Trevor Bailey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Trevor Bailey

Personal information
Full name	Trevor Edward Bailey
Born	(1923-12-03)3 December 1923 Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England
Died	10 February 2011(2011-02-10) (aged 87) Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England
Nickname	Barnacle, The Boyle
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast-medium
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 342)	11 June 1949 v New Zealand
Last Test	13 February 1959 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1946–1967	Essex
1947–1948	Cambridge University
1949–1964	Marylebone Cricket Club
Career statistics
Competition Test FC LA Matches 61 682 7 Runs scored 2,290 28,641 93 Batting average 29.74 33.42 15.50 100s/50s 1/10 28/150 0/0 Top score 134* 205 38 Balls bowled 9,712 116,665 504 Wickets 132 2,082 11 Bowling average 29.21 23.13 26.36 5 wickets in innings 5 110 0 10 wickets in match 1 13 0 Best bowling 7/34 10/90 4/37 Catches/stumpings 32/– 426/– 3/–
Source: CricketArchive, 14 December 2008

Trevor Edward Bailey (born December 3, 1923 – died February 10, 2011) was a famous England Test cricketer. He was also a cricket writer and a broadcaster.

Bailey was an all-rounder, meaning he was good at both batting and bowling. He was known for his careful batting style. The BBC once said his "stubborn refusal to be out normally brought more pleasure to the team than to the spectators." This defensive way of playing earned him the nickname "Barnacle Bailey." Many people thought he was the best all-rounder in the world during his time playing international cricket.

Later in his life, Bailey wrote several books and talked about cricket on the radio. He was especially well-known for working 26 years on the BBC's Test Match Special radio show.

Early Life and Education

Trevor Bailey was born in Westcliff-on-Sea, a town in Essex, England. His father worked for the Admiralty, a government department. Trevor grew up in a comfortable home. He first learned to play cricket on the beach.

He earned special sports scholarships to attend Alleyn Court Prep School and then Dulwich College. At just 14, he joined Dulwich's top cricket team, the First XI. He was the best at batting and bowling for his school in 1939 and 1940. He became captain in 1941 and was again top in his last year, 1942. He also played for Westcliff-on-Sea Cricket Club's first team at 15.

After school, he joined the Royal Marines as a second lieutenant. He helped people in legal cases during his time there. Even though World War II was still happening, he left the military early in 1945. He went back to Alleyn Court Prep School to teach. Later, he studied English and History at St John's College, Cambridge, for two years. He played both cricket and football for Cambridge, earning "blues" in 1947 and 1948.

Cricket Career Highlights

Starting in First-Class Cricket

Bailey played his first major cricket match in September 1945, when he was 22. He then started playing for Essex in May 1946. He quickly became a key player for Essex. He made his debut for the England Test team against New Zealand in June 1949. In his first match, he took 6 wickets for 118 runs.

Playing for England

Trevor Bailey was a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He was also a reliable right-handed batsman and a strong fielder. He often fielded in the slips or at leg gully. He played 61 Test matches for England between 1949 and 1959. His swing bowling worked well with the fast bowling of other great players like Alec Bedser and Fred Trueman. He was known for his excellent bowling style.

He took 132 wickets in Test matches, with an average of 29 runs per wicket. He also scored a century (134 runs not out) and had a batting average of almost 30. He caught 32 balls.

Famous Defensive Batting

Bailey is most remembered for his very careful, defensive batting. This was especially true in matches against Australia. In 1953, England was close to losing to Australia at Lord's. Bailey and Willie Watson batted together for over four hours. They scored 71 runs in 257 minutes, helping England get a draw.

In another match that year, Bailey again helped England avoid defeat. He scored 38 runs in 262 minutes. This slow play helped England draw the game and eventually win the Ashes series.

Best Bowling and Leadership

His best Test bowling performance was taking 7 wickets for only 34 runs. This happened against the West Indies in Jamaica in 1953–54. This great effort helped England win the match and tie the series. He was the vice-captain on that tour. Many people thought he should have been captain of England.

Later Career and Records

Bailey played his last Test matches in Australia in 1958–59. He had a tough tour. In one match, he scored 50 runs in almost six hours, which was one of the slowest half-centuries in cricket history. He was never chosen for England's Test team again.

However, he continued to play for Essex for another eight years. In 1959, he became the only player since World War II to score over 2,000 runs and take 100 wickets in a single season.

His entire first-class cricket career lasted 21 years, from 1946 to 1967. He played 682 matches, taking 2,082 wickets. This places him among the top wicket-takers of all time. In 1949, he achieved a rare feat: he took all 10 wickets in one innings against Lancashire. He also scored 28,641 runs in first-class cricket, making him one of the top run-scorers.

He was captain of Essex from 1961 to 1966. He also worked as the club's secretary. This job helped Essex buy its own ground in Chelmsford. He also earned money by doing advertising work.

Limited Overs Cricket

Limited overs cricket started later in Bailey's career, in 1963. He played seven List A matches for Essex. In these games, he scored 93 runs and took 11 wickets.

Football Career

Besides cricket, Trevor Bailey also played football. He played for Cambridge University, Southend United reserves, and other teams. He played in different positions, including centre-half and on the wing.

He was part of the Walthamstow Avenue team that won the FA Amateur Cup in 1951–52. They won the final in front of 100,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. The next season, his team reached the fourth round of the FA Cup. They drew 1–1 against Manchester United, which was a great achievement for an amateur team. He later became a director for Southend United F.C..

Writer and Broadcaster

After he stopped playing cricket in 1967, Bailey became a cricket journalist and broadcaster. He wrote about cricket and football for the Financial Times for 23 years.

He was a regular voice on the BBC's Test Match Special from 1974 to 1999. Another commentator, Brian Johnston, nicknamed him The Boil. This nickname came from how some Australian fans might have said his name.

Trevor Bailey was honored with the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1994 for his contributions to cricket.

Legacy and Impact

Trevor Bailey is the only player since World War II to score over 2,000 runs and take 100 wickets in a single season (which he did in 1959). He also achieved the "all-rounder's double" (1,000 runs and 100 wickets in a season) eight times. This is a record he shares with Fred Titmus. He was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1950.

According to cricket ratings, Bailey was considered the best all-rounder in the world for most of his career. His bowling was especially highly rated.

Doug Insole, who was his captain at Essex, said that Trevor was a "stroppy lad" and a "bit of a rebel" when he was younger. But he also said Bailey "mellowed over the years."

Simon Briggs, a writer, noted that Bailey played cricket with great effort and commitment. He believed that for Bailey, a Test match was a "contest between two groups of warriors." David Lemmon and Mike Marshall, who wrote about Essex County Cricket Club, called Bailey "the outstanding Essex player for two decades." They said his value to the team was huge, both as a player and a leader.

He was famous for his slow scoring in matches against Australia, which earned him the nickname "Barnacle." However, he was also praised for his amazing catches and his ability to attack bowlers.

Trevor Bailey passed away in a fire at his home in Westcliff-on-Sea on February 10, 2011. His wife, Greta, survived him. They had two sons and one daughter.

Giles Clarke, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, called him "one of the finest all-rounders this country has ever produced." Jonathan Agnew, who worked with Bailey, described him as a "dogged batsman, aggressive bowler. Intelligent cricketer. Wonderfully concise pundit. Great sense of humour."