Sydney Evershed

Sydney Herbert Evershed (January 13, 1861 — March 7, 1937) was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire. He was born in Stapenhill, the son of Sydney Evershed the brewer and MP for Burton, and died in Burton-on-Trent.

Evershed's Derbyshire career began in 1880, having played for Staffordshire in 1878. Evershed made an appearance in a Gentlemen of Derbyshire team during the 1880 season, in which he made an impressive 85 in the first innings before being bowled. He made his first appearance for Derbyshire just three days later, though he finished out for a duck in his first innings, in what was, at the time, the second-lowest innings total by Derbyshire in first-class cricket.

Though Evershed did not appear for Derbyshire during 1882, he returned the following year to play two games, and appeared in five further games until 1886, when he temporarily gave up the first-class game.

Evershed did not return until 1894, playing in four first-class matches for Derbyshire, while on his return he had switched from a lower-order batsman to first-choice opener, along with future club captain Levi Wright. Evershed was a part of the team who played in Derbyshire's debut fixture in the County Championship, a draw against Warwickshire achieved in spite of the best efforts of centurion and future Test cricketer and Wisden Cricketer of the Year Dick Lilley. Derbyshire's first season was by no means a disappointment, finishing with a positive winning percentage, while Evershed finished with Derbyshire's fifth-best average, finishing the season with a best batting performance of 112.

While Derbyshire lost two places the following season, finishing in seventh in the 1896 County Championship, Derbyshire played their first match against an internationally-represented team since the inception of the County Championship during the 1896 season, the match finishing in a draw despite centuries from Test players Harry Trott, Harry Donnan and Clem Hill on the Australians' side. 1897 was to prove to be a disappointing season for Derbyshire, as the team finished winless in their sixteen games in the County Championship season.

While Evershed remained a force in the Derbyshire opening order during the 1898 season, he played very infrequently from the 1890 season onwards, appearing in just six first-class matches between the end of the 1898 season and his final first-class game, against Hampshire in the 1901 County Championship, a year which, once again, would remain winless for the team.

Evershed later became President of Derbyshire in the first decade of the 20th century. Evershed received a Knighthood in 1929. He was Derbyshire's club captain for seven years, between 1891 and 1898. Evershed's brothers, Edward, Wallis and Frank, and cousin Geoffrey Bell, were also first-class cricketers, while William Evershed also played first-class cricket in first half of the 19th century.

External links

* [http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29317/29317.html Sydney Evershed] at Cricket Archive