PLUM WARNER

'Sir Pelham Francis Warner' (2 October 1873 in Port of Spain, Trinidad - 30 January 1963 at West Lavington, West Sussex), affectionately and better known as 'Plum Warner', or the ''Grand Old Man'' of English cricket was a Test cricketer.
A right-hand bat, Warner played first-class cricket for Oxford University, Middlesex and England. He played 15 Test matches, captaining in 10 of them, with a record of won 4, lost 6. He succeeding in regaining The Ashes in 1903-4, winning the series against Australia 3-2. However he was less successful when he captained England on the tour of South Africa in 1905/6, suffering a resounding 1-4 defeat, the first time England had lost to South Africa in a Test match.
He was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1904 and 1921, making him one of two to have received the honour twice (the normal rule is that it can only be won once). The second award marked his retirement as a player after the 1920 season, in which he captained Middlesex to the County Championship title. After retiring as a player, he became a tour manager, most notably on the infamous Bodyline tour of Australia in 1932/3. He later became president of the Marylebone Cricket Club. He was knighted for his services to cricket in 1937.
Warner wrote extensively on cricket. He detailed his Ashes Tests and a history of Lord's Cricket Ground. He founded ''The Cricketer'' magazine. He married Agnes in the summer of 1904 and had two sons, Esmond and John, and a daughter, Elizabeth.
His brother Aucher Warner not only captained the first combined West Indies side in the West Indies during the 1896-97 season but also the first West Indian touring side to England in 1900.

Contents

External references

Bibliography

External references

★ Cricinfo page on Plum Warner

★ ''The Golden Age of Cricket 1890-1914'' by David Frith ISBN 0-907853-50-1

Bibliography

★ ''Lord's 1787-1945'' ISBN 1-85145-112-9