Leonard Crawley

Infobox cricketer biography
playername = Leonard Crawley
female =


country = England
fullname = Leonard George Crawley
nickname =
living =
dayofbirth = 26
monthofbirth = 7
yearofbirth = 1903
placeofbirth = Nacton, Suffolk
countryofbirth = England
dayofdeath = 9
monthofdeath = 7
yearofdeath = 1981
placeofdeath = Worlington Lodge, Suffolk
countryofdeath = England
heightft =
heightinch =
heightm =
batting = Right-handed
bowling = Right arm fast / occ. WK
role =
club1 = Worcestershire
year1 = 1922—1923
club2 = Cambridge University
year2 = 1923—1925
club3 = MCC
year3 = 1925/26—1939
club4 = Essex
year4 = 1926—1936
deliveries = balls
columns = 1
column1 = FC
matches1 = 109
runs1 = 5,227
bat avg1 = 31.11
100s/50s1 = 8/22
top score1 = 222
deliveries1 = 102
wickets1 = 0
bowl avg1 = -
fivefor1 = 0
tenfor1 = 0
best bowling1 = -
catches/stumpings1 = 42/0
date = 9 July
year = 2008
source = http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/4/4820/4820.html CricketArchive

Leonard George Crawley (26 July 1903—9 July 1981) was an English sportsman and later journalist. He was most accomplished at golf and cricket as detailed below, but also played tennis to a very high standard and was an excellent ice-skater, a good rackets player and a fine shot.cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/10871.html |title=Players and Officials - Leonard Crawley |accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher="Wisden Cricket Monthly", reprinted on Cricinfo] Obituary. "Wisden Cricketers' Almanack" 1982.]

Golf

Crawley was a very accomplished golfer, playing four times in the Walker Cup and winning the English Amateur in 1931, and after retiring from playing sport he spent a quarter of a century as golf correspondent for the "Daily Telegraph".

Cricket

After some excellent performances for the Harrow XI, including a century against Eton at Lord's in 1921,Crawley made his first-class debut for Worcestershire against Somerset in early August 1922, even before he had appeared for Cambridge. [cite web |url=http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/10/10577.html |title=Somerset v Worcestershire in 1922 |accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=CricketArchive] Although he did little in that game, against Glamorgan a few days later he — named as captain — made 91 out of 198 in Worcestershire's first innings. [cite web |url=http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/10/10600.html |title=Worcestershire v Glamorgan in 1921 | accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=CricketArchive]

In 1923 Crawley appeared regularly for Cambridge, fitting his Worcestershire appearances around those for the university, and he had a very successful year, ending with 801 first-class runs (his highest season's aggregate) at an average of 44.50. His three games for Worcestershire in August included his maiden hundred: a knock of 161 against Northamptonshire at Worcester. In this game he shared a third-wicket stand of 304 with William Fox; [cite web |url=http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/10/10954.html |title=Worcestershire v Northamptonshire in 1923 | accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=CricketArchive] however, MCC declared both Crawley and Fox's qualifications to play for the county invalid.Fox was to play on for Worcestershire after a two-season break, but Crawley left the county at the end of the summer.

Crawley went with MCC to the Caribbean in the winter of 1925-26, although as West Indies had yet to attain Test status this was not considered a major tour, and he played no first-class games. Upon his return he joined Essex, with whom he remained until the end of his county career. Although he never turned out for more than a few games each summer, he produced some notable feats of batting, such as the second-innings 176 not out he hit, under pressure of time, to beat Sussex in 1927.

Crawley's highest score of 222 was made in 1928 against Glamorgan, although this was a drawn game in which the teams' combined first innings approached a thousand. [cite web |url=http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/12/12859.html |title=Glamorgan v Essex in 1928 |accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=CricketArchive] A more impressive feat came in July 1936 (not 1937 as his "Wisden" obituary states) when he played his first match of the season (again against Glamorgan). In this game he made 118 in an innings where no other batsman passed 18. [cite web |url=http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/15/15911.html |title=Glamorgan v Essex in 1936 |accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=CricketArchive] The effort involved, however, meant that he was unable to bat in the second innings.This was in fact to be the last century of his career, as he effectively retired at the end of the season, save only for one final outing, for MCC against Cambridge, in 1939. [cite web |url=http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/17/17017.html |title=Marylebone Cricket Club v Cambridge University in 1939|accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher=CricketArchive]

A number of Crawley's relatives played first-class cricket: the most significant of these was his cousin Aidan Crawley, who played 87 first-class matches, mostly between 1927 and 1932.

Notes

References

* [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/4/4820/4820.html Leonard Crawley] from CricketArchive
*cricinfo|ref=england/content/player/10871.html