982) played first-class
cricket
for Somerset
between 1928 and 1939.
Bennett was born at Bruton
, Somerset
. A right-handed middle-order batsman and an occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Bennett was one of the more regular of Somerset's amateur batsmen in an era when the county could afford only half a dozen professional players. In 12 seasons, he played 109 matches for Somerset, turning out regularly in 1932 and 1934, and playing in around half the side's matches in three other seasons: 1933, 1937 and 1939. In no other season did he appear in more than three matches. Despite this regular cricket and the fact that he was played primarily as a batsman, Bennett was not a prolific scorer at any stage in his career: his career average was only 15 and his highest score was just 73. Only in 1934, when he made 735 runs at an average of 19.86, did he make more than two scores of more than 50 in any single season.
Bennett was a good schoolboy all-rounder at King's School, Bruton
, making 565 runs at an average of 40.35 and taking 58 wickets at 13.56 in his final school season, 1928. He played for Somerset in three late-season matches that year, and three more in 1929, without making much impact. He did not play in 1930 or 1931.
In 1932, Bennett played in every Somerset match, making 544 runs at an average of 15.54. He scarcely bowled at all, with just 7.3 overs in the season, and at times in a fairly mobile batting line-up he came in as low as No 10 in the batting order. Nonetheless, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
, summarising the Somerset season, noted that he "accomplished enough as a batsman to keep his place in the side". His one score of more than 50 in the season came in the final home match of the season at Taunton: he made 69 batting at No 8, but his innings was upstaged by centuries for Reggie Ingle
and Dickie Burrough
and a very fast 50 from Arthur Wellard
.
Bennett played less in 1933. His aggregate fell to just 233 runs and his batting average to 12.94. But he returned to regular county cricket in 1934 and, said Wisden, "made a number of useful scores". These included innings of 71 and 73 in the match against Gloucestershire
at Bath, the second of these being his highest first-class score. Wisden noted that he "timed his driving specially well" in the first innings and "again displayed capital skill" in the second. In the season as a whole, he made 735 runs. His bowling remained very occasional, but in the last match of the season against Nottinghamshire
, he took four wickets for 39 runs in 11 overs, and these remained the best bowling figures of his career.
In both 1935 and 1936, Bennett barely played at all, but he came back to the Somerset side in 1937, playing in most of the matches in the first two-thirds of the season. He passed 50 twice, with the higher innings being 62 against Gloucestershire at Taunton, but his aggregate for the season was only 292 runs and his average was just 13.90. He was absent for most of 1938, but came back for a final season in 1939, when he played in half of Somerset's matches and captained the side in the temporary absence of the regular captain, Bunty Longrigg
, in games in early July. Mostly he batted a long way down the batting order and it was from No 9 that he made his highest of the season, 72 against Kent
at Maidstone
, an innings described by Wisden as "dashing" – though Somerset still lost the match easily inside two days. His final Somerset match, a month before the outbreak of the Second World War, was against the West Indians
; Bennett scored 56 in Somerset's only innings as the county beat the touring side by an innings in less than two days. He did not appear in first-class cricket again.
, Canada
.
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...
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...
for 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...
between 1928 and 1939.
Bennett was born at Bruton
Bruton
Bruton is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Brue seven miles south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, ten miles north-west of Gillingham and twelve miles south-west of Frome in the South Somerset district. The town has a...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. A right-handed middle-order batsman and an occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Bennett was one of the more regular of Somerset's amateur batsmen in an era when the county could afford only half a dozen professional players. In 12 seasons, he played 109 matches for Somerset, turning out regularly in 1932 and 1934, and playing in around half the side's matches in three other seasons: 1933, 1937 and 1939. In no other season did he appear in more than three matches. Despite this regular cricket and the fact that he was played primarily as a batsman, Bennett was not a prolific scorer at any stage in his career: his career average was only 15 and his highest score was just 73. Only in 1934, when he made 735 runs at an average of 19.86, did he make more than two scores of more than 50 in any single season.
