Famous Cricketers No 50 - Reg Simpson

65. Nottinghamshire v Sussex, Trent Bridge, July 21, 22, 23 (Match drawn) run out 0 118 436-7d run out 16 403-4 66. Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire, Ilkeston, July 24, 26, 27 (Derbyshire won by an innings and 33 runs) b C.Gladwin 36 180 404 c C.Gladwin b H.L.Jackson 32 191 67. Nottinghamshire v Northamptonshire, Trent Bridge, July 28, 29, 30 (Match drawn) c and b J.Webster 130 460 4 1 10 0 456 2 8 2 18 0 43-0 68. Nottinghamshire v Surrey, Kennington Oval, July 31, August 2, 3 (Surrey won by eight wickets) b A.V.Bedser 3 104 234 c G.S.Mobey b J.F.Parker 4 187 60-2 69. Nottinghamshire v Kent, Canterbury, August 4, 5, 6 (Match drawn) b L.J.Todd 20 326 15 3 48 2 H.A.Pawson lbw 390-8d J.G.W.Davies lbw lbw b L.J.Todd 3 78-4 1 0 5 1 T.G.Evans c E.A.Meads 169 70. Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire, Trent Bridge, August 7, 9 (Nottinghamshire won by an innings and 45 runs) lbw b D.Smith 129 364 194 125 71. Nottinghamshire v Hampshire, Trent Bridge, August 18, 19, 20 (Hampshire won by two wickets) c N.H.Rogers b D.Shackleton 1 179 3 1 8 0 141 c G.W.Dawson b C.J.Knott 22 174 - - - - 214-8 1 72. Nottinghamshire v Leicestershire, Leicester, August 21, 23, 24 (Match drawn) c P.Corrall b V.E.Jackson 3 212 257 c W.B.Cornock b V.E.Jackson 39 287-5 73. Gentlemen of England v Australians, Lord’s, August 25, 26, 27 (Australians won by an innings and 81 runs) c W.A.Brown b I.W.Johnson60 245 610-5d c D.G.Bradman b D.T.Ring 27 284 74. M.C.C. South African Touring Team v H.D.G.Leveson-Gower’s XI, Scarborough, September 4, 6, 7 (Match drawn) c T.L.Pritchard b F.R.Brown 24 347 273 b F.R.Brown 19 239-5d 259-8 1 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Championship 21 37 1 966 181 26.83 4 - 7 Other Notts matches 1 2 0 144 74 72.00 - 2 - Other matches 3 5 0 145 60 29.00 - 1 1 Season 25 44 1 1255 181 29.18 4 3 8 Career 74 127 6 4000 201 33.05 8 23 26 Bowling O M R W BB Ave Championship (6-ball) 56 18 128 3 2/48 42.66 Career (6-ball) 72 19 198 4 2/48 49.50 1948/49 - M.C.C. in South Africa In the winter of 1948/49 Simpson went on his first MCC tour and played in his first Test match. Although he failed in the match, scoring only 5 and 0, he had a very successful tour on the whole finishing third in the MCC batting averages, scoring 788 runs at an average of 56.28. He scored two centuries, 130 not out at Benoni against North-Eastern Transvaal, an innings overshadowed by Denis Compton’s whirlwind 300 made in 181 minutes. Simpson’s partnership with Compton added 399 for the third wicket. His other century came against Natal at Durban when he carried his bat throughout the innings to score 119 not out in an all out total of 237. Wisden commented that “against fast and medium-fast , but not always against spin bowling, Simpson was completely at ease and showed promise”. The article also felt, though, that he had not done enough to justify a regular place in the England side. But he had gained experience and this was soon to begin to pay off. 11