Famous Cricketers No 51 - Don Kenyon

478. Worcestershire v Lancashire, Worcester, August 30, 31, September 1 (Lancashire won by 28 runs) c B.J.Booth b R.W.Barber 4 254 332 c J.D.Bond b R.W.Barber 6 274 224 479. Worcestershire v Sussex, Hove, September 2, 4, 5 (Worcestershire won by 120 runs) c sub b K.G.Suttle 2 278 165 c A.S.M.Oakman b D.V.Smith 0 140 133 480. South v North, Blackpool, September 6, 7, 8 (South won by two wickets) c sub b R.Illingworth 18 261-8d 216 b R.Illingworth 31 283-8 324 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Championship 28 52 1 1340 152 26.27 2 3 16 Other matches 2 4 0 59 31 14.75 - - 1 Season 30 56 1 1399 152 25.43 2 3 17 Career 480 870 46 29267 259 35.51 65 137 258 1962 Worcestershire finished their Championship programme ten points clear at the top of the table but rivals Yorkshire had to meet Glamorgan at Harrogate. Rain intervened, but not enough of it, and Yorkshire won by seven wickets with two and a half hours remaining. Don and his side had to be content with the runners-up spot having been equal second with Yorkshire in 1907. Don had a much better season finishing just 59 runs short of 2000 for the county and passing his 30,000 runs in all first-class matches during an innings of 97 against Somerset at New Road in June, bowled by Ken Palmer eight minutes before what could have been a century before lunch. On the same day Martin Horton (233) and Tom Graveney (164) added 314 for the third wicket, a Worcestershire record until beaten by Graeme Hick and Tom Moody with 438 unbroken at Southampton in 1997 when both Horton and Graveney were present. During the last match of that dramatic season rain looked as if it were to deny victory against Nottinghamshire at Worcester after thunderstorms twice left pools all over the ground but second team players and groundstaff made conditions just about fit for play. Worcestershire required 192 to win and Don laid on a vintage innings, 103 not out, his 63rd century for the county. He lost Horton and ‘Dick’ Richardson to Andy Corran by the time the score was 48 but he was then joined by Graveney. They added 145 in 95 minutes to win the game by eight wickets just before another storm arrived, Don reaching his century with a four that won the match. This was a record 15th season that Don had completed 1000 runs for Worcestershire beating the previous best of 14 by Fred Bowley. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 481. Worcestershire v Pakistanis, Worcester, May 2, 3, 4 (Match drawn) b Ahsan Haseeb 30 175 113 2 c J.Burki b M.Farooq 15 245 291-9 482. Worcestershire v Sussex, Hove, May 5, 7, 8 (Match drawn) c G.C.Cooper b R.V.Bell 54 183-4d 263 1 c R.J.Langridge b N.I.Thomson 10 66-4 111-3d 483. Worcestershire v Glamorgan, Worcester, May 9, 10, 11 (Match drawn) c O.S.Wheatley b P.M.Walker 73 283 214 not out 22 156-5d 65-3 484. Worcestershire v Middlesex, Lord’s, May 12, 14, 15 (Worcestershire won by six wickets) c R.W.Hooker b A.E.Moss 22 138 269 lbw b R.W.Hooker 30 288-4 156-7d 485. Worcestershire v Northamptonshire, Northampton, May 16, 17, 18 (Worcestershire won by 118 runs) b P.D.Watts 63 385-6d 217 b J.D.F.Larter 16 122-8d 172 39