Philip Whitcombe was a wicketkeeper-batsman who played for Oxford University between 1950 and 1952, winning a Blue in 1951 and 1952, and also made a few appearances for Worcestershire before and after his university career. After a good freshman year, he was a regular in the side in his second year, scoring his only first-class hundred against Hampshire in an otherwise disappointing season with the bat. In 1953 he scored 60 against both Middlesex and Sussex and then played the rest of the summer for Worcestershire. His best performance was in his final game when he scored 37 and 89*, again against Hampshire.

He continued to play a high standard of club cricket and in 1961 he scored 71 as a specialist opening batsman for the Club Cricket Conference against the touring Australians, his innings the platform for a dramatic victory achieved with a minute to spare - in fairness, the tourists did not take the game overly seriously with both their wicketkeepers being used as bowlers. In 1963 he made a half century for the CCC against West Indies and he was a regular opener for the CCC.
Martin Williamson