Geoffrey Arthur Edrich (13 July 1918 – 2 January 2004) was an English first-class cricketer born in Lingwood, Norfolk, who played in 339 matches for Lancashire between 1946 and 1958 as a right-handed batsman. Before his first-class career, he had played Minor Counties cricket for Norfolk (1937–1939), and after his first-class retirement he returned to the Minor Counties, this time playing for Cumberland (1960–1962). Whilst at Cumberland, he was also professional for Workington Cricket Club.[1]
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Geoffrey Arthur Edrich | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Lingwood, Norfolk | 13 July 1918||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 2 January 2004 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | (aged 85)||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1937–1939 | Norfolk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1946–1958 | Lancashire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1960–1962 | Cumberland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 19 January 2014 |
He captained Lancashire to a win over Leicestershire at Old Trafford in 1956 in a match in which his team did not lose a single wicket, the first time this had happened in a first-class match. Leicestershire were bowled out for 108 and 122, and Lancashire (166 for 0 declared and 66 for 0) won by ten wickets.[2] His highest score was 167 not out (followed by 84 in the second innings) for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire in 1954.[3]
Edrich's three brothers, Brian, Eric and Bill and also his cousin, John Edrich, all played first-class cricket. Though, unlike his brother Bill and cousin John, Geoff Edrich never played for England, he toured India in 1953/54 with a Commonwealth XI, scoring 641 runs at an average of 40.06 and playing in three of the "Unofficial Tests".[4][5]
Edrich joined the Royal Norfolk Regiment and was taken prisoner at the Battle of Singapore.[6] He survived three years' captivity in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, during the Second World War, including a stint on the infamous Burma Railway.[7] After his playing career he became the groundsman and coach at Cheltenham College.[8]
He died on 2 January 2004, aged 85.
References
edit- ^ "A stalwart cricketer with plenty of guts" Archived 9 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Home of CricketArchive". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "The Home of CricketArchive". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "A stalwart cricketer with plenty of guts" Archived 9 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Wisden 1955, pp. 814-38.
- ^ Taylor, R 2003 "Changi Ashes"
- ^ Wisden 2005, p. 1637.
- ^ Wisden 2005, p. 1638.
External links
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