Alfred Evans (cricketer, born 1858)
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Madras, Madras Presidency, British India
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Alfred Henry Evans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 June 1858 Madras, Madras Presidency, British India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 26 March 1934 (aged 75) Saunton, Devon, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations |
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| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1878–1881 | Oxford University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1882–1884 | Somerset | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1882–1885 | MCC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1885 | Hampshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 14 February 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alfred Henry Evans (14 June 1858 – 26 March 1934) was an English first-class cricketer and educator. Considered one of the best fast bowlers in England at the time, Evans played in 44 first-class matches between 1878 and 1885, taking over 200 wickets. He would later became a schoolmaster at Winchester College and would found Horris Hill School in 1882, where he was headmaster until 1920.
The third son of Deputy-Surgeon-General William Evans, formerly Inspector-General of Hospitals in Madras, where he was born in June 1858.[1] He was educated in England, firstly at Rossall School,[2] before moving to Clifton College in 1874, where he represented the college cricket team from 1875 to 1877.[3]
From there, he matriculated to Oriel College, Oxford.[4] While at Oxford, Evans was a member of the Oxford University Cricket Club. It was for the club that he made his debut in first-class cricket against the Gentlemen of England at Oxford in 1878. He played first-class cricket for Oxford until 1881, making eighteen appearances.[5] For the cricket club as a right-arm fast-medium bowler who was described while playing for Oxford as "sometimes almost unplayable", he took 107 wickets at a bowling average of 15.21; he took a five wicket haul on thirteen occasions and took ten wickets in a match on four.[6] As a batsman, he scored 348 runs at an average of 11.22, with a highest score of 49.[7] For Oxford, he gained his blue by appearing in four University Matches against Cambridge University, taking 36 wickets across these matches.[8] His best figures of 7 for 74 came in the 1881 University Match.[9] It was in 1881 that Evans was elected captain of the cricket club;[10] during his captaincy year, he was credited with Oxford's victory over Cambridge, having taken 13 wickets for 130 runs in The University Match.[1]
While studying at Oxford, Evans was also associated with a number of other first-class cricket teams. He played for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture on six occasions, once for the Gentlemen of England against the touring Australians in 1878, once for I Zingari against Yorkshire in 1879. In the same year for he also played for both the Gentlemen of the South against the Gentlemen of the North, and an England XI against Richard Daft's personal team before it embarked on a tour of North America, whilst in 1881 he played for the Under 30s in the Over 30s v Under 30s fixture at Lord's.[5] It was for the England XI that he was to take his career-best innings figures of 9 for 59.[11]
He also played rugby union at Oxford for Oxford University RFC, captaining the fifteen in the 1879–80 season. However, he resigned at Christmas following the postponement of a match against Cambridge due to frost.[10][8] Playing as a half-back, he earned his rugby blue in 1877 and 1878 by playing in The Rugby Varsity Match.[8]