Donald Smith (cricketer)

Donald Smith

Personal information
Full name	Donald Victor Smith
Born	14 June 1923 (1923-06-14) (age 88) Broadwater, Sussex, England
Batting style	Left-hand bat
Bowling style	Left-arm medium
International information
National side	English
Career statistics
Competition	Tests	First-class
Matches	3	377
Runs scored	25	16,960
Batting average	8.33	30.33
100s/50s	–/–	19/88
Top score	16*	206*
Balls bowled	270	22,233
Wickets	1	340
Bowling average	97.00	28.44
5 wickets in innings	–	6
10 wickets in match	–	1
Best bowling	1/12	7/40
Catches/stumpings	–/–	234/–
Source: [1],

Donald Victor Smith (born 14 June 1923, Broadwater, Sussex, England)^[1] is an English former cricketer, who played in three Tests for England in 1957.

The cricket writer, Colin Bateman, commented that "Sri Lanka's historic first victory over England early in 1993 will have given at least one English Test player a certain amount of satisfaction. Don Smith, a steady left-handed opener capable of some useful seam bowling, became Sri Lanka's national coach in the late 1980s".^[1]

Life and career

An all-rounder who gave sterling service for Sussex as a left-handed batsman and, later in his career, a left arm medium pacer, he scored over 1,500 runs in 1949 to establish himself in their first team. Equally adept at opening the batting, or scoring runs in the middle order as required, Smith's bowling blossomed at the age of 32 when he took 73 wickets, and more good form in 1957, saw him selected for England against the West Indies. Although he found little success in his three Tests against them (amassing 25 runs in four innings),^[1] he did score 147 for his county against the tourists.

After retiring from playing cricket in 1962, he became the coach and groundsman at Lancing College, before coaching Sri Lanka in their early days of Test cricket. Smith emigrated to Australia.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Bateman, Colin (1993). If The Cap Fits. Tony Williams Publications. p. 154. ISBN 1-869833-21-X. 

Persondata
Name	Smith, Donald
Alternative names	Smith, Donald Victor
Short description	English Test and County cricketer
Date of birth	14 June 1923
Place of birth	Broadwater, Sussex, England
Date of death
Place of death