Tom Pritchard facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Thomas Leslie Pritchard
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| Born | 10 March 1917 Kaupokonui, Taranaki, New Zealand |
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| Died | 22 August 2017 (aged 100) Levin, New Zealand |
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| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast, right-arm fast-medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1937/38–1940/41 | Wellington | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1946–1955 | Warwickshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956 | Kent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 21 December 2020
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Thomas Leslie Pritchard (born March 10, 1917 – died August 22, 2017) was a talented New Zealand cricketer. He played most of his top-level cricket games in England. Tom was known for his very fast right-arm bowling. He was also a helpful right-handed batsman, batting lower down the order. Before World War II, he played several matches for the Wellington team.
In 2013, he shared that he still clearly remembered a game at the Basin Reserve in 1939. He also had strong memories of playing for his home country.
Contents
Early Career and World War II
Tom Pritchard started his cricket journey in New Zealand. He played for the Wellington team. His skills as a fast bowler quickly became clear.
When World War II began, Tom joined the New Zealand forces. He traveled to Europe and then to England. While serving, he continued to play cricket. This time, he played for teams linked to the military.
Playing for Warwickshire
After the war, Tom settled in England. He became eligible to play for Warwickshire. This was a big step in his career. He became a very successful player for them over many seasons.
His best year was 1948. That season, he took an amazing 172 wickets. This means he got 172 opposing batsmen out. In 1951, his bowling helped Warwickshire win the County Championship. This was a big surprise win for the team. By then, his bowling was still fast, but a bit less extreme.
Tom achieved three "hat-tricks" for Warwickshire. A hat-trick is when a bowler takes three wickets in three balls. This is still a record for the club today.
Later Career and Retirement
As the 1950s went on, Tom's bowling became less effective. He left Warwickshire after the 1955 season. In 1956, he played a few matches for Kent. However, he did not find the same success there.
His very last game was against his old team, Warwickshire. In that match, he was out on the first ball he faced. This was part of a hat-trick taken by another player, Keith Dollery. Throughout his career, Tom took 818 wickets in first-class cricket. He is still one of New Zealand's top wicket-takers in this type of game.
After retiring from cricket, Tom Pritchard moved back to New Zealand. He lived in Levin from 1986 until he passed away. A book about his life, called Tom Pritchard: Greatness Denied, was published in 2013. His grandson, David Meiring, also became a first-class cricketer. He played for the Central Districts.
A Century of Life
In March 2017, Tom Pritchard reached a very special milestone. He turned 100 years old! He was only the third New Zealand first-class cricketer to live for a century. The others were John Wheatley and Syd Ward.
Tom Pritchard died in Levin on August 22, 2017. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living first-class cricketer from New Zealand. After he passed, this honor went to Alan Burgess.
