TRIBUTE – TOM GRAVENEY O.B.E.

Tom Graveney (1927‐2015) Gloucestershire, Worcestershire & England

ormer England cricketer, Tom Grave‐ pearances for various teams at first‐class F ney died on 3 November 2015 at the level gave little indication of the player age of 88, after a long battle against Park‐ that he was to become. inson’s disease. This was the family’s He marked his first‐class debut for second loss – as only a few days earlier – Gloucestershire in 1948 with a duck his elder brother, Ken, passed away in against Oxford University. He fared little America. better in his first Championship match, Thomas William Graveney was a bats‐ when he faced Worcestershire and was man of the highest calibre and, but for dismissed cheaply in each innings – lbw mild brushes with authority, should have Howorth 4 and bowled Perks 4. played for England in more than the 79 He appeared 17 times for the Players, Tests in which he did appear. but in his first encounter in 1949, he In view of his subsequent career, of failed to reach double figures in either which much has been written in praise, it innings – ct Kardar b Brown 2 and bowled is interesting to reflect that his initial ap‐ Bailey 5. More ► TRIBUTE – TOM GRAVENEY O.B.E.

W In 1962, Graveney appeared in the last‐ West Indies in 1957, yet he could never be ever fixture between the ‘Ams and Pros’, sure of his place in the Test team. He fell scoring 21 and 41. In the latter innings, foul of Freddie Brown, Gubby Allen and Tom again fell victim to the bowling of Alec Bedser, in their respective tenures as Trevor Bailey. Chairman of England Selectors, which con‐ Ironically, four decades later, Graveney servatively cost Graveney at least 25 Test became the 200th person – and the first caps. His omission was warmly ‘welcomed’ professional cricketer – to eattain th hal‐ by Richie Benaud, who said Tom would lowed post of President of the MCC. This have been an automatic choice in any Aus‐ must have caused Lord Hawke to become tralian Test side under Benaud’s captaincy. gravely restless. In 1964, Tom scored his hundredth He made his first Test appearance, in hundred and in so doing became the first place of the injured Denis Compton, man to achieve the feat in a post‐WW2 against South Africa at Old Trafford in career. He added a further 22 centuries, 1951. He was only called upon to bat in the last of which was an unbeaten score of the first innings when he was again out exactly 100 against Yorkshire in 1970. At inexpensively, bowled Athol Rowan 15. New Road, he revelled in the team spirit Tom was the last survivor of both teams. which he craved and enjoyed. The upshot In the manner of WG Grace sixty‐odd wass hi new county winning the Champi‐ years earlier, Tom packed his bags and left onship in 1964 for the first time in their Gloucestershire for pastures new. His first history. They repeated the feat in the en‐ match for Worcestershire in 1962 was at suing centenary year also. Hove where he was twice dismissed After a brief and unsuccessful spell cheaply – ct Langridge b Thompson 27 and with Queensland, Tom Graveney returned stumped Parks b Bell 16. However, the to England and became a landlord of a pub change of county brought about a trans‐ in Cheltenham and took up a career as a formation in Graveney’s achievements and BBC commentator. Fittingly, the newly‐ career. built Graeme Hick Pavilion at New Road Notwithstanding the above observa‐ features a bar named in honour of Tom tions, Tom Graveney was a hugely success‐ Graveney. He was also Worcestershire ful batsman. He batted with unhurried President from 1994 to 1998. His services elegance and style, epitomised by his to cricket and the cricket society move‐ trademark graceful cover drive as shown in ment were recognised when Tom Grave‐ the picture. In the days, before helmets, ney O.B.E. was made Hon. Life Vice‐ he coped with the pace of Lindwall and President of the Council of Cricket Socie‐ Miller, the aggression of Adcock and ties. Heine, plus the fearsome duo of Griffith ‘Long Tom’ Graveney was an affable, and Hall. It was a mark of his class that well‐liked and much‐respected gentleman seldom if ever was he hit. He scored 258, who, besides playing cricket, loved nothing the highest innings of his career, against better than talking cricket over a pint or three.