Cyril Washbrook facts for kids
Washbrook in 1951
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Cyril Washbrook
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| Born | 6 December 1914 Barrow, Clitheroe, Lancashire, England |
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| Died | 27 April 1999 (aged 84) Sale, Greater Manchester, England |
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| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 299) | 14 August 1937 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 28 August 1956 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1933–1964 | Lancashire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 15 August 2022
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Cyril Washbrook (born December 6, 1914 – died April 27, 1999) was a famous English cricket player. He played for Lancashire and for the England national team. Cyril had a very long career, even though it was interrupted by World War II. He played until he was 44 years old!
He is best known for being an opening batsman for England alongside Len Hutton. They opened the batting together 51 times. Cyril played 592 first-class cricket games, including 37 Test matches. In 1947, he was honored as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year.
Contents
Early Cricket Days
Cyril Washbrook was born in Barrow, Clitheroe, Lancashire. He went to school at Bridgnorth Grammar School. When he was 18, he joined the Lancashire team.
By 1935, two years later, he was a regular player. He scored 1,724 runs that year. This placed him fifth in the national batting averages. In 1937, he played his first Test match for England. This game was against New Zealand at The Oval.
Cricket During Wartime
World War II paused Cyril's cricket career. During the war, he became a physical training instructor. He worked for the Royal Air Force. After the war, he returned to cricket.
In the 1946–47 Ashes series, he played against Australia. Cyril and Len Hutton made three century partnerships in a row. This means they scored over 100 runs together three times. Cyril became a well-known player in Australia and England. He was famous for wearing his cricket cap in a cool, jaunty way.
Playing Style and Achievements
Cyril Washbrook was a strong player on the leg side. He was known for his powerful hooks and pulls. He was at his best in the late 1940s.
In 1947, he was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. This is a big honor in cricket. In 1948, his club, Lancashire, held a "benefit" for him. This event raised £14,000, which was a lot of money back then.
Cyril was also a great fielder at cover. Fans at Old Trafford, Lancashire's home ground, loved him.
Record-Breaking Partnership
During a tour of South Africa in 1948-49, Cyril scored 542 runs. This was across five Test matches. His highest Test score was 195 runs. He made this in the second Test in Johannesburg.
In that match, he and Len Hutton had a huge partnership. They scored 359 runs together. This was a record for the first wicket at the time. It is still the record for England's first wicket.
Later Career and Captaincy
Cyril was not keen on touring for the 1950–51 Ashes series. He struggled against Australia's spinner, Jack Iverson. After the first Test against New Zealand in 1951, he was dropped from the England team. His batting partner, Len Hutton, reportedly didn't want him to be dropped. Cyril and Hutton's average partnership in Tests was 60 runs.
In 1954, Cyril Washbrook made history. He became Lancashire's first ever professional captain. He led the team until 1959. That year, he had a second benefit, which raised £1,520.
In 1956, Cyril was chosen as a Test selector for England. This meant he helped pick the national team. England had lost a Test match against Australia. The selectors asked Cyril, who was 41, if he would play. He agreed and scored 98 runs in the next game. He helped England win that match. He stayed in the team for the next Test. In that game, Jim Laker took a record-breaking 19 wickets. England won the Ashes series.
Life After Playing
From 1989 to 1990, Cyril Washbrook was the president of Lancashire. In 1991, he was honored with the CBE award. This stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Cyril Washbrook passed away in Sale, Greater Manchester, when he was 84 years old.
