George Downton
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 November 1928 Bexley, Kent |
| Died | 19 April 2014 (aged 85) Sevenoaks, Kent |
| Role | Wicket-keeper |
| Relations | Paul Downton (son) |
| Domestic team information | |
| Years | Team |
| 1948 | Kent |
Source: CricInfo, 15 January 2023 | |
George Charles Downton (1 November 1928 – 19 April 2014) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club. He played as a wicket-keeper.
Downton was born in Bexley in Kent in 1928. Along with Gordon Raikes, he acted as England wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans' deputy in Kent's 1948 side, playing first-team cricket when Evans was on Test duty.[1] His first-class debut came in June 1948 against Yorkshire at Bradford.[2] He played a total of eight matches for Kent's First XI during the 1948 season, his only season of regular first-class cricket.[1][3]
He continued to appear for Kent's Second XI in the Minor Counties Championship until 1954 and played club cricket for Sevenoaks Vine, then the dominant club cricket side in Kent.[1] He captained Vine between 1956 and 1962 and was part of a partnership of 265 runs at the Nevill Ground in Tunbridge Wells in 1965.[4] He was capped by the Club Cricket Conference in 1955 and played regularly for the side, including against touring international sides, until 1965.[1][2][5] He played two first-class matches for MCC in 1957 and 1959 to bring his total of first-class appearances to 10.[1]
Downton was the father of Paul Downton, also a wicket-keeper, who played for Kent and Middlesex and in 30 Test matches for England in the 1980s.[1][5] He died in April 2014 at Sevenoaks in Kent aged 85.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f George Downton 1928 – 2014 – Obituary, Kent County Cricket Club, 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
- ^ a b George Downton, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
- ^ a b Downton, George Charles, Obituaries in 2014, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 2015. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
- ^ George Downton (1928 – 2014), Sevenoaks Vine Cricket Club. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
- ^ a b George Downton, Obituaries, Professional Cricketers' Association. Retrieved 2017-05-30. (Archived version. Archived 2017-06-22.)
External links
[edit]George Downton at ESPNcricinfo
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