[Cricket] RIP Ian Thomson

[Gwylan]

Former Sussex bowler has had his final spell - the second England seamer to die within a week

He wasn't as celebrated as Hendo was but he was a good performer for Sussex over the years - the last player for the county to take all ten in an innings.

He was slightly before my time, although I saw him in a comeback game in the early 70s but my dad really rated him

Time to have a blow, Ian

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Oh that's very sad.

Ian T took all 10 wickets in an innings in championship game at Worthing. Unfortunately I missed seeing this epic feat despite living about 400 yards from the ground.

In later years he became a supply teacher and once turned up to teach my son's class. My lad said that a 'Mr Thompson' had taught him and mentioned he played cricket. I was far more excited than he was to hear of this news!

 

[Gwylan]

I believe he was England's oldest living test player - I'm not sure who has that honour now: Ray Illingworth?

Sadly, he completes my team of Sussex players who I saw but who are no longer with us.

Richard Langridge
Alan Oakman
Ken Suttle
The Nawab of Pataudi
Graham Cooper
Tony Greig
Umer Rashid
Alan Mansell
Ian Thomson
Matthew Hobden
Don Bates
12th man Mark Faber

A decent team that

 

[GT49er]

Sad news. Happy memories of the first ever Gillette Cup matches - Sussex went right through the first two seasons unbeaten (including beating the Windies in 1963) before finally, after winning the final again in 1964, losing out to the Aussie touring team. All largely through the bowling attack of Bates and Thompson - teams just couldn't score fast against them (the rules have since changed over the number of overs a bowler can bowl, and where you can place the fielders, but still they (along with captain Ted Dexter) 'got it' as far as one day cricket was concerned before the rest of the world caught up). Well, he's gone to join his old bowling partner in crime now.

RIP, Sr - decent innings that.

 

[Weststander]

I believe he was England's oldest living test player - I'm not sure who has that honour now: Ray Illingworth?

Sadly, he completes my team of Sussex players who I saw but who are no longer with us.

Richard Langridge
Alan Oakman
Ken Suttle
The Nawab of Pataudi
Graham Cooper
Tony Greig
Umer Rashid
Alan Mansell
Ian Thomson
Matthew Hobden
Don Bates
12th man Mark Faber

A decent team that

RIP SCCC legend Ian Thomson.

Thankfully still with us are John Snow and Ted Champagne Dexter!

 

[wolfie]

I believe he was England's oldest living test player - I'm not sure who has that honour now: Ray Illingworth?

Sadly, he completes my team of Sussex players who I saw but who are no longer with us.

Richard Langridge
Alan Oakman
Ken Suttle
The Nawab of Pataudi
Graham Cooper
Tony Greig
Umer Rashid
Alan Mansell
Ian Thomson
Matthew Hobden
Don Bates
12th man Mark Faber

A decent team that

I can also remember seeing, and getting the autograph, of the Reverend David Sheppard aka the Bishop of Liverpool.

 

[wolfie]

RIP SCCC legend Ian Thomson.

Thankfully still with us are John Snow and Ted Champagne Dexter!

Not to mention my all time Sussex favourite, Jim Parks.

 

[Eeyore]

He also took a 5fer in the second innings only for Sussex to capitulate to 23 all out in the last.

That was the end for the Manor Ground. But 15 wickets in a match takes some doing regardless. I think we did unearth a picture of the match in another thread and one of NSC was present.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

What did he bowl?

He's referred to as a seamer and opened the attack, but I see one of his 10fer was a stumping.

 

[Eeyore]

What did he bowl?

He's referred to as a seamer and opened the attack, but I see one of his 10fer was a stumping.

A seam bowler.

The lbw count in that ten as well as the stumping is very telling about the state of the wicket and Terry Gunn's brilliance. Ian Thomson accredited his ability to stand up as a major factor in him taking the ten probably because batsman could not stand outside their ground.

A quick look at Cricinfo stats shows that Gunn was only playing because Parks was in the first Test against the Aussies.

Terry passed away a few months back.

I SO wish I'd been alive then.

 

[GT49er]

What did he bowl?

He's referred to as a seamer and opened the attack, but I see one of his 10fer was a stumping.

Fast medium - or perhaps not quite fast medium would be more accurate. Wicketkeepers would stand closer to the stumps to him than they would have done to Trueman, Statham and the like - and Gunn was a very good wicket keeper, so a stumping wasn't that extraordinary.

 

[Gwylan]

What did he bowl?

He's referred to as a seamer and opened the attack, but I see one of his 10fer was a stumping.

He was a seamer but not a quickie. He was probably similar to Mike Hendrick, although Hendo was probably a fraction quicker. Warks had two similar bowlers to Thomson in that game - Cartwright and Bannister

That's an impressive haul against Warks - there were seven test players in that team

 

[East Staffs Gull]

He taught me at Goldstone Junior School. RIP Ian.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Former Sussex bowler has had his final spell - the second England seamer to die within a week

He wasn't as celebrated as Hendo was but he was a good performer for Sussex over the years - the last player for the county to take all ten in an innings.

He was slightly before my time, although I saw him in a comeback game in the early 70s but my dad really rated him

Time to have a blow, Ian

He was at a care home in henfield.
My dad is a volunteer and got to know him over the past few years. He was planning to take him to the county ground last summer for lunch but lockdown and all that…... it never happened. My dad wrote this:
“Very sorry to hear this. Ian loved talking about cricket then and now. He said when he was around there was a lot of competition which held him back. He was a very popular and well liked man “.

 

[AnotherArch]

He used to do he 'hard yards' of the seam bowling whilst the faster men operated in shorter bursts. When he came on to bowl he just used to fold up his dark blue cap and stick it in his back pocket.

 

[Gwylan]

He was at a care home in henfield.
My dad is a volunteer and got to know him over the past few years. He was planning to take him to the county ground last summer for lunch but lockdown and all that…... it never happened. My dad wrote this:
“Very sorry to hear this. Ian loved talking about cricket then and now. He said when he was around there was a lot of competition which held him back. He was a very popular and well liked man “.

Good post - it's sad that he didn't get his last farewell at the County Ground (although I see that they're going to scatter his ashes there)

There was a lot of competition: when he started, he was up against Bedser,Bailey, Appleyard and Tyson at the start of his career. And then. Trueman, Statham, Loader, Shackleton and Flavell at the end. There were some fine seam bowlers around then.

A good servant for Sussex though

EDIT; The current oldest English test player is Jim Parks - making him the third Sussex player in a row to hold that honour

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

What did he bowl?

He's referred to as a seamer and opened the attack, but I see one of his 10fer was a stumping.

Probably fair to say it wasn't pies ....

 

[Robinjakarta]

Sad news. A fine bowler and Sussex player. RIP.

 

[BLOCK F]

A great servant to Sussex cricket and one of my all time favourites.
RIP Ian.

 

[BLOCK F]

Not to mention my all time Sussex favourite, Jim Parks.

Also from that era, Les Lenham who is still going strong at 85 and with his son Neil also playing for the county and now grandsons Archie and Scott on the books, there are the makings of another Sussex dynasty.