Billy Griffith

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For the Australian rules footballer, see Billy Griffith (footballer).

Billy Griffith
Personal information
Full name
Stewart Cathie Griffith
Born(1914-06-16)16 June 1914
Wandsworth, London, England
Died7 April 1993(1993-04-07) (aged 78)
Felpham, West Sussex, England
NicknameBilly
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper
Relations
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 332)11 February 1948 v West Indies
Last Test9 March 1949 v South Africa
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1934–1936Cambridge University
1934Surrey
1937–1954Sussex
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class
Matches 3 215
Runs scored 157 4,846
Batting average 31.40 16.42
100s/50s 1/0 3/15
Top score 140 140
Catches/stumpings 5/0 328/80
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 4 October 2009

Stewart Cathie Griffith,

CBE, DFC, TD (16 June 1914 – 7 April 1993), known as Billy Griffith, was an English cricketer and cricket administrator. He played in three Test matches for England in 1948 and 1949.[1]

He played first-class cricket for Cambridge University (1934–1936), Surrey (1934), Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) (1935–1953), Sussex (1937–1954) and England (1948–1949).

Life and career

Griffith was born in Wandsworth, London, and educated at Dulwich College and Pembroke College, Cambridge.[2] He scored over 1,200 runs during four years in the 1st XI at Dulwich, despite being in the shadow of Hugh Bartlett, and he became a capable wicket-keeper. He won his blue in his second year at Cambridge. He toured Australia and New Zealand with the MCC under Errol Holmes's captaincy in 1935–36. He lost his Cambridge place to Paul Gibb in 1937.

After graduating from Cambridge, he returned to Dulwich as cricket master and he became the first choice wicket-keeper for Sussex in 1939.

He was commissioned into the Officers' Training Corps in 1938, and transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps in 1939. He later served in the Glider Pilot Regiment with Hugh Bartlett. As second-in-command he carried the commander of the 6th Airborne Division, Major-General Richard "Windy" Gale (coincidentally, he was also from Wandsworth), into Normandy during Operation Overlord, crash landing after being caught in a storm. He took part in the Battle of Arnhem and won the Distinguished Flying Cross. He remained in the Territorial Army (TA) after the war, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He was appointed captain-secretary of Sussex in 1946. Although he relinquished the captaincy after one year, his wicket-keeping form earned him selection for the

The Sunday Times. After two years in this role, he was appointed by the MCC in 1952 as one of two assistant secretaries to Ronnie Aird at Lord's
.

He succeeded Aird as the Secretary of the MCC in 1962, and he oversaw the abolition of amateur status, the introduction of one-day cricket, the creation of the

Western Australia. Smith asked him when he should declare, Griffith said "Now!" and the MCC won by nine runs in the last minute. The deadpan Smith observed "that's the last time I take the ruddy manager's advice on a declaration".[3]

He retired in 1974, and he later served as Chairman of the Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Club. His son, Mike Griffith, also captained Sussex.[1]

Billy Griffith died in Felpham, West Sussex, following a long illness in 1993, aged 78.[1]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 1-869833-21-X
    .
  2. Who's Who & Who Was Who. A & C Black. 2007. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  3. E.W. Swanton
    , Swanton in Australia with MCC 1946–1975, Fontana, 1977

External links
Sporting positions
Preceded by Sussex county cricket captain
1946 		Succeeded by
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