Bennett was a good schoolboy all-rounder at King's School, Bruton
King's School, Bruton
King's Bruton is an independent fully co-educational secondary day and boarding school based in Bruton, Somerset, England. It was founded in 1519 by Richard FitzJames, and received royal foundation status around 30 years later in the reign of Edward VI...
, making 565 runs at an average of 40.35 and taking 58 wickets at 13.56 in his final school season, 1928. He played for Somerset in three late-season matches that year, and three more in 1929, without making much impact. He did not play in 1930 or 1931.
In 1932, Bennett played in every Somerset match, making 544 runs at an average of 15.54. He scarcely bowled at all, with just 7.3 overs in the season, and at times in a fairly mobile batting line-up he came in as low as No 10 in the batting order. Nonetheless, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
, summarising the Somerset season, noted that he "accomplished enough as a batsman to keep his place in the side". His one score of more than 50 in the season came in the final home match of the season at Taunton: he made 69 batting at No 8, but his innings was upstaged by centuries for Reggie Ingle
Reggie Ingle
Reginald Addington Ingle, known as "Reggie", was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Somerset from 1923 to 1939 and captained the side from 1932 to 1937...
and Dickie Burrough
Dickie Burrough
Herbert Dickinson "Dickie" Burrough, born at Wedmore, Somerset, on 6 February 1909, and died at Padstow, Cornwall, on 9 April 1994, played 171 first-class cricket matches for Somerset in a career that last for 20 years from 1927....
and a very fast 50 from Arthur Wellard
Arthur Wellard
Arthur William Wellard was a cricketer who played for Somerset and England. A late starter in county cricket, having been told by his native county, Kent, that he would be better off taking up a career as a policeman, Wellard played on into his late 40s...
.
Bennett played less in 1933. His aggregate fell to just 233 runs and his batting average to 12.94. But he returned to regular county cricket in 1934 and, said Wisden, "made a number of useful scores". These included innings of 71 and 73 in the match against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire 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 Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
at Bath, the second of these being his highest first-class score. Wisden noted that he "timed his driving specially well" in the first innings and "again displayed capital skill" in the second. In the season as a whole, he made 735 runs. His bowling remained very occasional, but in the last match of the season against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire 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 Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
, he took four wickets for 39 runs in 11 overs, and these remained the best bowling figures of his career.
In both 1935 and 1936, Bennett barely played at all, but he came back to the Somerset side in 1937, playing in most of the matches in the first two-thirds of the season. He passed 50 twice, with the higher innings being 62 against Gloucestershire at Taunton, but his aggregate for the season was only 292 runs and his average was just 13.90. He was absent for most of 1938, but came back for a final season in 1939, when he played in half of Somerset's matches and captained the side in the temporary absence of the regular captain, Bunty Longrigg
Bunty Longrigg
Edmund Fallowfield Longrigg, usually known as "Bunty", born at Batheaston, Somerset on 16 April 1906 and died at Bath, Somerset on 23 July 1974, played cricket for Somerset and Cambridge University...
, in games in early July. Mostly he batted a long way down the batting order and it was from No 9 that he made his highest of the season, 72 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...
at Maidstone
Mote Park
Mote Park is a 180 hectare multi-use public park in Maidstone, Kent. Previously a country estate it was converted to landscaped park land at the end of the 18th century before becoming a municipal park. It includes the former stately home Mote House together with a miniature railway, pitch and putt...
, an innings described by Wisden as "dashing" – though Somerset still lost the match easily inside two days. His final Somerset match, a month before the outbreak of the Second World War, was against the West Indians
West Indian cricket team in England in 1939
The West Indies cricket team toured England in the 1939 season to play a three-match Test series against England. England won the series 1-0 with two matches drawn. A total of 25 first-class matches was played and the West Indian side won eight of them and lost six, with the others drawn...
; Bennett scored 56 in Somerset's only innings as the county beat the touring side by an innings in less than two days. He did not appear in first-class cricket again.
Later life
Bennett went into the Army in the Second World War, emerging with the rank of lieutenant. He transferred from the army reserve to a short commission in the Devon Regiment after the war. He was promoted to captain in 1947 and major in 1953. He left the army in 1961, later moving to Canada. He died at TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.