Oldbrook can bowl you over




Oldbrook is one of the estates near Central Milton Keynes and the streets are named after mostly famous cricketers or cricketing terms. Apparently, the street layout is based on the markings of a cricket pitch although having had a good look on Google maps, I personally can’t see it. Let me know if you do!

This was a challenging estate to tackle for two reasons: one, there are lots of streets here so it took a while to check all the terms. The second, and possibly more important reason, is that I know very, very little about cricket. I find the game confusing and slow so it doesn’t really grab my attention, and it also seems to have its own language which can be impenetrable to those of us outside the sphere of its influence.

This post risked being a very long list of people that were all cricketers and I don’t think that is very interesting, so I tried to find little bits of information that were a little more unusual and made these men (because they are ALL men) come alive a little more. In some cases, I’m not 100% sure that the person I included is the person or place that the MKDC had in mind when they named the street so do please get in touch if you spot anything that could be wrong. I hope you find it interesting and that you learn something. I know I did!


Ames: Leslie Ethelbert George Ames CBE (3 December 1905 – 27 February 1990) was a wicket-keeper and batsman for the England cricket team and Kent County Cricket Club. In his obituary, Wisden described him as the greatest wicket-keeper-batsman of all time. He is the only wicketkeeper-batsman to score a hundred first-class centuries.


Appleyard: there are two possible people: 


Bob Appleyard (27 June 1924 – 17 March 2015) was a Yorkshire and England first-class cricketer. He was one of the best English bowlers of the 1950s, a decade which saw England develop its strongest bowling attack of the twentieth century. Able to bowl fast-medium swingers or seamers and off-spinners with almost exactly the same action, Appleyard's career was almost destroyed by injury and illness after his first full season in 1951. 


Or it could be Francis Appleyard (26 September 1905 – 12 October 1971) was an English first-class cricketer that played for Essex, Hertfordshire, Minor Counties and Marylebone. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. However, both of his sons (Peter and John) also played cricket for Hertfordshire.


Arlott: Leslie Thomas John Arlott, OBE (25 February 1914 – 14 December 1991) was an English journalist, author and cricket commentator for the BBC's Test Match Special. He was also somewhat of a wine connoisseur and wrote on the subject. Additionally, he held strong liberal views which were not strongly supported in the mid-50s however he stood as the Liberal candidate for Epping in 1955 and 1959, coming third in both. He received an honorary degree from The Open University in 1981.


Barnes: Sydney Francis Barnes (19 April 1873 – 26 December 1967) was an English professional cricketer who is regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time.In his wider career from 1895 to 1934, he variously represented several clubs in each of the Bradford, Central Lancashire, Lancashire and North Staffordshire leagues. Outside of cricket, Barnes became very good at calligraphy and his work was sought after. In 1957, he was asked to present a handwritten scroll to Elizabeth II to commemorate her visit to Stafford.


Barrington: Kenneth Frank Barrington (24 November 1930 – 14 March 1981) was an English international cricketer who played for the England cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional leg-spin bowler, known for his jovial good humour and long, defensive innings. He spent some time in the army and, as a result, was always dressed neatly and took great care of his clothes, folding and ironing them.


Blackham: John McCarthy Blackham (11 May 1854 – 28 December 1932) was a Test cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. Such was his skill as a wicket-keeper that he was known as the "prince of wicket-keepers". Late in his career, he captained the Australian team. A possible connection to English cricket is that he was a member of the first eight Australian cricket teams to visit England.


Boycott: Sir Geoffrey Boycott, OBE (born 21 October 1940), is a retired Test cricketer, who played cricket for Yorkshire and England. In a prolific and sometimes controversial playing career from 1962 to 1986, Boycott established himself as one of England's most successful opening batsmen.[3] After retiring as a player, he pursued a successful career as a cricket commentator, before retiring in 2020 and was knighted in 2019.


