Tom Graveney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tom Graveney

Tom Graveney in 1954
Personal information
Full name	Thomas William Graveney
Born	(1927-06-16)16 June 1927 Riding Mill, Hexham, Northumberland, England
Died	3 November 2015(2015-11-03) (aged 88)
Nickname	Long Tom
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm leg break
Role	Batsman
Relations	Ken Graveney (brother) David Graveney (nephew)
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 358)	5 July 1951 v South Africa
Last Test	12 June 1969 v West Indies
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1948–1960	Gloucestershire
1961–1970	Worcestershire
1970–1972	Queensland
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class List A Matches 79 732 45 Runs scored 4,882 47,793 1,147 Batting average 44.38 44.91 31.86 100s/50s 11/20 122/233 0/6 Top score 258 258 98 Balls bowled 260 5,479 – Wickets 1 80 – Bowling average 167.00 37.96 – 5 wickets in innings 0 1 – 10 wickets in match 0 0 – Best bowling 1/34 5/28 – Catches/stumpings 80/– 553/1 15/–
Source: CricketArchive, 25 January 2009

Thomas William Graveney (born 16 June 1927 – died 3 November 2015) was a famous English first-class cricket player. He played for England in 79 Test matches, scoring over 4,800 runs. His career lasted from 1948 to 1972.

Tom Graveney was the 15th player ever to score one hundred first-class centuries. He was also the first batsman to achieve this after World War II. He played for Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. He even helped Worcestershire win their first-ever county championship.

His amazing performances for England after 1966 are often called "the stuff of legend." He was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1953. He also captained England once and received an OBE award while still playing. After his cricket career, he worked as a TV commentator. He was the first professional player to become President of the Marylebone Cricket Club. In 2009, he was one of the first 55 players to join the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Cricket Start

Tom Graveney was born on 16 June 1927 in Riding Mill, a village near Hexham, Northumberland. He was one of five children. His brother, Ken Graveney, also became a cricketer.

His family moved to Bristol when he was young. Tom went to Bristol Grammar School. He was very good at many sports, including cricket, hockey, rugby, and golf.

Joining the Army and Discovering Batting

After school, Tom joined the Army in 1946. He served in Suez with the Gloucestershire Regiment. While playing cricket in the army, he found his talent for batting. He used his height and good technique to hit the ball well.

In 1947, his brother Ken, who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, suggested Tom play in some matches. Based on how well he played, Tom was offered a contract to play for Gloucestershire. He accepted and began his professional cricket journey.

Tom Graveney's Cricket Journey

Playing for Gloucestershire and England

Tom played his first big match for Gloucestershire in April 1948. He became a regular player later that season. By 1949, he was scoring many runs and people started talking about him playing for England.

In 1951, Tom was chosen to play for England against South Africa. He scored 15 runs in his first Test match. Later, he went on a tour to India and Pakistan. There, he scored his first Test century, making 175 runs in one game. By the end of this tour, he was seen as one of England's best young batsmen.

Challenges and Comebacks

England's captain, Len Hutton, wanted players who were very careful. Tom, however, liked to hit the ball hard and score quickly. This difference sometimes caused issues. In a 1953 match, Hutton told Tom to stop attacking, and Tom was out the next morning without adding to his score. Still, England won the series and took back the Ashes. Tom was recognized as one of the top five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 1953.

After some ups and downs, Tom was dropped from the England team in 1956. But he played very well for his county team, scoring lots of runs. This led to him being called back to play for England in 1957. He scored his highest ever first-class score, 258 runs, in a match against the West Indies. Despite this, he was dropped again after a difficult tour to Australia in 1958–59.

Moving to Worcestershire

In 1959, Tom became captain of Gloucestershire. But he wasn't very good at leading the team. He left the club in 1960. In 1961, he joined Worcestershire.

His great playing for Worcestershire in 1962 led to another recall to the England team. He scored two centuries against Pakistan. He helped Worcestershire win the county championship in 1964 and 1965. These were the first times Worcestershire had won it! In 1964, he reached a huge milestone: one hundred first-class centuries.

Final Years with England and Retirement

In 1966, at 39 years old, Tom was called back to play for England against the West Indies. He scored 165 runs in one game, which many say was his best ever. He stayed in the team and even captained England once in 1968. He was also awarded the OBE in 1968, which was a special honor for a player still active.

His last Test match for England was in 1969. During this time, he played in a special exhibition match on a rest day of a Test match. This was against the rules, and he was banned for three matches. He never played for England again after this. He continued to play for Worcestershire until 1970. He then played for Queensland in Australia for a couple of years before retiring.

Amazing Records and Achievements

Tom Graveney played 79 Test matches for England. He scored 4,882 runs and made 11 centuries. In all first-class cricket, he scored 47,793 runs, making 122 centuries. Only eight other players have scored more runs than him in first-class cricket!

He is also the only player to score over 10,000 runs for two different county teams. Many experts described him as one of the most elegant and graceful batsmen of his time. He was known for his powerful and skillful hitting.

Life After Cricket

This graph shows Tom Graveney's batting performance over his career.

After retiring from playing cricket, Tom Graveney worked in different jobs. He managed a squash club and even ran a pub. He joined BBC Television as a cricket commentator in 1979.

In 2004, he made history by becoming the first former professional cricketer to be elected president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). He also served as president of Worcestershire from 1994 to 1998.

In 2009, Tom was one of the first 55 players to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He played his very last cricket match in 1995. He continued to enjoy golf and collecting stamps.

Tom Graveney passed away on 3 November 2015, at the age of 88. He had two children, Tim and Rebecca. His nephew, David Graveney, also played cricket and later became chairman of the England selectors.