Paul Gibb

Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = English
country = England
country abbrev = ENG
name = Paul Gibb
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Right-hand bat
bowling style = -
tests = 8
test runs = 581
test bat avg = 44.69
test 100s/50s = 2/3
test top score = 120
test balls = -
test wickets = -
test bowl avg = -
test 5s = -
test 10s = -
test best bowling = -
test catches/stumpings = 3/1
FCs = 287
FC runs = 12520
FC bat avg = 28.07
FC 100s/50s = 19/51
FC top score = 204
FC balls = 269
FC wickets = 5
FC bowl avg = 32.20
FC 5s = -
FC 10s = -
FC best bowling = 2/40
FC catches/stumpings = 425/123
debut date = 24 December
debut year = 1938
last date = 29 November
last year = 1946
source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/13357.html

Paul Anthony Gibb (born 11 July, 1913 in Acomb, Yorkshire, died 7 December, 1977 in Guildford, Surrey) was an English cricketer who played in 8 Tests for the England cricket team from 1938 to 1946. He also played first-class cricket for the University of Cambridge and Yorkshire County Cricket Club, mostly as a batsman but occasionally also keeping wicket.

Gibb was educated at St Edward's, Oxford, and played first-class cricket for Cambridge from 1935 to 1938. He was initially chosen as a batsman in his first year, 1935, and also started playing for Yorkshire. He scored 157 not out, his first first-class century and ultimately his second highest score in first-class cricket, in his first innings for Yorkshire in 1935, and toured in Jamaica in 1935-36.

Gibb kept wicket occasionally in his second year at Cambridge, 1936, deputising when Billy Griffith was unavailable (Griffith himself later kept wicket for England in two of his three Tests in 1948 and 1949). Gibb was controversially selected as Cambridge wicket-keeper in his third year at Cambridge, 1937, ahead of Griffith, and toured in India in 1937-38, scoring his third first-class century (138 not out) for Lord Tennyson's Team at Ahmedabad. He achieved his only double century in first-class cricket when he reached 204 for Cambridge University against Free Foresters in 1938, his first of four first-class centuries that year.

In July 1938, the England wicket-keeper, Les Ames was injured, and Gibb was chosen to keep wicket for England in the third Ashes match against Australia at Old Trafford, ahead of candidates including Yorkshire's usual and well-regarded wicket-keeper, Arthur Wood. The 3rd Test was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain, and Fred Price kept wicket in the 4th Test at Headingley later in July when Gibb was himself injured (this was to be Price's only Test match). Gibb remained out of the England team when Wood made his Test debut in the 5th Test (and Wood completed his four-match Test career playing in the three Tests against West Indies at home in 1939). Nevertheless, Gibb was chosen to tour South Africa in 1938-39 as Ames' deputy, although he played in all five Tests as a batsman, opening the batting in all five matches with Len Hutton. Gibb made his Test debut against South Africa in the 1st Test, at Johannesburg on 24 December 1938, scoring 93 and 106. He scored a second Test century in the 5th Test, at Durban, in England's second innings in the famous timeless Test that was abandoned as a draw after 10 days of play (England having reached 654 for 5 chasing 696 to beat South Africa) because England's boat was leaving for home.

Ames kept wicket in all five matches in the 1938-39 tour, and Wood in the three home matches in 1939, so Gibb did not play again for England until the first series of England matches after the end of the Second World War in 1946, at home against India. Gibb was selected as wicket-keeper in the first two Tests, but was replaced in the 3rd Test at The Oval by Godfrey Evans, making his Test debut. Gibb scored his second first-class century for Yorkshire in 1946, against Warwickshire. That winter, he keep wicket for England in the 1st Test on tour to Australia at Brisbane in 1946-47, but he was replaced again by Godfrey Evans for the 2nd Test at Sydney. Thereafter, Evans remained a fixture in the side until 1959, and Gibb did not play for England again. In his 8 Tests, he had scored three fifties and two centuries.

Gibb did not play first-class cricket for four seasons, from 1947 to 1950, but joined Essex County Cricket Club in 1951, becoming the first cricket Blue to turn professional. He scored four first-class centuries in his first season for Essex. He remained with Essex for six years, to 1956, making 1000 runs four times. He toured in India with a Commonwealth team in 1953-54, scoring a century (154) at Jorhat.

Gibb was an umpire in first-class cricket from 1957 to 1966, later becoming a bus driver in Guildford, where he died "suddenly". He was mistakenly left out of "Wisden"'s obituary section the following year.

References

*cricinfo|ref=ci/content/player/13357.html