Walter Marcon

Walter Marcon
Personal information
Full name Walter Marcon
Born (1824-03-28)28 March 1824
Swaffham, Norfolk, England
Died 14 November 1875(1875-11-14) (aged 51)
Edgefield, Norfolk, England
Batting Right-handed
Bowling Right-arm fast (roundarm style)
Role Bowler
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1843–1844 Oxford University
First-class debut 28 May 1843 Oxford University v MCC
Last First-class 5 August 1844 West of England v MCC
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 6
Runs scored 85
Batting average 9.44
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 29
Balls bowled 40
Wickets 0
Bowling average –
5 wickets in innings –
10 wickets in match –
Best bowling –
Catches/stumpings 2/0
Source: CricInfo, 26 October 2008

Walter Marcon (28 March 1824 – 14 November 1875) was an English cricketer who played six first-class matches for Oxford University in 1843 and 1844. He had previously established a reputation for extremely fast bowling at Eton College.

Schools cricket

Born at Swaffham, Norfolk, Marcon played for the Eton First XI in 1841 and 1842 alongside another fast bowler Harvey Fellows.[1] Marcon's pace was so quick that he warranted three long stops despite the wicketkeeper standing well back.[1]

WG Grace wrote in his book Cricket that Marcon's deliveries would smash a stump if making a direct hit without bouncing first; he reported his father saying that he "could hardly trace the ball" when fielding at point.[1] Marcon once bowled a ball that knocked the bat out of the batsman's hands and through the wicket.[2]

First-class career

Surprisingly given his reputation as a bowler, Marcon took no known wickets in his first-class career. Bowling analyses were rarely compiled at the time and bowlers were not credited with wickets which fell to catches.

Marcon went up to Worcester College, Oxford, in 1842[3] and joined the Oxford University team in 1843, making his debut against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on 24 May at Bullingdon Green near Oxford. Batting third, he scored 2 in the first innings and was run out for a duck in the second.[4] That was his only match in 1843.

In 1844, he played against MCC at the Magdalen Ground on 30 May, scoring 15 and 5.[5] He then played for West of England at Lord's on 24 June, making no score in either innings.[6] He scored another duck followed by his career best 29 playing for Oxford against MCC at Lord's on 27 June.[7]

In the University Match against Cambridge University at Lord's on 4 July, he scored 24 and 8 not out.[8] His final match was for West of England against MCC at Bath, Somerset on 5 August, when he scored 2 and was not out without scoring in the second innings. His bowling analysis was recorded in this match: he took no wickets for 8 runs from 40 balls.[9]

Later life

Marcon abandoned cricket after he left Oxford to become a vicar in Cornwall and eventually the Rector of Edgefield in his native Norfolk, where he died in 1875.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 David Frith, The Fast Men, Transworld Publishing, 1975; p.40-41.
  2. ↑ Derek Birley, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum Press, 1999; p.69.
  3. ↑ Foster, Joseph (1888). Alumni Oxonienses: the members of the University of Oxford, 1715-1886. 3. Oxford: Parker and Co. p. 911.
  4. ↑ "Oxford University v Marylebone Cricket Club". Cricket Archive. 1843. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  5. ↑ "Oxford University v Marylebone Cricket Club". Cricket Archive. 1844. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  6. ↑ "Marylebone Cricket Club v West". Cricket Archive. 1844. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  7. ↑ "Marylebone Cricket Club v Oxford University". Cricket Archive. 1844. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  8. ↑ "Oxford University v Cambridge University". Cricket Archive. 1844. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  9. ↑ "West v Marylebone Cricket Club". Cricket Archive. 1844. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
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