Brearley: John Michael Brearley OBE (born 28 April 1942) is a retired English first-class cricketer who captained Cambridge University, Middlesex, and England. While at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne he focused on pursuing an academic career as a lecturer in philosophy a, which limited his cricketing activity in 1969 and 1970. This meant that Brearley was not selected for England until the age of 34. After retirement, he is now a psychoanalyst, psychotherapist, motivational speaker, and part-time cricket journalist for The Times.


Bridgeford: This may be a stretch but West Bridgeford, Nottinghamshire is the town where Trent Bridge Cricket Ground is located. Trent Bridge is considered to be one of the best grounds in the world to watch cricket. (Do let me know if there is a better candidate for Bridgeford!)


Cartwright: Thomas William Cartwright MBE (22 July 1935 – 30 April 2007) was an English cricketer. He played in five Tests for England in 1964 and 1965. After he retired from professional cricket, he was cricket manager and then became the coach for the Welsh Cricket Association eventually becoming the first Welsh national coach.


Century: A century in cricket is when a batter scores 100 or more runs in one innings.This is a landmark score and recorded in the player’s lifetime statistics. There are other variations like a half-century (50 runs), double century (200 runs), triple century (300 runs) and so on.


Dexter: Edward Ralph "Ted" Dexter, CBE (born 15 May 1935) is a former England international cricketer. He captained Sussex and England in the early 1960s and is known by the nickname Lord Ted. His cricket career was virtually ended by an accident in 1965. His Jaguar car ran out of petrol in west London, and he was pushing it to safety when it pinned him to a warehouse door, breaking his leg. Dexter retired from cricket to concentrate on other interests in 1968, remaining a journalist, becoming a broadcaster and founding a PR company. In 1987, Dexter had the idea of developing a ranking system for Test cricketers and this is still widely used today.


Douglas: Douglas Robert Jardine (23 October 1900 – 18 June 1958) was a cricketer who played 22 Test matches for England, captaining the side in 15 of those matches between 1931 and 1934. A controversial figure among cricketers, he was well known for his dislike of Australian players and crowds and was unpopular in Australia. After retirement, he did not pursue Law (he was qualified) but rather chose to work in banking and journalism. 


Duckworth: There are two possible references - one is Frank Carter Duckworth MBE (born 26 December 1939) a retired English statistician, and is one of the two statisticians who developed the Duckworth–Lewis method of resetting targets in interrupted one-day cricket matches. The second candidate is George Duckworth (9 May 1901 – 5 January 1966) who was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire and England as a wicket-keeper.


Edrich: John Hugh Edrich, MBE (born 21 June 1937) is a former English first-class cricketer who, during a career that ran from 1956 to 1978, was considered one of the best batsmen of his generation. His statistical achievements show that he was amongst the best players of his generation, playing a total of seventy-seven Test matches for England between 1963 and 1976, and scoring a triple-century in 1965 that is the fifth-highest Test score for England.


Evans: Thomas Godfrey Evans CBE (18 August 1920 – 3 May 1999) was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England. Described by Wisden as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen’. He was the first wicket-keeper to reach 200 Test dismissals and the first Englishman to reach both 1000 runs and 100 dismissals and 2000 runs and 200 dismissals in Test cricket. After his retirement from professional cricket, Evans ran the Jolly Drover pub at Hill Brow, Hampshire.


Grace: William Gilbert "W. G." Grace MRCS LRCP (18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English amateur cricketer who was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest-ever players. An outstanding all-rounder, he excelled at all the essential skills of batting, bowling and fielding, but it is for his batting that he is most renowned. He was also a qualified medical practitioner and worked in this alongside his cricketing career.


Hearne: This is a little different as the Hearne family was a notable family of cricketers! Thirteen members of this family played first-class cricket for various teams (and countries), with several receiving distinctions such as being named Player of the Year.


