Tom Pritchard
Personal information
Full name
Thomas Leslie Pritchard
Born(1917-03-10)10 March 1917
Kaupokonui, Taranaki, New Zealand
Died22 August 2017(2017-08-22) (aged 100)
Levin, New Zealand
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast, right-arm fast-medium
RoleBowler
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1937/38–1940/41Wellington
1946–1955Warwickshire
1956Kent
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 200
Runs scored 3,363
Batting average 13.34
100s/50s 0/6
Top score 81
Balls bowled 42,871
Wickets 818
Bowling average 23.30
5 wickets in innings 48
10 wickets in match 11
Best bowling 8/20
Catches/stumpings 84/−
Source: Cricinfo, 21 December 2020

Thomas Leslie Pritchard (10 March 1917 – 22 August 2017) was a New Zealand cricketer who played most of his first-class cricket in England.[1] Pritchard was a genuinely fast right-arm bowler and a useful lower order right-handed batsman who played in several matches for Wellington before the Second World War. He said in 2013 that his 1939 memories of a game at the Basin Reserve and of playing for his country were still strong.[2][3]

Stationed in Egypt and then Italy with New Zealand forces during the war, he ended the war in England, playing cricket.[4] He qualified for Warwickshire in 1947 and was highly successful for several seasons.[5] His best year was 1948 when he took 172 wickets at an average of 18.75. In 1951, his bowling, by now fast-medium rather than outright fast, played a big part in Warwickshire's unexpected County Championship success. He took three hat tricks for the county during his career, as of 2016 still a record for the club.[5]

His bowling declined across the 1950s, and he left Warwickshire after the 1955 season.[5] He played a few matches for Kent in 1956, but was not a success and retired. His last match was against Warwickshire, and as a batsman he was out first ball as part of a hat-trick by Keith Dollery. He took 818 first-class wickets during his career and remains one of New Zealand's leading first-class wicket takers.[6]

Pritchard met his wife Mavis at a dance in London when he was playing for Warwickshire. They were married for 64 years before she died in 2009.[4] He worked in sales in England after his cricket career ended.[4]

Pritchard retired to New Zealand and lived in Levin from 1986 until his death. A biography, Tom Pritchard: Greatness Denied by Paul Williams, was published in 2013.[7] His grandson, David Meiring, has played first-class cricket for Central Districts.[8][9]

In March 2017 he became only the third New Zealand first-class cricketer, after John Wheatley and Syd Ward, to reach 100 years of age.[10] Pritchard died in Levin on 22 August 2017.[11] At the time of his death, Pritchard was New Zealand's oldest living first-class cricketer; that honour then passed to Alan Burgess.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Tom Pritchard, New Zealand's oldest cricketer, dies aged 100". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "1939 (sic) memories still strong". Stuff (Fairfax Media). 3 May 2013.
  3. ↑ "Former fast bowler holds fond memories of his glory days terrorising batsmen". Stuff (Fairfax Media). 17 August 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Heagney, George (10 March 2017). "Fast bowling great and oldest living first-class cricketer Tom Pritchard brings up his century". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Bolton P (2006) County Cult Heroes, CricInfo, April 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  6. ↑ McConnell L (2003) Cairns joins select group of bowlers in New Zealand history, CricInfo, 11 July 2003. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  7. ↑ Cricketer's life revealed, The Dominion Post, 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  8. ↑ David Meiring, CricInfo. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  9. ↑ Bio, Stuff (Fairfax Media), 17 August 2017,
  10. ↑ Coverdale, Brydon. "It takes a rare cricketer to reach a century, not just make one". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  11. ↑ "Thomas Pritchard death notice". Dominion Post. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "WW2 veteran and NZ's oldest first-class cricketer dies in Rangiora aged 100". Otago Daily Times. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
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