Tommy Armstrong

Thomas Riley Armstrong, who died in Marfield Court Nursing Home, Leicestershire on February 6 aged 90, was a left-arm spinner and tail-end batsman whose first-class career of 58 matches for Derbyshire was spread over the period 1929-1950, but despite taking 133 wickets for the reasonable average of 24.35 he never won a regular place or his cap. His best innings figures were 7 for 36 against Gloucestershire at Buxton in 1937, a match-winning performance as deputy for England spinner Tommy Mitchell but he was soon left out of the side again.

Armstrong had a number of other excellent bowling analyses to his name but was also on the receiving end against Somerset at Wells in 1936. He had Arthur Wellard dropped on one run and then saw the legendary hitter strike him for seven sixes, including five from successive balls.

A league professional throughout the north and midlands, Armstrong's final engagement was with Smethwick in the Birmingham League while working as an accountant at Jaguar Cars, Coventry. At his death he was one of the few remaining county cricketers to have played in the 1920s.
Robert Brooke, The Cricketer, April 2000