Tom Jennings (cricketer)

Thomas Jennings
Personal information
Full name
Thomas Shepherd Jennings
Born(1896-11-03)3 November 1896
Tiverton, Devon
Died7 September 1972(1972-09-07) (aged 75)
Tiverton, Devon
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
RelationsDavid Jennings (brother)
George Jennings (brother)
Leonard Jennings (brother)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1921–1924Surrey
1926–1933Devon
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 18
Runs scored 194
Batting average 13.85
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 37*
Balls bowled 2,393
Wickets 37
Bowling average 29.56
5 wickets in innings 3
10 wickets in match 1
Best bowling 6/51
Catches/stumpings 4/–
Source: Cricinfo, 16 April 2011

Thomas Shepherd Jennings (3 November 1896 – 7 September 1972) was an English cricketer. Jennings was a left-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox. He was born in Tiverton, Devon.

Jennings made his first-class debut for Surrey in the 1921 County Championship against Essex. Jennings played first-class cricket for Surrey from 1921 to 1924, playing 18 times for them.[1] In these 18 matches, he scored 194 runs at a batting average of 13.85, with a high score of 37*.[2] Predominantly a bowler, Jennings took 37 wickets for Surrey at a bowling average of 29.56, with three five wicket hauls and once taking ten wickets in a match,[3] which came against Derbyshire in 1924. He claimed 6 wickets in the Derbyshire first-innings and took 4 in their second.[4] The pitches at The Oval in the early to mid-twenties were not friendly to Jennings style of bowling, thus he wasn't a regular feature in the Surrey team.[5]

Following the end of his first-class career, Jennings played Minor counties cricket for Devon, having previously represented the Surrey Second XI in the Minor Counties Championship.[6] His debut for Devon came against the Surrey Second XI in 1926, with Jennings playing Devon from 1926 to 1933.[7] Starting in 1935, Jennings began umpiring in the Minor Counties Championship, standing in 87 matches between 1935 and 1962.[8] He stood in just the one first-class match, held in 1953 between a combined Minor Counties team and the touring Australians at the Michelin Ground, Stoke-on-Trent.[9]

Part of a large cricketing family, his brothers David, George and Leonard all played first-class cricket. Following his move back to Devon from, he became the head groundsman at Blundell's School in his home town.[5] It was here that Jennings died on 7 September 1972.

  1. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Tom Jennings". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  2. ^ "First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Tom Jennings". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  3. ^ "First-class Bowling For Each Team by Tom Jennings". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  4. ^ "Derbyshire v Surrey, 1924 County Championship". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Obituaries in 1972". ESPNcricinfo. 4 December 2005. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  6. ^ "Teams Tom Jennings played for". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  7. ^ "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Tom Jennings". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  8. ^ "Tom Jennings as Umpire in Minor Counties Championship Matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  9. ^ "Tom Jennings as Umpire in First-Class Matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.