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

1932 ‘Tich’ Freeman’s selection for the Players at Lord’s and the unavailability of C.S.Marriott (schoolmaster duties) enforced Kent to give a trial to a seventeen year old colt, Douglas Wright. In recent matches for the Second XI and Club and Ground, wickets had been plentiful though his first-class debut was marred by bad weather and restricted to just eleven overs in the second innings when the game was dead. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 1. Kent v Warwickshire, Edgbaston, July (13), 14, 15 (Match drawn) not out 0 111 - - - - 105 11 3 32 0 161/4 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 50 Ct County Championship 1 1 1 0 0* - - - Bowling O M R W BB Ave 10wm 5wi Strike Econ Championship 11 3 32 0 - - - - - 48.48 1933 Beginning the season in the XI, Wright secured his maiden first-class wicket at Bristol when he trapped Billy Neale of Gloucestershire leg before wicket. In the following match (and only the third of his career), second innings figures of 4 for 26 played a prominent part in the defeat of Somerset at Taunton. His first appearance at Lord’s was also a personal success but, thereafter, wickets were scarce. The availability of the County’s amateurs at the beginning of July saw Wright return to the ranks of the Second XI but he had done enough to catch the attention of the cricket press, Wisden commenting that : “Douglas Wright, with his varied break, showed real promise”. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 2. Kent v Gloucestershire, Bristol, May 10, 11, 12 (Gloucestershire won by 8 runs) b T.W.J.Goddard 1 223 9 1 30 2 W.L.Neale lbw 168 P.I.Van der Gucht hit wkt not out 0 228 2 0 13 0 291 3. Kent v Somerset, Taunton, May 13, 15, 16 (Kent won by 52 runs) not out 15 205 12 1 40 1 J.W.Lee b 165 1 not out 0 122 13.4 4 26 4 J.W.Lee c L.J.Todd 110 A.Young b H.D.Burrough lbw A.MacDonald-Watson c F.E.Woolley 4. Kent v Worcestershire, Gravesend, May 17, 18, 19 (Kent won by 9 wickets) b L.Wright 12 446 29 2 102 1 H.H.I.H.Gibbons b 383 did not bat - 58/1 17.1 7 23 2 J.Fox lbw 119 R.T.D.Perks c A.E.Fagg 5. Kent v Derbyshire, Derby, May 20, 22, 23 (Derbyshire won by 8 wickets) not out 0 159 10 0 38 0 226 b L.F.Townsend 1 255 14 6 37 0 190/2 6. Kent v Yorkshire, Headingley, May 27, 29 (Yorkshire won by an innings and 24 runs) not out 0 90 22 7 48 0 286 not out 2 172 7. Kent v Northamptonshire, Northampton, May 31, June 1 (Kent won by an innings and 96 runs) not out 1 341 17 8 36 2 A.W.Snowden c A.E.Fagg 140 J.E.Timms c A.P.Freeman 2.4 2 0 2 A.E.Thomas b 105 E.W.Clark b 7