Famous Cricketers No 50 - Reg Simpson

143. North v South, Scarborough, September 6, 7, 8 (South won by three wickets) c S.C.Griffith b T.E.Bailey 17 288-7d 284-7d lbw b T.E.Bailey 29 245-5d 251-7 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Test matches 3 6 0 171 94 28.50 - 1 - Gentlemen v Players 1 2 0 79 69 39.50 - 1 1 Championship 18 28 6 1873 243* 85.13 6 7 5 Other Notts matches 1 2 0 137 109 68.50 1 - 1 Other matches 5 9 0 316 101 35.11 1 1 2 Season 28 47 6 2576 243* 62.82 8 10 9 Career 143 239 23 9889 243* 45.78 24 55 51 Bowling O M R W BB Ave Championship 111.3 34 317 12 3/39 26.41 Other Notts matches 3 0 16 0 - - Season (6-ball) 114.3 34 333 12 3/39 27.75 Career (6-ball) 395.1 126 1042 32 3/22 32.56 1950/51 - M.C.C. in Australia and New Zealand The party to tour Australia in 1950/51 contained seven players aged below 26 and it was to a certain extent due to inexperience that the side failed to regain “The Ashes”. Another major factor was the failure of Washbrook and Compton to score the runs that were expected of them in the Test series and it was, I feel, these two factors which affected Simpson’s batting and stopped him playing in the free and easy manner that Trent Bridge crowds had become accustomed to. Fingleton felt that he had lost confidence in himself. Wisden said that on occasion he became a hesitant, uncertain player, cramped to defence and to his crease. In an early State match against South Australia he hit a glorious 69 as MCC chased a victory against the clock but, not until the second innings of the Fourth Test at Adelaide did he strike form in the Tests. His finest hour, possibly the finest hour of his career, came at Melbourne in the Fifth Test when, supported by Tattersall he treated Lindwall, Iverson and the rest with some contempt, raising his score from 80 to 156 not out and setting up England’s victory. In the first two Tests he opened with Washbrook to allow Hutton to bat lower down to bolster the suspect middle order but the move was not a success. At Sydney, in the return match against New South Wales, he hit the highest score of his career, 259, but it took him nearly nine hours. He finished second to Hutton in the Test averages with 349 runs at 38.77. In the tour averages he finished third, his 1136 runs being scored at an average of 42.07. In the Test against New Zealand at Christchurch, he returned bowling figures of 2-4 in the second New Zealand innings. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 144. M.C.C. v Western Australia, Perth, October 20, 21, 23, 24 (Match drawn) c J.K.E.Munro b W.P.Dunn 0 434-9d 236 c W.P.Dunn b M.U.Herbert 12 121-3d 207-4 1 145. M.C.C. v South Australia, Adelaide, October 27, 28, 30, 31 (M.C.C. won by seven wickets) c and b G.Noblet 119 351-9d 350 c R.N.Hiern b J.W.Wilson 69 186-3 185-3d 146. M.C.C. v New South Wales, Sydney, November 10, 11, 13, 14 (Match drawn) c and b F.B.Johnston 7 339 509-3d c J.W.Burke b F.B.Johnston 32 143-2 140-2d 147. M.C.C. v Queensland, Brisbane, November 24, (25), 27, 28 (Match drawn) c V.N.Raymer b L.J.Johnson13 291 305 5-1 148. ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane, December 1, (2), 4, 5 (Australia won by 70 runs) b W.A.Johnston 12 68-7d 228 2 b R.R.Lindwall 0 122 32-7d 2 17