Roger Wrightson
Encyclopedia
Roger Wilfrid Wrightson was an English
cricket
er. Wrightson was a left-handed batsman who occasionally fielded as a wicket-keeper
.
Although born in Elsecar
, Yorkshire
to Frederick Liddell Wrightson and Jessie Arline Hague, Wrightson was raised in Essex where his family moved to when his father took up a teaching position in the county. It was in Grays
that he was educated at Palmer's School
, going from there to Loughborough University
. His father first introduced Wrightson to cricket when he was a child, according to Wrightson had made him, along with his brothers bat as left-handers. Prior to playing county cricket
he became a primary school teacher in Thurrock
.
He eventually made his debut for Essex
in a first-class
match against Oxford University
in 1965, with him making nine further first-class appearances in the 1965 season
. Against Warwickshire
that season at Clacton
, Wrightson scored 84 runs, which was to be his only first-class half century. Later that season when playing against Yorkshire
he had his two front teeth knocked out by a bouncer
delivered by Fred Trueman
. He made no appearances for Essex in 1966, with his teaching career taking precedence. He did appear in two first-class matches in the 1967 season
against Derbyshire
and Hampshire
, and was at the end of that season offered a new contract by Essex, but decided to not to accept the offer. In his brief first-class career, Wrightson scored 332 runs at an average
of 20.75.
He and his wife Audrey, who was an art teacher, moved to Cumberland
shortly thereafter. He played in the Minor Counties Championship for Cumberland
, making his debut for the county in 1970 against the Yorkshire Second XI
. He played for Cumberland in 1970 and 1971, making nine Minor Counties Championship appearances. Wrightson died at Carlisle, Cumberland on 13 September 1986, aged 47. He was survived by two children.
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. Wrightson was a left-handed batsman who occasionally fielded as a wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
.
Although born in Elsecar
Elsecar
Elsecar is a village forming part of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. Like many villages in the area, it was for many years a coal mining village until the widespread pit closures during the 1980s. Elsecar is next to the villages of Hoyland and Jump.Elsecar is...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
to Frederick Liddell Wrightson and Jessie Arline Hague, Wrightson was raised in Essex where his family moved to when his father took up a teaching position in the county. It was in Grays
Grays
Grays is the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex and one of the Thurrock's traditional parishes...
that he was educated at Palmer's School
Palmer's College
Palmer's College is a sixth form college for 16 - 19 year olds in Thurrock, Essex, England. With an 'outstanding' Ofsted inspection in 2007, the College was awarded Beacon status in 2008...
, going from there to Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
. His father first introduced Wrightson to cricket when he was a child, according to Wrightson had made him, along with his brothers bat as left-handers. Prior to playing county cricket
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:...
he became a primary school teacher in Thurrock
Thurrock
Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council....
.
He eventually made his debut for 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...
in a 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...
match 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...
in 1965, with him making nine further first-class appearances in the 1965 season
1965 English cricket season
The 1965 English cricket season was the first season since the 1912 Triangular Tournament in which England played Test series against two touring sides. In the first half of a damp summer, New Zealand were the tourists, and England won all three matches...
. Against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire 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 Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
that season at Clacton
Vista Road Recreation Ground
Vista Road Recreation Ground is a cricket ground in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1931, when Essex played their first first-class match there against Lancashire...
, Wrightson scored 84 runs, which was to be his only first-class half century. Later that season when playing against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
he had his two front teeth knocked out by a bouncer
Bouncer (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a bouncer is a type of delivery, usually bowled by a fast bowler. It is pitched short so that it bounces on the pitch well short of the batsman and rears up to chest or head height as it reaches the batsman.Bouncers are used tactically to drive the batsman back on to his...
delivered by Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
. He made no appearances for Essex in 1966, with his teaching career taking precedence. He did appear in two first-class matches in the 1967 season
1967 English cricket season
The 1967 English cricket season saw a double England triumph as they won both of two home series.-Honours:*County Championship - Yorkshire*Gillette Cup - Kent*Minor Counties Championship - Cheshire...
against Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
and 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...
, and was at the end of that season offered a new contract by Essex, but decided to not to accept the offer. In his brief first-class career, Wrightson scored 332 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 20.75.
He and his wife Audrey, who was an art teacher, moved to Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
shortly thereafter. He played in the Minor Counties Championship for Cumberland
Cumberland County Cricket Club
Cumberland County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Cumberland and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
, making his debut for the county in 1970 against the Yorkshire Second XI
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
. He played for Cumberland in 1970 and 1971, making nine Minor Counties Championship appearances. Wrightson died at Carlisle, Cumberland on 13 September 1986, aged 47. He was survived by two children.
External links
- Roger Wrightson at ESPNcricinfo
- Roger Wrightson at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...