Jack Crapp (1912-1981) was the captain of Gloucestershire between 1936 and 1953; a dependable batsman and a fine fieldsman, who early in his career was thought of as a potential Test batsman. However when the shadow of the Second World War loomed long, it cut through what should have been the peak of his cricket career.
When Australia toured in 1948 with the resumption of sporting events, he was called up for England in a particularly dismal series when the Australians (who would later be called the Invincibles) beat them 4-0 in the test series and never lost once on tour. The English team was captained by Norman Yardley.
He would be remembered for facing a fiendish delivery from Keith Miller which struck him on the head. Barely conscious he struggled on and saw a great line of the English tail fall away without score before he himself would also succumb.
On the England tour of South Africa for the summer of 1948/49 his form wasn't brilliant and Crapp was dropped from the Test side in 1949. He continued to perform well for Gloucestershire, becoming their first professional captain in 1953. In 1955 he handed over the role to George Emmett.
He finished with a first-class record of 35.03 having scored over 23,000 first-class runs. He played in 7 Test Matches and after his playing career was over, he became an umpire and presided over numerous County and Test Matches.
It's true that I don't know Jack Crapp, but I know about Jack Crapp.
1 comment:
oh dear
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