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

SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St Test match 1 2 0 8 8 4.00 - - 1 - Players v Gentlemen 1 2 0 143 123 71.50 1 - - - County Championship 25 38 3 1559 185 44.54 4 7 18 - Other Warwicks matches 3 6 0 89 28 14.83 - - 5 - Season 30 48 3 1799 185 39.97 5 7 24 - Career 282 471 45 15760 200 36.99 33 77 167 13 1950/51 - in New Zealand Dollery had accepted a coaching engagement in New Zealand attached to the Wellington College Old Boys club, as coach to the Wellington provincial team. He took his wife and young son with him and was given splendid accommodation just outside Wellington overlooking a beautiful view of Evans Bay. Unfortunately, during the stay he developed sciatica and it badly affected his batting form. However he was a great success as coach, being rated as one of the best that the New Zealand authorities had employed, so much so that they begged him to return the next winter, but his other business interests forced him to turn the offer down. He started off in good form, scoring 133 in a two day, non first-class game against Hutt Valley, made in just under three hours with 11 fours; The Cricket Almanack of New Zealand described the innings as “well nigh perfect”. He was also going really well in the first Plunket Shield game against Central Districts when John Reid, Wellington’s “star” batsman ran him out just short of a half-century. After that game though the sciatica took hold to such an extent that he could barely sit down or move without pain, and his form suffered accordingly. After winning their first two games quite comfortably, Wellington lost their last two just as comfortably, and finished in third place in the Plunket Shield table behind Otago. Dollery played under the captaincy of R.T.Barber for Wellington in the four games. Wellington did not meet the MCC tourists under Freddie Brown, who made a short two Test tour of New Zealand after the Ashes series in Australia. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct St Total Total 283. Wellington v Central Districts, Wellington, December 1, 2, 4 (Wellington won by an innings and 65 runs) run out 47 291-9d 82 1 144 284. Wellington v Auckland, Wellington, December 23, 25, 26, 27 (Wellington won by five wickets) b J.W.Cammish 13 234 117 1 c L.A.W.Kent b J.W.Cammish 13 198-5 312 1 285. Wellington v Canterbury, Wellington, December (29), 30, January 1, 2 (Canterbury won by six wickets) c G.F.Anderson b T.B.Burtt 13 181 307 b J.A.Hayes 3 183 59-4 286. Wellington v Otago, Dunedin, January 6, 8, 9, 10 (Otago won by 251 runs) c G.H.Mills b G.W.F.Overton 5 251 316 c D.S.St.John b G.W.F.Overton 0 82 268-9d SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St Plunket Shield 4 7 0 94 47 13.42 - - 3 - Career 286 478 45 15854 200 36.61 33 77 170 13 41