Billy Griffith

Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = English
country = England
country abbrev = ENG
name = Billy Griffith
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Right-hand bat
bowling style = -
tests = 3
test runs = 157
test bat avg = 31.39
test 100s/50s = 1/-
test top score = 140
test balls = -
test wickets = -
test bowl avg = -
test 5s = -
test 10s = -
test best bowling = -
test catches/stumpings = 5/-
FCs = 215
FC runs = 4846
FC bat avg = 16.42
FC 100s/50s = 3/15
FC top score = 140
FC balls = 18
FC wickets = -
FC bowl avg = -
FC 5s = -
FC 10s = -
FC best bowling = -
FC catches/stumpings = 328/80
debut date = 11 February
debut year = 1948
last date = 5 March
last year = 1949
source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/13476.html

Stewart Cathie Griffith, CBE, DFC, TD (16 June 1914 - 7 April 1993), known as Billy Griffith, was an English cricketer and cricket administrator.

Griffith was born in Wandsworth and educated at Dulwich and Cambridge. He scored over 1,200 runs during four years in the 1st XI at Dulwich, despite being in the shadow of the brilliant H.T. Bartlett and he became a capable wicketkeeper. He won his blue in his second year at Cambridge. He toured Australia and New Zealand with the MCC under Errol Holmes's captaincy in (1935/1936 - 1936/1937). He lost his Cambridge place to Paul Gibb in 1937.

He played first class cricket for Cambridge University (1934 - 1936), Surrey (1934), MCC (1935/1936 - 1953), Sussex (1937 - 1954) and England (1947/1948 - 1948/1949).

After graduating from Cambridge, he returned to Dulwich as cricket master and he became the first choice wicketkeeper for Sussex in 1939.

He was commissioned into the Officers Training Corps in 1938 and transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps in 1939. He later served in the Glider Pilot Regiment with Hugh Bartlett. As second-in-command he carried the commander of the 6th Airborne Division, Major-General "Windy" Gale into Normandy, crash landing after being caught in a storm. He took part in the Battle of Arnhem and won the Distinguished Flying Cross. He remained in the Territorial Army after the war, reaching the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

He was appointed captain-secretary of Sussex in 1946. Although he relinquished the captaincy after one year, his wicket keeping form earned him selection for the MCC tour of the West Indies in 1947/1948. He was promoted to open the innings in the Second Test, because three leading batsmen were unfit. He played an epic innings of 140, which took six hours. He toured South Africa (under F.G.Mann) in 1948/1949 and played in the final two Tests, before retiring to take up an appointment as the cricket correspondent of "The Sunday Times". After two years in this role, he was appointed by the MCC in 1952 as one of two assistant secretaries to Ronnie Aird at Lord's.

He succeeded Ronnie Aird as the Secretary of the MCC in 1962and he oversaw the abolition of the amateur status, the introduction of one-day cricket, the creation of the Test and County Cricket Board, the Cricket Council and the D'Oliveira Affair.

He was a gentleman of enormous natural charm, who was popular throughout the cricket world. He retired in 1974 and he later served as Chairman of the Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Club. His son Mike Griffith also captained Sussex. Billy Griffith died following a long illness in 1993, aged 78.

References

*cricinfo|ref=england/content/player/13476.html
* [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/0/819/819.html Statistical summary] from CricketArchive