Hutton: Sir Leonard Hutton (23 June 1916 – 6 September 1990) was an English cricketer who played as an opening batsman for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1934 to 1955 and for England in 79 Test matches between 1937 and 1955. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack described him as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. His son Richard Hutton is also a renowned cricketer. 


Illingworth: Raymond Illingworth CBE (born 8 June 1932) is a former English cricketer, cricket commentator and cricket administrator. As of 2015, he is one of only nine players to have taken 2,000 wickets and made 20,000 runs in first-class cricket.


Johnston: Brian Alexander Johnston CBE MC (24 June 1912 – 5 January 1994), nicknamed Johnners, was a British cricket commentator, author, and television presenter. He was most prominently associated with the BBC during a career which lasted from 1946 until his death in January 1994. He was also part of the radio commentating team for major state occasions such as the funeral of King George VI in 1952, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and several royal weddings. 


Kirkstall: Kirkstall is a north-western suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. However, Kirkstall is also the name of the lane at the main entrance of the Headingley Cricket Ground. This ground has seen a number of notable Test Cricket matches since 1899.


Laker: James Charles Laker (9 February 1922 – 23 April 1986) was an English cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club from 1946 to 1959 and represented the England cricket team in 46 Test matches. Laker is generally regarded as one of the greatest spin bowlers in cricket history. In 1956, he achieved a still-unequalled world record when he took nineteen (of a maximum twenty) wickets in a Test match at Old Trafford Cricket Ground (Old Trafford) in Manchester, enabling England to defeat Australia in what has become known as "Laker's Match". He was also the first cricketer to win "BBC Sports Personality of the Year". 


Larwood: Harold Larwood (14 November 1904 – 22 July 1995) was a professional cricketer for the England cricket team between 1924 and 1938. A right-arm fast bowler who combined unusual speed with great accuracy, he was considered by many commentators to be the finest bowler of his generation. After retirement, he and his family emigrated to Australia.


Milburn: Colin “Ollie” Milburn (23 October 1941 – 28 February 1990)[1] was an English cricketer, who played in nine Test matches for England before an accident led to the loss of much of his sight and prompted his retirement. Milburn continued in league cricket and went into the world of after-dinner speaking, public appearances and radio commentary.


Rashleigh: Here again there are two possible choices. The first is William Rashleigh (7 March 1867 – 13 February 1937) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club and Oxford University between 1885 and 1901. The second choice is Jonathan Rashleigh (7 January 1820 – 12 April 1905) was an English cricketer active in the early 1840s, making four appearances in first-class cricket. 


Rhodes: Wilfred Rhodes (29 October 1877 – 8 July 1973) was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. Rhodes became the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches. He holds the world records both for the most appearances made in first-class cricket (1,110 matches), and for the most wickets taken (4,204). 


Richardson: Peter Edward Richardson (4 July 1931 – 17 February 2017) was an English cricketer, who played in 34 Test matches for the England cricket team. Richardson's two brothers also played first-class cricket. Dick Richardson was a middle-order batsman who played one Test for England against the West Indies in 1957, playing alongside his brother. His other brother, Bryan, was an occasional player for Warwickshire.


Shackleton: Derek Shackleton (12 August 1924 – 28 September 2007) was a Hampshire and England bowler. He took over 100 wickets in 20 consecutive seasons of first-class cricket, but only played in seven Tests for England. Shackleton has the most first-class wickets of any player who played his whole career after World War II. His son Julian was also an English cricketer.


Statham: John Brian Statham, CBE (17 June 1930 – 10 June 2000) was an English professional cricketer from Gorton, in Manchester, who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club from 1950 to 1968 and for England from 1951 to 1965. In 1963, he briefly held the world record for the most wickets taken in Test cricket. Lancashire's Old Trafford Cricket Ground was renamed Brian Statham Way in his honour and the south end of Old Trafford is called the Brian Statham End. 


Strudwick: Herbert "Bert" Strudwick (28 January 1880 – 14 February 1970) was an English wicket-keeper. During his career, his record of 1493 dismissals is the third-highest by any wicket-keeper in the history of first-class cricket.


