Nigel Paul (cricketer)

Nigel Paul
Personal information
Full name
Nigel Aldridge Paul
Born(1933-03-31)31 March 1933
Surbiton, Surrey, England
Died23 August 2022(2022-08-23) (aged 89)
Height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingLeft-arm fast-medium
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1954–1955Warwickshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 7
Runs scored 157
Batting average 15.70
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 40
Balls bowled 419
Wickets 3
Bowling average 65.33
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 1/5
Catches/stumpings 6/–
Source: Cricinfo, 25 October 2015

Nigel Aldridge Paul (31 March 1933 – 23 August 2022) was an English cricketer active in the 1950s, making seven appearances in first-class cricket as a batting all-rounder.

Paul was educated at Cranleigh School, where he played for the school cricket team from 1949–1951.[1][2] He made his debut in first-class cricket when he was selected to play for Warwickshire against the touring Canadians at Edgbaston in 1954.[3] He made three further first-class appearances for Warwickshire in 1955, playing two university matches against Oxford and Cambridge, and once against the Combined Services,[3] but did not feature in any County Championship matches. He played a first-class match for the Free Foresters in 1956, and followed this up with two matches at The Saffrons in 1958 for DR Jardine's XI against Oxford University and Cambridge University.[3] In seven first-class matches, Paul scored a total of 157 runs, averaging 15.70, with a high score of 40.[4] As a bowler he took just 3 wickets, which came at an expensive average of 65.33 runs apiece.[4] He was one of the tallest first-class cricketers of the time, standing nearly two metres tall, which he used when batting to hit the ball hard, and score at a fast rate which was unusual for the times.[2] His height helped when he was bowling, generating pace which forced the batsman onto the back foot.[2]

Paul was a leading figure within the Old Cranleighan Cricket Club, a cricket club for former pupils of Cranleigh School. Following the Second World War, the club was virtually defunct, but he re-formed the club in the mid-1950s.[2] He was club captain from 1958–1964 and president from 1981–1985.[2]

Paul was also an amateur golfer.[5] He won the Surrey Open in 1966.[6] Playing with Peter Oosterhuis he won the 1969 Whitbread professional-amateur foursomes at Pleasington.[7]

Paul died on 23 August 2022, at the age of 89.[8]

  1. ^ "Teams Nigel Paul played for". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Player profile: Nigel Paul". www.oldcranleighan.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 October 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "First-Class Matches played by Nigel Paul". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Player profile: Nigel Paul". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  5. ^ "A cricketing colossus". www.oldcranleighan.org.uk. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Open sets record for county golf". The Surrey Advertiser, County Times. 12 August 1967. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Campbell, John (30 June 1969). "Giant pair's runaway win". The Daily Telegraph. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Paul