Tom Goddard

Thomas William John Goddard (1 October 1900 – 22 May 1966) was an English cricketer and the fifth-highest wicket taker in first-class cricket.

Biography

Born 1 October 1900 in Gloucester, Goddard joined Gloucestershire in 1922 as a fast bowler, Goddard met with so little success in his first six years that he was not re-engaged by Gloucestershire for 1928. However, determined to succeed, he joined the ground staff at Lord's and switched to off spin. With his massive hands and steep bounce due to his height (about 190 centimetres or six feet three inches), he was an immediate success and Gloucestershire re-engaged him for 1929. Even on the best of wickets Goddard was able to turn the ball substantially, and when the turf was worn or sticky he could spin to a remarkable degree. He earned a reputation as a voracious appealer, a sworn enemy of batsmen. Owing to his high trajectory, he could be easy to hit (it is estimated he was hit for 70 sixes a season between 1934 and 1938), and it is probable that this is why he was so expensive against the incomparable 1948 Australian side, and in some cases in county cricket. He played only once against Australia (in 1930) and only eight times against all countries – for much of Goddard's time, Hedley Verity was the preferred England spin bowler, and it is often thought that leg spinners rather than off spinners were favoured at this time in Tests. His successes in the matches he played (he took a hat-trick against South Africa in 1938–39) suggests he might have done well with more opportunities. He finished with six hat-tricks, the same as Parker and only one less than the all-time record of seven, held by D. V. P. Wright of Kent.