Jack Simmons

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jack Simmons England (Eng)
Batting style	Right-handed batsman
Bowling type	Right arm off-break
	First-class	List A
Matches	450	471
Runs scored	9,417	3,421
Batting average	22.52	18.19
100s/50s	6/41	0/7
Top score	112	65
Balls bowled	67,009	21,070
Wickets	1,033	498
Bowling average	27.18	25.77
5 wickets in innings	41	5
10 wickets in match	6	N/A
Best bowling	7-59	5-17
Catches/stumpings	341/0	132/0
Debut: 21 August 1968 Last appearance: 6 September 1989 Source: CricketArchive

Jack Simmons, born at Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire, on March 28, 1941, was a cricketer who played for Lancashire and Tasmania.

Simmons was a lower-order right-hand batsman and a right-arm off break bowler who achieved almost iconic status for both the major teams that he played for. Solidly-built, he looked very little like an athlete, yet his close fielding was sharp and he remained fit into his late 40s.

A late arrival in county cricket at the age of 28^[1], Simmons then enjoyed a 20-year career in which he was an integral part of the Lancashire side, though rarely hitting the headlines. His flat bowling trajectory and his accuracy meant that he could be economical in one-day cricket, and he was part of the highly successful Lancashire side under Jack Bond that won the Gillette Cup, the premier one-day competition in England, for three years in a row from 1970 to 1972. Simmons and slow left-arm bowler David Hughes were the first pair of spin bowlers to be used regularly and successfully in one-day cricket, which had previously been the preserve of seam bowling.

In first-class cricket, Simmons reliably contributed more than 500 runs and 50 wickets in most seasons in his career^[2], and at the age of 47, he took 63 wickets in the 1988 season. The affection for "Flat Jack" in Lancashire was shown by his 1980 benefit, which raised £128,000. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1981.

In 1972-73, he was invited to Tasmania to captain the local state side, whose first-class matches were restricted to games against touring sides. In six seasons as captain, Simmons led Tasmania into full first-class status and into the Sheffield Shield competition from 1977-78.

But there was another side to Simmons. His capacity for eating pies, mushy peas, fish and chips was known across the cricketing world. One particular 'heart-attack special' was even named after him in his native county.

After half a dozen matches in the 1989 English season, Simmons retired. He has been County Chairman of Lancashire CCC since 1998 and was elected as the Chairman of Cricket for the England and Wales Cricket Board in January 2008.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Article Love affair with a single red rose by Christopher Lyles in The Daily Telegraph pN16 Issue no 47,525 (dated 22 March 2008)
2. ^ Statistical summary

Player Profile: Jack Simmons from Cricinfo