John Walford

Infobox cricketer biography
playername = John Walford
country = England
fullname = John Erskine Scott Walford
dayofbirth = 14
monthofbirth = 8
yearofbirth = 1899
placeofbirth = Hanbury Mount, Worcestershire
countryofbirth = England
dayofdeath = 22
monthofdeath = 8
yearofdeath = 1961
placeofdeath = Hammersmith, London
countryofdeath = England
batting = Right-handed
bowling = Right-arm fast-medium
role = Bowler
club1 = Army
year1 = 1930-1932
club2 = Worcestershire
year2 = 1923-1930
type1 = First-class
debutdate1 = 7 July
debutyear1 = 1923
debutfor1 = Worcestershire
debutagainst1 = Sussex
lastdate1 = 29 June
lastyear1 = 1932
lastfor1 = Army
lastagainst1 = Royal Air Force
deliveries = balls
columns = 1
column1 = First-class
matches1 = 11
runs1 = 198
bat avg1 = 11.00
100s/50s1 = 0/0
top score1 = 31
deliveries1 = 1031
wickets1 = 29
bowl avg1 = 16.13
fivefor1 = 2
tenfor1 = 0
best bowling1 = 6/27
catches/stumpings1 = 6/0
date = 15 June
year = 2008
source = http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/33/33550/33550.html CricketArchive

John Erskine Scott Walford (14 August 1899–22 August 1961) was an English cricketer. [ [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/22658.html Cricinfo profile] ] A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler, he played 11 first-class matches between 1923 and 1932, [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/33/33550/33550.html CricketArchive profile] ] six for Worcestershire and five for the British Army cricket team. [ [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/33/33550/f_Batting_by_Team.html First-class batting and fielding for each team by John Walford] at CricketArchive] He also represented the Egypt national cricket team. [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/33/33550/Other_matches.html Other matches played by John Walford] at CricketArchive]

Biography

Born in Hanbury Mount, Worcestershire, Walford made his debut for Worcestershire against Sussex in July 1923, [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/33/33550/First-Class_Matches.html First-class matches played by John Walford] at CricketArchive] although he did not get to bowl and made only 11 and 5 with the bat. [ [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/10/10876.html Scorecard] of Sussex v Worcestershire, 7 July 1923 at CricketArchive] Indeed, he played largely as a batsman that season, bowling only half a dozen overs in five matches and gaining no reward. [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/33/33550/f_Bowling_by_Season.html First-class bowling in each season by John Walford] at CricketArchive] He did however manage what was to remain his highest score when he hit 31 against Northamptonshire in his second match. [ [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/10/10889.html Scorecard] of Northamptonshire v Worcestershire, 14 July 1923 at CricketArchive]

There then followed six years in which Walford played no first-class cricket, before he returned to play for the Army against the RAF at The Oval in July 1930. In the first innings of this match he claimed his first wicket, that of Ronald Sugden, and went on to take five more to finish with what would remain his career best of 6-27. (He also took two wickets in the second innings.) [ [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/13/13561.html Scorecard] of Army v RAF, 5 July 1930]

In the next two years, he played four more times for the Army, and consistently took wickets, a notable performance being his 6-31 against the MCC in August 1931. [ [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/14/14055.html Scorecard] of MCC v Army, 15 August 1931 at CricketArchive] He also turned out one more time for Worcestershire, against Nottinghamshire in 1930.

His last first-class match was for the Army against the RAF in June 1932, after which he continued to play at lower levels. He played for the MCC against the Netherlands in 1937 and 1939 and against Ireland in 1939. Earlier that year, he played twice for Egypt against HM Martineau's XI. He died at Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith, London a few days after his 62nd birthday.

References