| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Edward James Gothard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 October 1904 Burton upon Trent, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 17 January 1979 (aged 74) Birmingham, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1947–1948 | Derbyshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FC debut | 31 May 1947 Derbyshire v Northamptonshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last FC | 18 August 1948 Derbyshire v Essex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: CricketArchive, 16 February 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Edward James Gothard OBE, MBE, TD (1 October 1904 – 17 January 1979) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Derbyshire in 1947 and 1948 and captained the side in both years.
Gothard was born in Burton-on-Trent, the son of William Henry Gothard who played cricket for Staffordshire. Gothard himself represented Staffordshire in the Minor Counties Championship in 1927. He was an able rugby player but as a result of injury took to playing hockey instead. He was captain of Burton Hockey Club from 1933 to 1939.[1] During the Second World War he played four cricket matches for Nottinghamshire in 1943. He was captain of Burton Hockey Club again from 1946 to 1947, and was a regular player for the club after the war. He played hockey for Derbyshire 30 times and was a trialist for the "Midlands".[1]
Gothard became cricket captain for Derbyshire in the 1947 season and made his first-class debut at the age of 42 at the end of May against Northamptonshire. An innings victory marked the start of a good run for the Derbyshire team. Gothard was a strict disciplinarian,[2] and they finished in fifth place in the 1947 County Championship. Against Middlesex Gothard took a hat-trick, including the wicket of Bill Edrich, one of the season's top scorers.[3] During the 1948 season, Gothard clean bowled Don Bradman at Derby. At the end of the 1948 season, when Derbyshire finished sixth, he retired from first-class cricket. Gothard was a right-arm medium-pace bowler who took 18 first-class wickets at an average of 40.55 and a best performance of 3–84. He was a right-handed batsman who batted in the lower-order. He played 63 innings in 45 first-class matches with one half-century and an average of 12.34.[4]
Gothard was later secretary and treasurer of the club.[5] He died in Birmingham at the age of 74.
Gothard's son, Squadron Leader Edward Leigh Gothard, MBE,[6][circular reference] played first class cricket for both the Royal Air Force and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).