Full Name

Thomas Edmund O'Dwyer

Born

November 05, 1919, Bridgetown, Western Australia

Died

September 01, 2005, Perth, Western Australia, (aged 85y 300d)

Nicknames

The Bowling Baritone

Batting Style

Left hand Bat

Bowling Style

Slow Left arm Orthodox

Tom O'Dwyer was an orthodox slow left-armer who played for Western Australia immediately after WW2 just as they were admitted to the Sheffield Shield. A year after his debut he was one of the side which won the tournament in WA's first season, with O'Dwyer starring in the decider against Queensland at Brisbane, scoring 46 and 11 not out batting at No. 7 and taking 7 for 79 (his career best) and 2 for 46.

He was a serious contender for inclusion in the Invincibles side to tour England in 1948 - Arthur Morris said he was the best bowler of his type in the country. He missed out to Colin McCool, although he consoled himself with 5 for 47 and 3 for 56 in his state's first home match in the competition that season. When the tourists stopped in Perth on the way to England and O'Dwyer took Don Bradman's wicket, as well as that of McCool.

He played little after that, turning out four times the following season, although he did make an unexpected - and unsuccessful - two-match comeback aged 41 after a nine-year absence in 1959-60. He later coached and umpired in club cricket.

A devoute Catholic, he was an insurance by profession but listed cricket and singing as his two loves, so much so that he was nicknamed as the Bowling Baritone. "I thank God I was born pre-television," he said. "The family used to gather around the piano and sing for an hour or so before going to bed."
Martin Williamson

Tom O'Dwyer Career Stats

Batting & Fielding

FormatMatInnsNORunsHSAve100s50sCtSt
FC152343055116.050180

Bowling

FormatMatRunsWktsBBIAve5w10w
FC151415417/7934.5130

Debut/Last Matches of Tom O'Dwyer

FC Matches

Span
1946/47 - 1959/60

Recent Matches of Tom O'Dwyer

MatchBatBowlDateGroundFormat
West Aust vs Victoria2* & 50/42 & 0/619-Feb-1960MelbourneFC
West Aust vs Queensland121/5512-Feb-1960BrisbaneFC
West Aust vs Queensland29 & 03/71 & 0/3416-Dec-1950PerthFC
West Aust vs Queensland340/41 & 0/2411-Nov-1949BrisbaneFC
West Aust vs South Aust13 & 62/7528-Jan-1949AdelaideFC