George Gaukrodger

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George Gaukrodger England (Eng)

Batting style	Right-handed batsman
Bowling type	N/A (wicket-keeper)
First-class record
Matches	115
Runs scored	2,241
Batting average	16.84
100s/50s	0/7
Top score	91
Balls bowled	0
Wickets	0
Bowling average	-
5 wickets in innings	0
10 wickets in match	0
Best Bowling	-
Catches/Stumpings	168/63
First class debut: 14 May 1900 Last first class game: 4 June 1910 Source: Cricinfo

George Warrington Gaukrodger (25 November 1873 - 28 January 1963) was an English cricketer who played more than 100 times in first-class cricket for Worcestershire between 1900 and 1910; he also played once for the Players against the touring Australians in 1902.

Gaukrodger was born in Low Moor, Bradford, Yorkshire, and lived for a time in Belfast before coming to England. ^[1] He made his first-class debut against London County in May 1900, his first dismissal being the stumping of tail-ender Lionel Wells. He played a further two matches that season, and another two the following year, but it was not until 1902 that he established himself in the Worcestershire side, replacing Thomas Straw as regular wicket-keeper.

In that 1902 season, Gaukrodger played 24 times, including the aforementioned game for the Players at Harrogate; he failed twice with the bat, but pulled off two stumpings. In total he made 48 dismissals, a tally which was to remain his best, and nor did he ever surpass the 666 first-class runs he hit that year, which included 58 against the Australians at New Road.

He enjoyed another good season with the bat in 1903, once more passing 500 runs and hitting his highest first-class score when he made 91 against Lancashire in June, putting on 167 with HK Foster to drag Worcestershire from the depths of 32/4. Indeed, with the exception of last man Robert Burrows (18), Gaukrodger and Foster were the only batsmen to reach double figures in the first innings. His 37 dismissals in 1903 also contributed to a satisfactory summer.

Never again did Gaukrodger play more than 13 times in a season, but he was consistent without being exceptional behind the stumps, generally claiming 20 or 30 dismissals a season: the best summer of his later years in that regard was 1907, when he took 26 catches and made 13 stumpings. His batting, however, fell away, and only a sizeable number of not out scores saved his averages from plumbing the depths: even so, in 1906 a grand total of 82 runs from 21 innings meant he averaged below 6. One score of exactly 50 in 1904 proved to be his last half-century, although he did score an unbeaten 45 against Kent in 1908.

Gaukrodger's last first-class appearance of all was also his only match of the 1910 season, against Lancashire at Worcester. His batting was unimportant (0* in his only innings), but he did manage three dismissals, one caught and two stumped: the catch was to dismiss opener Alfred Hartley, while he stumped his fellow wicket-keeper William Worsley in the first innings, and Lancashire's captain and other opener AN Hornby in the second.

He umpired one first-class match, standing with George Bromhead at Worcestershire's game against the Philadelphians in July 1908.

Gaukrodger briefly played football at the international level, appearing for Ireland against Wales in 1894-95.

He died at the age of 60 in Low Moor, the place of his birth.