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Alan Burgess (cricketer)

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New Zealand cricketer (1920–2021)

Alan Burgess
Personal information
Full nameAlan Thomas Burgess
Born(1920-05-01)1 May 1920
Christchurch, New Zealand
Died6 January 2021(2021-01-06) (aged 100)
Rangiora, New Zealand
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
RelationsThomas Burgess (father)
Gordon Burgess (cousin)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1940/41–1951/52Canterbury
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 14
Runs scored 466
Batting average 22.19
100s/50s 0/2
Top score 61*
Balls bowled 1,139
Wickets 16
Bowling average 30.68
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 6/52
Catches/stumpings 12/–
Source: CricketArchive, 5 January 2020

Alan Thomas Burgess (1 May 1920 – 6 January 2021) was a New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Canterbury from 1940 to 1952. He was a tank driver in World War II. From June 2020 to January 2021, Burgess was the world's oldest living first-class cricketer.

Life and career

Alan Burgess's father Thomas was a cricket umpire who stood in a Test match in Christchurch in 1933. Alan's cousin was Gordon Burgess, a cricketer and administrator whose son Mark captained the New Zealand Test team in the 1970s.

Burgess attended Phillipstown School in Christchurch before becoming an apprentice upholsterer. In his first first-class match in December 1940 Burgess played as a bowler, taking 6 for 52 and 3 for 51 with his left-arm spin against Otago. Later that season he batted as high as number seven, scoring 61 not out against Wellington.

He joined the New Zealand Army when he turned 21 in 1941, and was soon posted overseas. He served in Egypt and Italy as a tank driver in the 20th Armoured Regiment. He fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944. After the war ended in Europe he toured England with the New Zealand Services team from July to September 1945, playing as a batsman. He made another score of 61 not out in the only first-class match.

In nine matches for Canterbury between 1945–46 and 1951–52, Burgess's top score was 42 against Auckland in 1950–51, when he put on 105 for the first wicket with Ray Emery.

Burgess ran his own upholstery business in Christchurch. He was married twice, and had three children. He lived in Rangiora. He became New Zealand's oldest living first-class cricketer when Tom Pritchard died in August 2017.

Burgess celebrated his 100th birthday in May 2020. On 13 June 2020, following the death of Vasant Raiji, Burgess became the oldest living first-class cricketer. He died in Rangiora on 6 January 2021 at the age of 100. Following Burgess' death, India's Raghunath Chandorkar became the oldest living first-class cricketer, and Iain Gallaway became New Zealand's oldest living first-class cricketer.

See also

References

  1. "Kiwi Alan Burgess now world's oldest living first class cricketer". Stuff. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  2. ^ Knowler, Richard (9 December 2015). "Ex-tank driver and rep cricketer Alan Burgess, 95, still batting strongly". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  3. ^ Francis Payne & Ian Smith, eds, 2021 New Zealand Cricket Almanack, Upstart Press, Takapuna, 2021, p. 30.
  4. ^ Dangerfield, Emma (22 April 2017). "Pragmatic view of war from one of the last survivors of Charles Upham's battalion". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  5. "What's the most runs scored on the first day of a Test?". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  6. "Canterbury v Otago 1940-41". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  7. "Wellington v Canterbury 1940-41". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  8. Knowler, Richard (25 April 2020). "WWII tank driver and talented cricketer Alan Burgess eyes century". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  9. "Alan Thomas Burgess". Auckland Museum. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  10. "H.D.G. Leveson-Gower's XI v New Zealand Services 1945". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  11. "Auckland v Canterbury 1950-51". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  12. "Tom Pritchard passes away". New Zealand Cricket. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  13. "Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor surprises Alan Burgess on his 100th birthday". Stuff. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  14. "Vasant Raiji, the world's oldest first-class cricketer, dies aged 100". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  15. "Vasant Raiji, world's oldest first class cricketer, passes away at age of 100". Times Now News. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  16. Alan Burgess at ESPNcricinfo
  17. WW2 veteran and NZ's oldest first-class cricketer dies in Rangiora aged 100
  18. "Alan Burgess, New Zealand first-class cricketer and World War II veteran, dies aged 100". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  19. "New Zealand's oldest first-class cricketer Alan Burgess dies in Rangiora". Stuff. Retrieved 6 January 2021.

External links

Preceded byVasant Raiji Oldest Living First-Class Cricketer
13 June 2020 – 6 January 2021 		Succeeded byRaghunath Chandorkar
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