Famous Cricketers No 58 - Trevor Bailey

1956 The summer of 1956 saw another “Ashes” series, this one being a triumph for Jim Laker who took a record 46 Australian wickets in the Test Series. This did not leave many for anyone else to take and Bailey managed only six wickets at an average of 37.16. All of these were taken in the Second Test at Lord’s, which England lost, and his main contribution to the series came in valuable innings of 32 and 33 not out in the Lord’s and Headingley Tests. His other contribution was to cling on to six catches. He missed the final Test at Kennington Oval. In the Championship he scored 888 runs at an average of 52.33 and took 63 wickets at 18.85. Among his many excellent performances were centuries against Hampshire, Kent and Somerset. Against Hampshire at Westcliff-on-Sea he scored 141 not out and took eight wickets for 105. Another splendid all-round performance came against Middlesex at Lord’s with not out scores of 51 and 39 and figures of 6-42 and 6-61. A week later he took 6-46 against Middlesex at Westcliff-on-Sea to conclude a three-match spell in which he had taken 26 wickets. He played in only 25 games in 1956, the main reason he failed to complete the double although he did reach 1186 runs at an average of 43.92, his highest seasonal average to date and enough to put him in third place in the national averages. He topped the Essex averages in both batting and bowling. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 306. Essex v Somerset, Taunton, May 5, 7, 8 (Somerset won by 43 runs) not out 111 273-7d 23 3 50 1 C.L.McCool b 271-9d 1 c G.G.Atkinson b B.Lobb 6 166 7 5 10 0 211-3d 307. Essex v Glamorgan, Ilford, May 9, 10, 11 (Match drawn) b D.J.Shepherd 26 276 34 8 62 3 W.Wooller c G.Barker 285 B.Hedges c L.H.R.Ralph H.G.Davies lbw not out 6 207-7d 18 1 94 3 W.Wooller c P.A.Gibb 193-6 W.G.A.Parkhouse b R.Horsfall c P.A.Gibb 308. Essex v Leicestershire, Ilford, May 12, 14, 15 (Leicestershire won by four wickets) c J.Firth b C.T.Spencer 55 390-8d 20.4 2 65 3 G.Lester c D.J.Insole 257 2 C.T.Spencer c P.A.Gibb J.Goodwin c R.Smith b C.T.Spencer 9 201-7d 21 2 87 2 C.H.Palmer c B.Taylor 337-6 V.S.Munden c R.Smith 309. Essex v Kent, Dartford, May 16, 17, 18 (Essex won by nine wickets) run out 108 361 18 4 44 3 A.E.Fagg c B.Taylor 203 2 M.C.Cowdrey lbw J.Pettiford b did not bat - 22-1 - - - - 178 310. Essex v Gloucestershire, Romford, May 23, 24 (Essex won by an innings and 96 runs) c and b J.B.Mortimore 24 356-9d 12 4 31 2 J.B.Mortimore b 153 G.E.E.Lambert b 13 4 49 1 C.A.Milton lbw 107 311. Essex v Sussex, Worthing, May 26, 28, 29 (Sussex won by 45 runs) c D.V.Smith b R.G.Marlar 30 320-7d 20 4 66 1 R.H.Willson b 315 1 lbw b D.V.Smith 0 76 17.5 7 37 4 D.A.Stripp b 126 R.H.Willson b R.T.Webb c B.Taylor R.G.Marlar c L.H.R.Ralph 312. Essex v Northamptonshire, Brentwood, June 2, 4, 5 (Match drawn) lbw b R.W.Clarke 43 381-6d 26 4 92 0 379-9d 1 6 2 10 0 143-6 313. ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA, Trent Bridge, June 7, (8), 9, 11, 12 (Match drawn) c K.R.Miller b R.G.Archer 14 217-8d 3 1 8 0 148 2 did not bat - 188-3d 9 3 16 0 120-3 314. Essex v Cambridge University, County Ground, Chelmsford, June (16), 18, 19 (Match drawn) not out 21 216-3d 18 5 37 2 R.W.Barber c B.Taylor 127-9d 1 G.W.Cook b not out 5 94-5d 11 3 21 1 R.W.Barber c B.Taylor 106-9 40