Derek Semmence

Derek John Semmence (20 April 1938 – 29 March 2020) was an English cricketer.[1] Semmence was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born in Worthing, Sussex.

Derek Semmence

Personal information
Full name	Derek John Semmence
Born	(1938-04-20)20 April 1938 Worthing, Sussex, England
Died	29 March 2020(2020-03-29) (aged 81)
Nickname	Semmo
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1956–1959	Sussex
1957–1958	Combined Services
1962	Essex
1964–1966	Devon
1967–1968	Sussex
1973–1974	Northumberland
1976	Cambridgeshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 39 Runs scored 890 Batting average 14.59 100s/50s 1/2 Top score 108 Balls bowled 156 Wickets 1 Bowling average 123.00 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 1/43 Catches/stumpings 24/–
Source: Cricinfo, 19 April 2011

Semmence made his first-class cricket debut for Sussex County Cricket Club against Warwickshire in the 1956 County Championship. He played first-class cricket for Sussex until 1959.[2] Semmence served in the Royal Air Force in his early years with Sussex, which in 1957 entitled him to play first-class cricket for the Combined Services, firstly against Surrey. He played two further matches for the Combined Services, one in 1957 against Worcestershire and another in 1958 against Warwickshire.[2] Having last played first-class cricket in 1958, Semmence made a single first-class appearance for Essex in 1962 against Oxford University.[3]

In 1964, he joined Devon, making his debut for the county in the 1964 Minor Counties Championship against Berkshire. He played Minor counties cricket for Devon until 1966, making nine appearances.[4] Semmence returned to Sussex in 1967, playing six first-class matches for the county from 1967 to 1968.[2] A somewhat inconsistent batsman at the first-class level, in 35 first-class matches for Sussex he scored 841 runs at a batting average of 15.57, with two half centuries and a single century high score of 108[5] against Nottinghamshire in his debut 1956 season.[6] Semmence was the youngest Sussex player to score a century for the county, a record which remains to this day.

Semmence later played Minor Counties Championship cricket for Northumberland from 1973 to 1974, making 24 appearances.[4] He played a single Minor Counties Championship match for Cambridgeshire in 1976 against Bedfordshire.[4] Semmence was the president of Worthing Cricket Club[7] and previously coached youth cricket for Rajasthan in India.[8]

References

1. "In memoriam: Derek Semmence". Sussex Cricket. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
2. "First-Class Matches played by Derek Semmence". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
3. "Oxford University v Essex, 1962". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
4. "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Derek Semmence". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
5. "First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Derek Semmence". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
6. "Nottinghamshire v Sussex, 1956 County Championship". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
7. "Profile: Derek Semmence". www.worthingcc.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
8. "Semmence to coach Rajasthan's junior teams". www.sports.ndtv.com. Retrieved 20 April 2011.

External links

• Derek Semmence at ESPNcricinfo