New Zealand's 100-year-old cricketer
Andrew Alderson speaks to Tom Pritchard about his career playing county cricket in England
ESPNcricinfo staff
10-Mar-2017
Tom Pritchard, who has just turned 100, was born in New Zealand and took 818 first-class wickets at 23.30 - but he never represented his country. Andrew Alderson went to meet him for the New Zealand Herald, a chat which covers his time playing county cricket in England, meeting his wife, bowling outswing and serving in World War II:
He sits fourth on New Zealand's first-class wicket-taking list behind Sir Richard Hadlee (1490), Clarrie Grimmett (1424) and Syd Smith (955).
His 52.4 strike rate compares favourably against premier New Zealand pace bowlers such as Hadlee (45.3), Shane Bond (45.6), Trent Boult (55.7) and Jack Cowie (56.7).
Yet a post-war career in Warwickshire, and opting out of playing for the 1949 New Zealand tourists because he was concerned how it might affect his professional career, mean the right-armer is largely unknown in his own country.