Bears pace ace Pritchard dies at 100

ONE of Warwickshire CCC’s greatest post-war bowlers has died at his home in New Zealand at the age of 100.

Tom Pritchard starred for the county in the decade immediately following the Second World War, having joined the club after meeting Bears batsman Tom Dollery on army service during the war.

He went on to take 695 wickets at 23.32 runs apiece for Warwickshire and 818 at 23.30 apiece in all first-class cricket.

His best year at Edgbaston came in 1948 when he took 166 wickets (average 17.93).

Only Eric Hollies, with 180 wickets in 1946, ever took more wickets in a season for Warwickshire.

But it was as much more than a fine cricketer that Tom will always be remembered at Edgbaston.

His nickname as a bowler of high pace – the Kaupokonui Terror – was laced with irony as, while a fearsome prospect if you were an opposing batsman, Tom was a lovely man: kind, honest, full of integrity and always generous to others.

Keith Cook, assistant honorary secretary of Warwickshire Old County Cricketers Association, said: “All at WOCCA are very sad to hear that Tom has passed away. He really was a Warwickshire legend in the truest sense of the word.

“He was a very fine cricketer and also a lovely man who I had the pleasure of meeting on a number of occasions. Our sincerest condolences go to all his family.”