Sam Cook
Encyclopedia
Cecil "Sam" Cook was an English
cricketer
, who played for Gloucestershire
and in one Test match for England
.
, Gloucestershire
, Cook was a small and stocky slow left-arm spinner
, who took a wicket with his first ball in first-class cricket
, and 133 wickets in his first season (1946). No great spinner of the ball, Cook relied on accuracy and flight: if he lacked penetration as a bowler, he was also very rarely mastered. Before Gloucestershire acquired spinning riches in the form of John Mortimore
and David Allen
, Cook regularly took 100 wickets a season, and later on the county side often played three spinners, right up to the time when Cook retired in 1964.
Cook's one Test match
was unfortunate. He was called into the England team to play the South Africans
on the batsman's pitch at Trent Bridge
in 1947, after taking six South African wickets in the second innings of the MCC
match in May. But in the Test match, he took no wickets for 127 runs, scored 0 and 4, and was never picked again. The Kent
fast bowler Jack Martin
, who had done equally well in the MCC match, was also picked for the Trent Bridge Test, also fared badly, and was likewise discarded, never to appear in Test cricket again.
In all first-class cricket, Cook took 1,782 wickets, making him 50th on the all-time list. No batsman at all, he scored fewer than 2,000 first-class runs and never reached 50. After retirement, he stood as a first-class umpire
until 1986.
Sam Cook died in his hometown of Tetbury in September 1996, at the age of 75.
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...
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 for 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....
and in one Test match for England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
.
Life and career
Born in TetburyTetbury
Tetbury is a town and civil parish within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in the 2001 census.In the Middle Ages,...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, Cook was a small and stocky slow left-arm spinner
Spin bowling
Spin bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as spinners or spin bowlers.-Purpose:The main aim of spin bowling is to bowl the cricket ball with rapid rotation so that when it bounces on the pitch it will deviate, thus making it difficult for the...
, who took a wicket with his first ball in first-class cricket
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...
, and 133 wickets in his first season (1946). No great spinner of the ball, Cook relied on accuracy and flight: if he lacked penetration as a bowler, he was also very rarely mastered. Before Gloucestershire acquired spinning riches in the form of John Mortimore
John Mortimore
John Mortimore may refer to:* John Mortimore * John Mortimore -See also:*John Mortimer...
and David Allen
David Allen (cricketer)
David Arthur Allen is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test matches for England.-Life and career:...
, Cook regularly took 100 wickets a season, and later on the county side often played three spinners, right up to the time when Cook retired in 1964.
Cook's one Test match
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...
was unfortunate. He was called into the England team to play the South Africans
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
on the batsman's pitch at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
in 1947, after taking six South African wickets in the second innings 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...
match in May. But in the Test match, he took no wickets for 127 runs, scored 0 and 4, and was never picked again. The 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...
fast bowler Jack Martin
Jack Martin (cricketer)
Jack Martin was an English cricketer, who played in one Test in 1947, taking the single wicket of South African captain Alan Melville. In a fifteen year career, Martin turned in a meagre forty four first-class appearances, largely when his holidays allowed...
, who had done equally well in the MCC match, was also picked for the Trent Bridge Test, also fared badly, and was likewise discarded, never to appear in Test cricket again.
In all first-class cricket, Cook took 1,782 wickets, making him 50th on the all-time list. No batsman at all, he scored fewer than 2,000 first-class runs and never reached 50. After retirement, he stood as a first-class umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
until 1986.
Sam Cook died in his hometown of Tetbury in September 1996, at the age of 75.
External links
- Sam Cook at www.cricketarchive.com