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English
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England
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ENG
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Chris Balderstone
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Cricket_no_picpng
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Right-hand bat
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Slow left-arm orthodox
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2
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39
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975
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-/-
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35
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96
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1
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8000
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-
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-
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1/80
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1/-
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390
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19034
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3411
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32/103
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181
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19224
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310
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2632
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5
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-
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6/25
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210/-
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22 July
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1976
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12 August
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1976
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(born
November 16 ,
1940 ,
Longwood, Huddersfield , died
March 6 ,
2000 ,
Carlisle ,
Cumberland ) was an
English Cricket er and
Umpire . He in played in two
Tests in 1976 and umpired two
ODI s from 1994 to 1998. He was also a professional footballer, playing in midfield for
Huddersfield Town ,
Carlisle United , and
Doncaster Rovers .
Balderstone first appeared in
First-class Cricket for
Yorkshire in 1961, and across the 1960s made occasional appearances for the county as a slow left arm spin bowler and a lower-order batsman. His soccer career, however, took precedence and he did not appear in more than 11 matches in any season for Yorkshire. When he followed
Ray Illingworth to
Leicestershire in 1971, his career batting average was less than 18 runs per innings.
Better things were suggested in two, again, short seasons in 1971 and 1972, and Balderstone took the Gold Award as Leicestershire won its first-ever trophy, the
Benson And Hedges Cup , at
Lord's in 1972. Then in 1973 Balderstone played his first full season of cricket and jumped right to the front-rank of English batsmen, making 1,222 runs at an average of 42. He passed the 1,000-run mark in 10 of the next 12 seasons, batting either in the middle order or as an opening batsman. His runs were an important part of Leicestershire's first
County Championship success in 1975, and he chipped in with 43 useful wickets in that season too. On the day Leicestershire won the Championship,
September 15 ,
1975 , Balderstone was batting at close of play against
Derbyshire at Chesterfield, changed into his football kit to play for Doncaster Rovers in an evening match 30 miles away, and then returned to Chesterfield to complete a century the following morning.
The following year, Balderstone, by now 35, was called into the
England Test Team to face the
West Indies in two matches. Against the pace of
Andy Roberts and
Michael Holding he struggled, like many other English batsmen: his four innings produced only 39 runs, and in the second match he was bowled twice by Holding without scoring.
Having had a delayed cricket career, Balderstone played on for Leicestershire into his mid-40s without noticeably losing batting form or his fielding athleticism, though he bowled only occasionally after 1980. He retired after a disappointing season in 1986 and two years later became an first-class umpire, standing in two one-day internationals in the mid-1990s. He died in 2000, having suffered from cancer.
