George Summers (cricketer)

George Summers
Personal information
Full name
George Summers
Born(1844-06-21)21 June 1844
Nottingham, England
Died19 June 1870(1870-06-19) (aged 25)
Nottingham, England
BattingRight-handed
RoleBatsman
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1867–1870Nottinghamshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 32
Runs scored 922
Batting average 15.89
100s/50s –/1
Top score 57
Catches/stumpings 15/–
Source: [1], 11 June 2012

George Summers (21 June 1844 – 19 June 1870) was an English cricketer. He played all his first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire.

Summers was the son of a Nottingham hotelier.[1]

In the match against MCC at Lord's in 1870, Summers was hit by a short delivery from John Platts, at the time a fast bowler. He was carried off the field. He seemed to recover, and was not taken to hospital, but went by train back to Nottingham. He died from his injury four days later. Lord's at the time was renowned for being a poor pitch. After Summers' death, efforts were made to improve it, and the MCC paid for his gravestone. The death of Summers ensured that the lethal bowler, Platts, never bowled fast again.

As a protest against what he saw as dangerous bowling, the next batsman—Richard Daft—came out to the wicket with his head wrapped in a towel.

  1. ^ "NCCC News : Nottinghamshire Cricketers Part 7".