George Thoms

Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = Australian
country = Australia
country abbrev = AUS
name = George Thoms
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Right-hand bat
bowling style = -
tests = 1
test runs = 44
test bat avg = 22.00
test 100s/50s = 0/0
test top score = 28
test balls = 0
test wickets = 0
test bowl avg = -
test 5s = 0
test 10s = 0
test best bowling = -
test catches/stumpings = 0/0
FCs = 19
FC runs = 1137
FC bat avg = 35.53
FC 100s/50s = 3/5
FC top score = 150
FC balls = 32
FC wickets = 1
FC bowl avg = 14.00
FC 5s = 0
FC 10s = 0
FC best bowling = 1/8
FC catches/stumpings = 10/0
debut date = 25 January
debut year = 1952
last date = 25 January
last year = 1952
source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/7949.html

George Ronald Thoms Order of Australia Medal (March 22, 1927 - August 29, 2003) was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test in 1952. He played 18 first-class matches for Victoria, one in 1946, and then more regularly from 1951-2 to 1953-54.

Born in Footscray, Victoria, Thoms attended Melbourne University, where he opened the batting with Colin McDonald. He also played first-class cricket for Victoria alongside McDonald, and they both made their Test debut in the 5th Test against West Indies at Sydney in January 1952, alongside fellow debutant Richie Benaud. [http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1950S/1951-52/WI_IN_AUS/WI_AUS_T5_25-29JAN1952.html] Uniquely, Thoms and McDonald opened the batting together for a Test team, state team, and club team in that season. A solid, rather than spectacular, batsman, he scored 16 and 28. Thoms was dismissed hit wicket in the second innings, treading on the stumps after pulling a Frank Worrell delivery for four.

Johnnie Moyes, preeminent cricket historian, wrote hyperbolically of this modest beginning: "He was a player of negative qualities, and one gained the impression that a competent leader could close him down to an occasional single for hours at a time, not the type of batsman for whom there could be any international future. It was no surprise that his first Test was also his last." [Moyes: "Australian Batsmen", p. 161.]

Thoms retired from representative cricket to concentrate on his medical career, fearful that a hand injury could end his ambitions as a surgeon. He is thought to be the only Test cricketer to have been a gynaecologist. He introduced laser surgery to Australia in 1970s and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1996.

He attended a reunion of 150 Australian Test cricketers in Sydney on 11 July 2003. He died a few weeks later, in Melbourne, Victoria.

References

*cricinfo|ref=ci/content/player/7949.html
* [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/125218.html Cricket Australia pays tribute to the late George Thoms] , Cricinfo, 29 August 2003
*Moyes, A.G.: "Australian Batsmen: from Charles Bannerman to Neil Harvey" (Harrap, 1954).