David Halfyard

David John Halfyard (3 April 1931 – 23 August 1996) was an English cricketer. Halfyard was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast-medium. He was born at Winchmore Hill, Middlesex.

Kent and accident

Halfyard made his first-class debut for Kent in 1956 against Cambridge University. His debut in the County Championship came in that same season against Derbyshire. A consistent seam bowler during his time at Kent, Halfyard represented the county in 185 first-class matches from 1956 to 1962. During this time, Halfyard scored 2,538 runs at a batting average of 10.44, with 2 half centuries and a high score of 79. Meanwhile, in the field he took 88 catches.^[1] But, it was with the ball that he stood out during his time at Kent. He took 769 wickets for the county at a bowling average of 24.47, with 49 five wicket hauls and 13 ten wicket hauls in a match. His best figures were 9/39 in 1957 against Glamorgan.^[2] He took over 100 wickets in a season no less than 5 times: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 and 1961.^[3] During the 1962 season, he took 98 wickets, but events consipred against him later in that season, which put paid to taking 100 wickets in a season for the 6th successive season.

During his time with Kent, he played a single first-class match for the South against the North in 1958,^[4] as well a single match for the Marylebone Cricket Club against Hampshire in 1959.^[5]

It was in 1962 that tragedy struck when he was seriously injured in a head-on collision en route to a Kent match at Clarence Park, Weston-super-Mare against Somerset. It was thought following the accident that his promising career would be cut short and that he would never play again. However, following the accident he returned to play league cricket, plus 2 matches for Kent in 1964, before quitting first-class cricket to become an umpire.

Nottinghamshire

He was claiming invalidity benefit, when attending a match in the capacity of umpire, he was spotted bowling in the nets and was astonishly signed by Nottighamshire for a trial, who then immediately offered him a 3-year contract. He is perhaps the only cricketer to retire from first-class cricket, become and umpire, then later return to first-class cricket.^[6] He made his first-class debut for Nottinghamshire against Middlesex in 1968, a season in which despite questionable fitness, he played every match. A speaker at a Hampshire Cricket Society meeting in 2006 recalled witnessing him concede just 18 runs in 12 overs in a 1968 Gillette Cup match against Worcestershire when he could barely walk. This match followed on from his debut in List A cricket which came against Lancashire in the 1st round of the 1968 Gillette Cup.

Halfyard proceeded to represent Nottinghamshire in 77 first-class matches from 1968 to 1970, with his final first-class match coming for the county against Kent.^[7] In what was a remarkable return following his accident in 1962, he scored 678 runs for the county at an average of 13.56, with a high score of 47*. With the ball his performance had dipped following his accident, but nonetheless he was a consistent bowler, taking 194 wickets an average of 30.30, with 6 five wicket hauls and best figures of 6/14. He also represented Nottinghamshire in 38 List A matches, the last of which came against Surrey in the 1970 John Player League. In his 38 matches, he scored 189 runs at an average of 7.56, with a high score of 25. In the field he took 11 catches.^[8] With the ball, he took 50 List A wickets for Nottinghamshire at an average of 25.14, with best figures of 4/19.^[9]

Minor Counties Cricket

Durham

Following the end of his first-class career, Halfyard joined Durham, then a Minor County. His debut for the county came in the 1971 Minor Counties Championship against Staffordshire. From 1971 to 1972, he represented the county in 14 Minor Counties matches, the last of which came against Cheshire. He also represented Durham in a single List A match against Oxfordshire in the 1972 Gillette Cup.^[10]

While representing Durham, he made his debut for Minor Counties North against Yorkshire in the 1972 Benson and Hedges Cup at Ropery Lane, Chester-le-Street.^[11]

Northumberland

Halfyard played for Northumberland in 1973, making his debut in the Minor Counties Championship for the county against the Yorkshire Second XI. During the 1973 season he represented the county in 12 matches, the last of which came against Durham. It was while representing the county that he played his second and final match for Minor Counties North, which came against Yorkshire in the 1973 Benson and Hedges Cup.^[12]

Cornwall

Halfyard joined Cornwall in 1974, where he made his Minor Counties Championship debut for the county against the Somserset Second XI. From 1974 to 1982, he represented the county in 27 Minor Counties matches, the last of which came against Oxfordshire.^[13] In one particular match against Devon in 1974, Halfyard took 16 of the 19 Devon wickets to fall.^[14]

Additionally, Halfyard represented the county in 2 List A matches against Oxfordshire in the 1975 Gillette Cup and Lancashire in the 1977 Gillette Cup.^[15]

Later life

Halfyard returned to the first-class umpires panel, indeed doing so while still representing Cornwall. Halfyard continued to stand as an umpire in first-class,^[16] List A^[17] and Minor Counties^[18] cricket until 1996, when his final match standing as an umpire in a county match came in a Minor Counties Championship match between Cornwall and Devon.^[19]

He was still bowling with some success in the Devon Cricket League for Tiverton Heathcoat Cricket Club weeks before his death.^[6] Halfyard died suddenly on 23 August 1996 in Northam, Devon.

Overview of career

Halfyard participated in a total of 264 first-class matches from 1956 to 1970. In these matches, he scored 3,242 runs at an average of 10.91, with 2 half centuries and a high score of 79. Meanwhile, in the field he took a combined total of 112 catches. Halfyard was able to demonstrate incredible control with the ball, both before and after his accident. In his 264 first-class matches, he took 963 wickets at an average of 25.77, with 55 five wicket hauls and 13 ten wicket hauls in a match. His best figures were 9/39.

In List A cricket, he played a total of 44 matches. In these matches he scored 228 runs at an average of 7.60, with a high score of 25. In the field he took 13 cathces. With the ball he took exactly 50 wickets at an average of 23.69, with best figures of 4/19.

References

External links

• David Halfyard at Cricinfo
• David Halfyard at CricketArchive