Famous Cricketers No 38 - D.V.P.Wright

D.V.P.WRIGHT Douglas Vivian Parson Wright was born at Foots Cray, Kent on August 21st, 1914. He attended the St. Nicholas Parish School at Chislehurst where he was a keen but quiet student who took a full part in all sporting activities. On leaving school in 1929, Doug was engaged as clerk to a legal practice at the Temple, London. During the summer months, he found sufficient time to play cricket for the Chislehurst Club where a series of creditable performances brought him to the attention of Gerald Simpson, the Captain of the Kent County Second XI. At the recommendation of Simpson, Doug was sent for coaching at the Walham Green School of Cricket which was managed by the great South African leg-break and googly bowler, Aubrey Faulkner. It did not take Faulkner long to appreciate Doug’s natural ability to spin the ball and an offer of additional coaching, together with a place on the administrative staff of the School was made. After careful consideration, Doug accepted the offer and commenced his new employment in the spring of 1930. His daily work schedule proved extremely demanding with the mornings being spent dealing with the administrative affairs of the school and the afternoons set aside for intensive coaching with Faulkner. Sensing Doug’s enthusiasm to learn, Faulkner taught him all he knew about the theory of leg-break and googly bowling and the two were often to be found in deep conversation about the art. Whilst Doug absorbed the theory in every detail, he did not find it so easy to put into practice. As hard as he tried, he found it difficult to maintain control over line and length with his best deliveries invariably pitching several feet too short. Accordingly, under Faulkner’s supervision, Doug began to experiment by bowling at a faster pace and flatter trajectory which he found gave an increased margin of error. The experiments were clearly successful for, in May 1931, he was invited to a trial at the Kent County Club and was promptly taken on to the staff at the recommendation of Lord Harris. In June 1932, the temporary absence of the legendary ‘Tich’ Freeman enabled Doug to experience County cricket for the first time but the match against Warwickshre at Edgbaston was marred by appalling weather. During the course of the next few seasons, Doug received much practical advice and encouragement from ‘Tich’ and the Kent XI of 1936 (Freeman’s last season with the County) invariably included them both so that the learning process could be continued where it really mattered, on the field of play. The lessons were well learned for Doug prospered in the seasons that followed and it came as little surprise when he made his Test debut in 1938 against Australia which was followed by his first overseas tour, to South Africa, in the subsequent winter. By this time, Doug was reaching the peak of his powers and 1939 saw him emerge as a real force which warranted his selection as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. Alas, six of Doug’s best years were lost to World War II. During that period, he served in the 5th Anti-Aircraft Battery of the Royal Artillery in which he rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant. When military service permitted, Doug appeared in many of the war time exhibition matches arranged to raise money for charitable causes and to keep up the spirits of the sporting public. During a further period of army leave, in June 1941, he married Miss Daphne Dobson at St. Margaret’s Church, Canterbury. On the resumption of cricket after the war, Doug soon recaptured his best form and was an automatic selection for the MCC tour of Australia and New Zealand during 1946/47. Despite the exhausting schedule of the tour and the strength of the hosts, Doug was one of the few players to end it with his reputation enhanced as he claimed more victims in the Test Matches than any bowler of either side. He enjoyed his most productive season in the golden summer of 1947 when he captured 177 victims at little more than 21 runs apiece. Despite injury during the 1948 season, Doug returned to South Africa again in 1948/49 and made his final official tour with the MCC party to Australia and New Zealand in 1950/51 during which he played the last of his 34 Test Matches. 4