Tony Lock

Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = English
country = England
country abbrev = Eng
name = Tony Lock
picture = cricket no pic.pngbatting style = Right-handed batsman (RHB)
bowling style = Slow Left Arm (SLA)
tests = 49
test runs = 742
test bat avg = 13.74
test 100s/50s = 0/3
test top score = 89
test balls = 13147
test wickets = 174
test bowl avg = 25.58
test 5s = 9
test 10s = 3
test best bowling = 7/35
test catches/stumpings = 59/0
FCs = 654
FC runs = 10342
FC bat avg = 15.88
FC 100s/50s = 0/27
FC top score = 89
FC balls = 150139
FC wickets = 2844
FC bowl avg = 19.23
FC 5s = 196
FC 10s = 50
FC best bowling = 10/54
FC catches/stumpings = 831/0
debut date = 17 July
debut year = 1952
last date = 28 March
last year = 1968
source = http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/16331.html

Graham Anthony Richard Lock (5 July 1929 - 30 March 1995) was an English cricketer who played primarily as a left-arm spinner.

Born in Limpsfield, Surrey, Tony Lock had the weighty backing of HDG Leveson Gower and made his first-class debut for Surrey County Cricket Club at just 17 in 1946, but did not play regularly for his county until 1949. In 1951 he took 105 wickets, and broke the 100-wicket barrier every year up to and including 1962, on two occasions (1955 and 1957) claiming more than 200 victims.

Lock made his England debut in the third Test against India in 1952, and played the fourth and fifth Tests against Australia the following summer; he had in fact been picked for the first game, but had worn his spinning finger raw after being named in the team and had had to withdraw while it healed. However, England regained the Ashes and for his efforts Lock was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in their 1954 edition. However, he also had to deal with accusations (not entirely unfounded) that he was a chucker, being called for throwing on more than one occasion.

In 1956, Lock was famously the bowler who took "the other wicket" when Jim Laker achieved his world-record 19-90 at Old Trafford against Australia, and two years later had an extraordinary summer of success against an admittedly poor New Zealand side, finishing with 34 wickets at an average of a mere 7.47. He was inconsistent abroad, however, failing completely on the 1958/59 tour of Australia but again terrorising the New Zealanders in the same winter with 13 wickets at under nine runs apiece. It was during the New Zealand leg of the tour that he saw himself on film. Shocked by what he saw, he remodelled his action. By 1961 he was back in the Test side against Australia.

Dropped for the 1962/63 Ashes tour he played with great success for Western Australia, returning to play for that state each winter for the rest of his career.

Lock moved to Leicestershire in 1965, and was made captain for the following two seasons, taking the club to second place in the County Championship in 1967. In 1967/68 he was unexpectedly recalled by England because of an injury to Fred Titmus, and played in the last two Tests against West Indies. He was the last man called up to play for England who was not playing for a first class county. Though not achieving any great success with the ball, he contributed to the cause in another way, by making his highest first-class score of 89 in the first innings of the final Test at Georgetown, Guyana. England had nine wickets down when the game (played over six days) finished, and claimed the series 1-0.

Lock's remaining playing career was spent entirely with Western Australia, and fittingly his last first-class wicket was that of an Australian Test player, Paul Sheahan. After retirement he moved into coaching in Perth and London, but late in life faced two separate charges of sexual abuse. He was cleared on both occasions, but the experience affected him badly. He died from cancer in his adopted home town of Perth at the age of 65.

Lock took 2,844 first-class wickets, placing him ninth on the all-time list, and is the only player to score more than 10,000 runs without once making a century; despite passing 50 on 27 occasions, his highest score was that 89 in Guyana. His tally of 831 first class catches, mostly taken at short leg, lies behind only WG Grace and Frank Woolley.

External links

* [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/16331.html Cricinfo]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/928/f_Bowling_by_Season.html Cricket Archive]

Persondata
NAME=Lock, Graham Anthony Richard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Tony
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Cricketer
DATE OF BIRTH=5 July 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH=Limpsfield, Surrey
DATE OF DEATH=29 March 1995
PLACE OF DEATH=Perth, Western Australia