Famous Cricketers No 98 - Tom Goddard

1939 Goddard had another wonderful season in this last summer before the war. For the third time in five seasons he reached the 200 wicket mark, the only bowler in the country to do so, and he took them at the very low cost of 14.86 runs each. He finished fourth in the national averages. In this season the number of balls in an over was increased to eight. Amongst other feats he took 84 wickets at Bristol in seven matches at a cost of eight runs each including two world records, seventeen wickets in a day against Kent which, following thirteen wickets against Yorkshire, made thirty during the week. He played against West Indies in the Old Trafford and Kennington Oval Tests taking four wickets at 28.50. He took five wickets or more in an innings twenty times and ten wickets in a match on eight occasions. In the course of the summer he took his total of first-class wickets past 2000. Against Somerset at Bristol he made his fourth half-century, (56 not out), and followed up by taking 5 for 15 and 9 for 44 when Somerset batted. He made 215 runs in 33 innings and took fourteen catches. Sadly his career, along with many others, was now to be interrupted for six long years. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 397. Gloucestershire v Oxford University, The Parks, April 29, May 1, 2 (Gloucestershire won by five wickets) c E.J.H.Dixon b G.Evans 4 213-8d 17.6 5 42 5 E.J.H.Dixon c J.F.Crapp 286 R.Sale lbw G.Evans b D.E.Warburton b C.W.S.Lubbock c W.L.Neale not out 11 206-5 11.4 1 58 4 R.Sale lbw 132-8d E.D.R.Eagar c G.M.Emmett G.Evans b D.E.Warburton c C.J.Scott 398. Gloucestershire v Lancashire, Gloucester, May 6, 8, 9 (Lancashire won by ten wickets) b A.E.Nutter 19 267 31 9 61 2 N.Oldfield lbw 308 A.E.Nutter c W.R.Hammond c W.Farrimond b W.E.Phillipson 7 79 - - - - 39-0 399. Gloucestershire v Worcestershire, Bristol, May 13, 15 (Gloucestershire won by three wickets) c R.O.Jenkins b R.Howorth 2 165 14 2 55 9 C.H.Bull lbw 149 B.P.King lbw E.Cooper b H.H.I.H.Gibbons b A.F.T.White b R.Howorth b C.J.Lyttelton c R.A.Sinfield J.S.Buller lbw R.O.Jenkins c A.E.Wilson did not bat - 90-7 12.2 2 44 7 C.H.Bull c J.F.Crapp 105 E.Cooper st A.E.Wilson H.H.I.H.Gibbons c J.F.Crapp J.S.Buller c J.F.Crapp S.H.Martin c R.W.Haynes C.J.Lyttelton c R.W.Haynes R.T.D.Perks st A.E.Wilson 400. Gloucestershire v Yorkshire, Bradford, May 17, 18, 19 (Gloucestershire won by six wickets) c E.P.Robinson b H.Verity 1 227 22 4 76 5 H.Sutcliffe c J.F.Crapp 253 1 A.B.Sellers b T.F.Smailes c E.A.Wilson A.Wood c V.Hopkins E.P.Robinson c A.E.Wilson did not bat - 190-4 7 0 49 1 T.F.Smailes st A.E.Wilson 162-7d 401. Gloucestershire v Middlesex, Lord’s, May 20, 22, 23 (Gloucestershire won by three wickets) b C.I.J.Smith 0 207 24 1 83 5 W.J.Edrich lbw 236 D.C.S.Compton b J.M.Sims c C.J.Scott C.I.J.Smith b I.A.R.Peebles b 56