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Two questions now:
Is WK Pearce the player (1920s) the same man as WK Pearce the Chairman?
Did Alan Wassell play at Lord’s in the 1980 Cup Final for Gosport v Moseley
Pink, Alfred (Pre ‘95) born Portsmouth 1.6.1853, died Portsmouth 12.1.1931. He played one first-class match for Hampshire v Somerset at Taunton in 1885, scoring 15 & top-score of 39, and taking 1-15. He is recorded as playing one further match in 1886 v Norfolk, after Hampshire lost their first-class status.
Pitman Raymond Walter Charles (‘Ray’) (331) born Bartley, Hants 21.2.1933, died Debighshire, Wales 5.6.1998. Batsman Pitman played in 50 first-class matches for Hampshire from 1954-1959, scoring 926 runs at 13.61 with one half-century, 77 v Derbyshire at Bournemouth in 1958. He took one wicket. In the 1960s he played in Scotland.
Plowden, Sir Henry Meredyth (Pre ’95, Amateur) born Sylhet (now Bangladesh) India 26.9.1840, died Sunninghill, Berks, 8.1.1920. He played at Harrow School and Cambridge University from 1860-1863, winning his ‘blue’ in all four years, and captaining in 1862 & 1863. He played for Hampshire in one match in 1865, v Surrey, scoring 34 & 3, and taking 2-46, in an innings defeat. He played in one further first-class match, for MCC against Hampshire in 1866, when he was recorded as ‘absent’ in the first innings. From 1877-1894 he was in India as a judge at the Chief Court of the Punjab.
Pocock, Nicholas Edward Julian (378) born Venezuela 15.12.1951. During Hampshire’s title-winning season of 1973, the 21-year-old right-handed batsman Pocock played four games for their 2nd XI in the two competitions. He returned in 1975, after which he played regularly through that decade. In late August 1976, he made his first-class debut against the reigning Champions Leicestershire at Bournemouth, scoring 68 and taking a wicket as first change, following the openers Jesty and Rice. There would be just three more first-class wickets to follow, but in 127 matches he scored 3,790 runs at 23.10 with two centuries. He played in five limited-overs matches in 1977 and then after the sudden, unhappy departure of Barry Richards the following season, in the last five John Player League matches, including the game v Middlesex at Bournemouth which clinched the title. At the end of that season, Gilliat retired, and in 1979, his deputy Bob Stephenson took over, while Pocock scored his first century v Middlesex at Portsmouth. He played then with some regularity, although never certain of selection, so it was a surprise when he was handed the captaincy, and Stephenson continued as a player for most of one last season. It was a tough baptism for the new captain, with the promising David Rock walking away from his contract at the start of the season, and Hampshire’s stars Greenidge and Marshall touring with the West Indies. There were two replacements, Australian all-rounder Shaun Graf who struggled to make an impact, and the astute signing of South African Chris Smith who was the only man to pass 1,000 first-class runs, would become a very reliable batsman for the next ten years, and for good measure, brought with him a talented younger brother.
But while Smith impressed, Jesty had a poor season and Turner only a moderate one. Pocock, playing as a specialist batsman hit 874 runs at 23.62, a respectable return in his first full season, but Hampshire struggled. With the ball, Stevenson took 53 wickets at 29.96, the only regular bowler to average under 30, so it was little surprise that Hampshire finished bottom for the only time since 1905. But there were good signs in addition to Chris Smith, with youngsters Tremlett and Nicholas playing frequently and Parks and Terry appearing along with Malcolm Marshall who came back at the end of the season and helped Hampshire to their one victory. These developments and Pocock’s positive disposition would pay significant dividends in the following seasons, as Hampshire advanced to seventh in 1981 and third in 1982 & 1983. They also reached quarter-finals in 1982 & 1983, and then a semi-final at Canterbury in that latter season. Having never reached a Lord’s Final they would have hoped for success when Marshall and Tremlett each took four wickets, and dismissed Kent for 173 in their 60th over; sadly, it was not to be, as Hampshire were bowled out in the 40th over for 102. Nonetheless, Pocock had done a fine job of bringing through those younger cricketers, as well as Raj Maru and Cardigan Connor.
In 1984 when, with Greenidge and Marshall touring, Hampshire were less successful, Pocock played regularly to the end of June, and then once more in mid-July, scoring 40, while Mark Nicholas with a superb 158 took Hampshire to victory. Pocock then stood down to be replaced by the younger man to whom he handed a promising and exciting side that would enjoy regular success over the next eight seasons. After retiring, Nick Pocock worked in insurance with Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie, which seemed a perfect match to those who had followed Hampshire – and eventually he succeeded the older man as another popular Hampshire President.
Poore, Brigadier General Robert Montagu (47, Amateur) born Co. Dublin, Ireland 20.3.1866, died Bournemouth 14.7.1938. He played for Hampshire from 1898-1906, although as a professional soldier he was not regularly available, but in 1899, between 12 June (his first match of the season) and 12 August, he enjoyed a two-month period as remarkable as any ever experienced by a Hampshire player. In that time, he played in nine Championship matches and scored 1,399 runs at 116.6, with seven centuries (then a Hampshire record for a season) including 304 v Somerset at Taunton, Hampshire’s then highest innings, during which he and Wynyard added 411 for the sixth wicket, still a county record. He began the sequence with a century in both innings v Somerset at Portsmouth, the first for Hampshire anywhere, and the only instance ever on that ground. He also scored 29 & 71 for Hampshire v the Australians, and his only disappointment was that in two matches for the Gentlemen v Players he scored just 52 runs in three innings. His performances led to him being named as one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year.
Prior to this, his first-class debut was for the Europeans in India in 1892/3; three winters later he was serving in South Africa and was selected for South Africa v England in all three matches that were later designated Tests, but scored only 76 runs at 12.66. In 1898, he played a fairly full summer for Hampshire, and scored 735 runs at 28.26, including his first two county centuries – on his debut for the county he ‘carried his bat’ with 49* (of 97) at Bath. After his extraordinary summer in 1899, he returned to Army duties in South America and South Africa, and with the two South African ‘Boer’ Wars imminent, played infrequently; it was not until 1906 that he scored his next and final century for the county, age 40, making 129 v Sussex at Chichester. His final first-class matches were for the Europeans in India, in the two seasons before the First World War. He was a fine all-round sportsman and in his marvellous summer, he was also Best Man at Arms at the Royal Tournament. HS Altham (1957) described him as “a quiet, handsome man of magnificent physique … (and) essentially a fast-wicket player”. See also Jeremy Lonsdale (1992) The Army’s Grace.
Hampshire Cricket History 