Famous Cricketers No 82 - H.E. 'Tom' Dollery

111. Sir Pelham Warner’s X1 v England Past and Present, Folkestone, September 7, 8, 9 (Match drawn) b W.Voce 17 173 256 did not bat - 39-0 329-8d 1 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St County Championship 23 36 5 1272 134* 41.03 4 4 12 - Other Warwicks match 1 2 0 33 31 16.50 - - - - Other matches 2 3 1 82 40* 41.00 - - 1 - Season 26 41 6 1387 134* 39.62 4 4 13 - Career 111 185 21 5353 165 32.64 11 23 50 - 1939 The last season before the war saw Tom Dollery now established as Warwickshire’s leading batsman and one of the bright new hopes of English cricket. The selectors had him very much in mind, and he was chosen for the Players at Lord’s where he top scored in their first innings; according to Wisden his was the soundest batting of the day, and he was perhaps a little unlucky not to play in a Test against the West Indies. After a slow start to the season he came into form against his “favourites”, Derbyshire, Buckingham once again and “Kil” Wilmot helping him in late order century stands, turning a probable innings defeat into victory, and he went on to his highest score of 177. His next century against Hampshire was also a big one, and his 170 made in only 210 minutes saved his side after they had followed on. Jimmy Ord, who scored his debut hundred helped him in a 4th wicket stand of 215 in only 140 minutes. His 70 in three and a half hours against Worcestershire on a difficult pitch proved he could also defend when needed, and this was followed by a century in the next game against Northants, in just over two and a half hours. He continued with his rapid scoring against Sussex, his 90 taking only 130 minutes, but there then followed a really bad run when he failed to get past 41 in his next eleven innings. This poor run of form ended with a match winning three-hour century against Gloucestershire. A curious feature of this season was his abysmal form away from home. Excluding the Gentlemen v. Players match, his record in away matches was 374 runs at just under 25 per innings, (and this included four not outs), with the only fifty coming in the penultimate game of the season. His home record however was 1,055 runs at 53.75 with four centuries and three fifties! Despite his poor away form he easily headed his county’s averages and finished 14th in the overall first-class list, his best yet. Warwickshire rose two places to finish eleventh in the Championship table. He was selected by MCC for the tour to India that should have taken place in the winter of 1939-40, but this of course was aborted due to the worsening political situation, and he never did make a major cricket tour during his career. The team was very much an England second team with the idea of giving rising young talent experience at International level. He didn’t know it, but when he left Lord’s on August 31st at the age of twenty-five, he wouldn’t play in another first-class match until May 1946; six of the best years of his life were spent fighting Germans and Italians in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct St Total Total 112. Warwickshire v Hampshire, Portsmouth, May 13, 15, 16 (Match drawn) b J.W.J.Steele 12 163 259-6d c J.W.J.Steele b G.S.Boyes 4 152-5 113. Warwickshire v Lancashire, Edgbaston, May 20, 22, 23 (Warwickshire won by seven wickets) b A.E.Nutter 30 289-7d 363 did not bat - 277-3 200-2d 22