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GLOUCESTERSHIRE CRICKET SADDENED BY THE DEATH OF FORMER CAPTAIN TOM PUGH

4 February 2016

Gloucestershire Cricket is saddened to announce the death of former County Captain, Tom Pugh.

Pugh, who was educated at Eton, was a right-handed batsman who played in 80 first-class matches between 1959 and 1962, including 76 for Gloucestershire whom he captained in 1961 and 1962.  He shared a record second-wicket stand for Gloucestershire of 256 with Tom Graveney versus Derbyshire at Chesterfield in 1960, scoring 137.  In the 1960 season as a whole, he scored 1,011 runs at an average of 21.51.

At the end of the 1960 season, Pugh, whose batting according to the Daily Telegraph "hardly surpassed old Etonian standards" was controversially appointed captain of Gloucestershire.  Graveney, who he replaced, subsequently resigned from the county and joined Worcestershire.

Pugh's first season as captain in 1961 was spoilt by injury: he broke his jaw and missed 18 games.  Having ducked into a full toss from David Larter, he not only suffered a broken jaw but was also given out LBW for a duck.

In April 1962 Pugh organised a tour to Bermuda during which the county played a soccer match against the island team with Stanley Matthews guesting for Gloucestershire.  On the three-week tour the county team played ten cricket matches against local teams.

Pugh played in every match in 1962, but his batting returns were modest, and he averaged only 15 in County Championship matches.  He was surprisingly sacked from the captaincy at the end of the 1962 season despite the fact that Gloucestershire finished fourth in the table and had won 9 out of their last 15 matches.  Gloucestershire won 14 matches under Pugh's captaincy that season.

The Club sends its condolences to Tom’s Family.

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