Full Name

George Christopher Newman

Born

April 26, 1904, Paddington, London

Died

October 13, 1982, Braintree, Essex, (aged 78y 170d)

Batting Style

Right hand Bat

Bowling Style

Right arm Medium

Education

Eton College; Oxford University

NEWMAN, GEORGE CHRISTOPHER, who died on October 13, 1982, aged 78, had the unusual experience of getting into the Eton Eleven so late in his last year at school, 1923, that he played two innings only, against Winchester and against Harrow. He owed his selection to the advice of R. A. Young, then master-in-charge of cricket, who had spotted, beneath a style which did not wholly conform to the strict Eton canons of orthodoxy, possibilities of a fine attacking batsman. His judgement proved, as so often, right: Newman, after making 22 at Winchester, did at Lord's exactly what was wanted - going in No. 9, he hit some erratic Harrow bowling all over the ground to score 82 not out. This early success was typical of his later career, even though it did not secure him any kind of trial in The Parks during his first two years at Oxford. He had to wait till his third year when, given a chance on the tour, he made his place secure with an innings of 66 at The Oval, where he helped C. H. Taylor to add 141. He failed at Lord's, but in 1927, after starting with 92 against the full bowling strength of Lancashire, that year's champions (an innings described as one of the best played in The Parks since the war), he came second in the Oxford averages with 481 runs at an average of 40.08. Again he failed at Lord's and so it came as a surprise to many when, given a trial by Middlesex in 1929, he played a brilliant innings in his third match, 112 out of 168 in just over two hours against Gloucestershire at Lord's. He should have been stumped off Parker first ball, but immediately retaliated by hitting Goddard for two 6s off consecutive balls with pulled drives towards the Tavern. The match was, in fact, otherwise notable as the occasion on which Goddard, taking thirteen for 120, first demonstrated that an indifferent fast bowler had in one season's absence from county cricket changed himself into a great slow off-spinner. Newman made two more fine centuries in 1930, against Warwickshire and Essex, and continued to play for the county until 1936, though never regularly; indeed after 1931 for a match or two a year only. In 1937 he captained an MCC side in Canada. A tall man, who made full use of his reach, he was a fine striker of the ball in front of the wicket, but also a good cutter and a glorious off-side fieldsman with a beautiful return. He was a natural athlete who had represented Oxford in the high jump and the low hurdles and been President of the OUAC. He had also played in the first two squash matches against Cambridge. In later life he did valuable work on the MCC Committee and had been one of the club's Trustees since 1970. He was also, from 1963 to 1976, President of Middlesex.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

George Newman Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAve100s50sCtSt
FC7311610274211225.86314270

Bowling

FormatMatBallsRunsWktsBBIAveEconSR5w10w
FC731200670173/4839.413.3570.500

Debut/Last Matches of George Newman

FC Matches

Span
1926 - 1936