David Green (cricketer, born 1939)

David Michael Green (10 November 1939 – 19 March 2016) was a Welsh first-class cricketer who played for Oxford University, Lancashire and Gloucestershire.[1]

For the Cambridge University and Derbyshire cricketer, see David Green (cricketer, born 1935).

David Green

Personal information
Full name	David Michael Green
Born	(1939-11-10)10 November 1939 Llanengan, Caernarfonshire, Wales
Died	19 March 2016(2016-03-19) (aged 76) Devon, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium-pace
Role	Batsman
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1959–61	Oxford University
1959–67	Lancashire
1968–73	Gloucestershire
First-class debut	2 May 1959 Oxford University v Gloucestershire
Last First-class	2 October 1972 International Wanderers v Rhodesia
List A debut	27 May 1964 Lancashire v Kent
Last List A	24 June 1973 Gloucestershire v Kent
Career statistics
Competition First-class List A Matches 266 65 Runs scored 13381 1706 Batting average 28.83 26.65 100s/50s 14/78 1/9 Top score 233 127* Balls bowled 9542 1796 Wickets 116 48 Bowling average 38.44 22.95 5 wickets in innings 1 – 10 wickets in match – – Best bowling 5/61 4/21 Catches/stumpings 97/– 14/–
Source: CricketArchive, 19 January 2014

Green was born at Llanengan, Caernarfonshire, in Wales. A fair-haired right-handed batsman often used as an opener and a medium-pace bowler, he went to Brasenose College, Oxford, from Manchester Grammar School and was a regular and successful player for three years from 1959 to 1961, turning out for Lancashire in his holidays. He scored 1,000 runs in his first season, but failed to do so in his other two university seasons, and again in 1962, when he played fairly often for Lancashire.

After a year away playing in league cricket in 1963, he came back to Lancashire in 1964 and was a regular in the first team for three seasons. In 1965, with the benefit of playing in 35 first-class matches, he set a record that is unlikely ever to be beaten by scoring more than 2,000 runs without a single century: his highest for the season was 85. The previous highest number of runs in a season without a century was 1,709 by C.B. Harris in 1935, whilst not since 1970 has anyone scored 1,500 runs with no centuries in one season.[2] After a more moderate season in 1966, he was injured and drifted out of the side in 1967, and was allowed to leave Lancashire at the end of the season to join Gloucestershire.

Green's aggressive batting in 1968 for his new county had him belatedly touted as a possible England opener: he scored 2,137 runs at an average of more than 40 runs per innings. In the event, the only honour he received was to be selected as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1969. After two more modest seasons in 1969 and 1970, he gave up first-class cricket for a career in business and journalism, writing on cricket and rugby for The Daily Telegraph from 1982 to 2009.[2]

He also played rugby union for Sale R.F.C.

Green died on 19 March 2016, at the age of 76.[3]

References

1. "Player Profile: David Green". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
2. Wisden 2017, pp. 202–4.
3. "County stalwart David Green dies aged 76". 19 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.

External links

• David Green at ESPNcricinfo
• Telegraph obituary