Sutcliffe: Herbert Sutcliffe (24 November 1894 – 22 January 1978) was an English professional cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England as an opening batsman. He was the first cricketer to score 16 centuries in Test match cricket.


The Boundary: In cricket, the boundary is the perimeter of a playing field. It is also the term given to a scoring shot where the ball is hit to, or beyond, that perimeter. Traditionally it is a rope but could be cones, flags or other items.


The Oval: The Oval, known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it was opened in 1845. It was the first ground in England to host international Test cricket in September 1880. The final Test match of the English season is traditionally played there.


Titchmarsh: Valentine Adolphus Titchmarsh (14 February 1853 – 11 October 1907) was a first-class cricketer and Test match umpire. Born in 1853, he played 8 matches for Marylebone Cricket Club and others between 1885 and 1891 as a right-arm quick bowler and left-handed batsman.


Trueman: Frederick Sewards Trueman, OBE (6 February 1931 – 1 July 2006) was an English cricketer, mainly active from 1948 to 1968, who played for the England cricket team. He had professional status and later became a popular author and broadcaster. After he retired from playing, he became a media personality through his work in television and as an outspoken radio commentator for the BBC.


Tyson: Frank Holmes Tyson (6 June 1930 – 27 September 2015) was an England international cricketer of the 1950s, who also worked as a schoolmaster, journalist, cricket coach and cricket commentator after emigrating to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press, he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket. When he retired and emigrated he also wrote 20 books, mostly about cricket.


Ulyett: George Ulyett (21 October 1851 – 18 June 1898) was an English all-round cricketer, noted particularly for his very aggressive batsmanship. A fine all-round sportsman, Ulyett played football for two seasons as the goalkeeper for Sheffield Wednesday.


Underwood: Derek Leslie Underwood MBE (born 8 June 1945) is an English former international cricketer. Underwood was regarded as one of the best bowlers in Test cricket. He also went on the rebel tour South Africa in 1981–82, bringing his England career to an end as it was in defiance of the sporting ban against the apartheid state. For this, he and the other rebels were banned from international cricket for three years.


Verity: Hedley Verity (18 May 1905 – 31 July 1943) was a professional cricketer who played for England between 1930 and 1939. Verity continued to play for Yorkshire and England until 1939 when the outbreak of the Second World War ended his career. Verity joined the Green Howards in 1939, and after training was posted overseas to India, Persia and Egypt, achieving the rank of captain. During the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943, Verity was severely wounded and captured by the Germans. Taken to the Italian mainland, he died in Caserta from his injuries and was buried there.


Wardle: Johnny Wardle (8 January 1923 – 23 July 1985) was an English spin bowling cricketer. Wardle was probably the most versatile of all the great spin bowlers and had an unusual style which enabled him to achieve the feat of taking 100 wickets in a season outside England.


Wynyard: Edward “Teddy” Wynyard, DSO, OBE (1 April 1861 – 30 October 1936) was a British Army officer and an English cricketer who played in 3 Tests from 1896 to 1906. He also played football and won the European international toboggan championship at Davos, Switzerland in 1894. It was while in the area he rescued someone from drowning in a lake, earning the award in 1895 of the medal of the Royal Humane Society.

Comments

Unknown said…
You ask why there is an association between Oldbrook and cricket. At the centre of the grid-square is a large area of open space that was designed as a cricket pitch, and used as such for many years. MK Development Corporation regularly used pictures of cricket being played there, with a backdrop of the city centre, as publicity shots.. The area is now administered by Campbell Park Parish Council, is called Oldbrook green and no longer offers a cricket pitch

Martin Petchey - a local resident and parish councillor
Claudia said…
Thank you! This is so useful and the kind of detail that can so easily get lost in time, so good to get it on a record of some sort.

I know exactly the area you mean, having gone past before and I can see how the publicity shots would have been ideal from that point.

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