Tim Curtis
Encyclopedia
Tim Curtis is a former England
cricket
er. A right-handed batsman, Curtis was a prolific scorer for Worcestershire
and county captain
between 1992 and 1995. He is one of only two players to score 10,000 one day runs for the county, and during the late 1980s he had a brief but unsuccessful international career.
As cricket correspondent, Colin Bateman, stated Curtis was "a diligent, determined opener... brought in to stop the rot against the 1988 West Indians with about as much success as those who had gone before him".
Curtis was perhaps unfortunate to play in an era of very poor England performances and much was made of Curtis's batting stance and technique during his England career. In 1989, Terry Alderman frequently had Curtis lbw playing across the line and much of the TV media blamed this on his stance and backlift. This despite the fact that his opening partner Graham Gooch had a very similar "set up" at the crease! While Curtis showed considerable patience and courage during his encounters with the West Indies, he looked highly suspect against Australia and at age 29 was not considered for the rebuilding process which England began under Graham Gooch's captaincy in 1990.
in the 1960s to live in Malvern
, where he attended The Grove county primary school. He entered the Royal Grammar School Worcester
, where he became captain of rugby and cricket and Head Boy of the school. He moved on to Hatfield College, University of Durham in 1979, where he captained the University cricket team. That year also saw his debut in first-class cricket
.
In 1983, Curtis went to Magdalene College, Cambridge
and gained a blue for cricket. After returning to Worcester
to teach English
at the Royal Grammar School, he played cricket for Worcestershire. Curtis is the only man, other than Graeme Hick
, to have scored more than 10,000 runs in List A cricket for Worcestershire. In 1988, he was selected for England
and played in a total of five Test matches
against Australia
and West Indies
as an opening batsman. However, his international career was unsuccessful, and he never reached fifty in a Test innings
.
In 1992, Curtis was appointed captain of Worcestershire, leading the county to success in that season's NatWest Trophy. He retired from first-class cricket in 1996 and continues to write about, and coach, cricket.
Curtis had a spell as chairman of the Professional Cricketers Association.
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...
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. A right-handed batsman, Curtis was a prolific scorer 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...
and county captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
between 1992 and 1995. He is one of only two players to score 10,000 one day runs for the county, and during the late 1980s he had a brief but unsuccessful international career.
As cricket correspondent, Colin Bateman, stated Curtis was "a diligent, determined opener... brought in to stop the rot against the 1988 West Indians with about as much success as those who had gone before him".
Curtis was perhaps unfortunate to play in an era of very poor England performances and much was made of Curtis's batting stance and technique during his England career. In 1989, Terry Alderman frequently had Curtis lbw playing across the line and much of the TV media blamed this on his stance and backlift. This despite the fact that his opening partner Graham Gooch had a very similar "set up" at the crease! While Curtis showed considerable patience and courage during his encounters with the West Indies, he looked highly suspect against Australia and at age 29 was not considered for the rebuilding process which England began under Graham Gooch's captaincy in 1990.
Life and career
Curtis moved to WorcestershireWorcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
in the 1960s to live in Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, where he attended The Grove county primary school. He entered the Royal Grammar School Worcester
Royal Grammar School Worcester
The Royal Grammar School Worcester is an independent coeducational school in Worcester, United Kingdom. Founded before 1291, it is one of the oldest British independent schools....
, where he became captain of rugby and cricket and Head Boy of the school. He moved on to Hatfield College, University of Durham in 1979, where he captained the University cricket team. That year also saw his debut 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...
.
In 1983, Curtis went to Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
and gained a blue for cricket. After returning to Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
to teach English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at the Royal Grammar School, he played cricket for Worcestershire. Curtis is the only man, other than Graeme Hick
Graeme Hick
Graeme Ashley Hick MBE is a Zimbabwean-born cricketer who played 65 Test matches and 120 One Day Internationals for England. He played county cricket for Worcestershire for his entire English domestic career, a period of well over twenty years, and in 2008 he surpassed Graham Gooch's record for...
, to have scored more than 10,000 runs in List A cricket for Worcestershire. In 1988, he was selected 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...
and played in a total of five Test matches
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...
against Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
and West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
as an opening batsman. However, his international career was unsuccessful, and he never reached fifty in a Test innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
.
In 1992, Curtis was appointed captain of Worcestershire, leading the county to success in that season's NatWest Trophy. He retired from first-class cricket in 1996 and continues to write about, and coach, cricket.
Curtis had a spell as chairman of the Professional Cricketers Association.