2012-07-22



© sport.uk.msn.com

Full name Donald Wilson
Born August 7, 1937, Settle, Yorkshire
Died July 21, 2012, York Hospital (aged 74 years 349 days)
Major teams England, Yorkshire
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Slow left-arm orthodox

Profile



© The Cricketer International

Don Wilson was Yorkshire's left-arm successor to Johnny Wardle, and he served the county well during their last sustained period of success. Tall and wiry, he was a favourite with spectators, taking 100 wickets in a season five times, including in three of the seven seasons he was part of their Championship-winning side, and in 1966 he took two hat-tricks. He toured twice with England, to India in 1963-64 and to Australia and New Zealand in 1970-71, Five of his six Tests came on the subcontinent, with the sixth against New Zealand as a reward at the end of a long Ashes series. He also played twice for England against Rest of the World in 1970, matches that were subsequently stripped of their status as Tests by the ICC. He retired from Yorkshire in 1974 and took up the role of MCC's chief coach at Lord's, a position he held until 1991. He continued his links with the game by returning to Yorkshire as coach at Ampleforth College.

Wilson was a central figure in Yorkshire's domination of county cricket in the 1960s, playing alongside such greats as Fred Trueman, Brian Close, Ray Illingworth and Geoffrey Boycott.The team began to break up after winning a third successive championship in 1968 but Wilson, whose sense of fun made him a popular figure with Yorkshire crowds, did not retire until 1974.Off the field, he had a keen sense of the theatrical and needed little encouragement before embarking on a song and dance routine with another Yorkshire and England team mate, Phil Sharpe.Wilson followed in Yorkshire's great tradition of  left-arm spinners, following such celebrated names as Wilfred Rhodes and Johnny Wardle. A tall and wiry bowler, he took 1,189 first-class wickets at 21.00 in 422 first-class matches and won seven Championships.He played six Tests for



© ESPNcricinfo Ltd

England, five against India on the 1963-4 tour and one against New Zealand on the 1970-1 tour of Australia and New Zealand. He also played twice for England against Rest of the World in 1970, matches that were subsequently stripped of their status as Tests by the ICC.After his retirement, he served as the MCC's chief coach from 1974 to 1991 and then as coach at Ampleforth College. He was president of the Yorkshire Players' Association in 2008.Donald Wilson (7 August 1937 – 21 July 2012) was an English cricketer, who played in six Tests for England from 1964 to 1971. His first-class cricket career (1957–1974)was spent with Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Wilson was born in Settle, Yorkshire. He succeeded Johnny Wardle as Yorkshire's left-arm spinner, winning his Yorkshire cap in 1960, and was an integral part of Yorkshire's formidable 1960s side which dominated the County Championship. He was tall and wiry, relying on bounce more than savage side spin, and took 100 wickets in a season five times, including three of the seven seasons he was part of the Championship winning side. He also secured two hat-tricks in 1966.Derek Underwood owned the left arm spinner's spot in the England side during Wilson's career, but he ventured abroad twice with the national team. He toured India in 1963-64, where he played all five Test matches, and to Australia and New Zealand in 1970-71, where he played against New Zealand, at the end of Ray Illingworth's successful Ashes campaign.

He also played twice for England against the Rest of the World in 1970, after the cancellation of the South Africa tour. These were counted as full Test matches at the time, but were later stripped of their status. Wilson retired from Yorkshire in 1974,disillusioned by Geoffrey Boycott's captaincy, and took up the role as the MCC's chief coach at Lord's, a position he held until 1991.He then continued his life long involvement in the game by returning to Yorkshire, as coach at Ampleforth College. He died on 21 July 2012, in York,aged 74.

Test debut India v England at Chennai, Jan 10-15, 1964
Last Test New Zealand v England at Christchurch, Feb 25-Mar 1, 1971
First-class span 1957-1974
List A span 1963-1972

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