Arthur Gilligan

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Arthur Gilligan : biography

23 December 1894 – 5 September 1976

At the beginning of July, Gilligan played for the Gentlemen against the Players at the Oval. In the first innings, he was struck heavily over his heart by a delivery from Frederick Pearson;Lee, p. 151. it was obvious that he was hurt, and he was out shortly afterwards. Although the Gentlemen v Players match at the Oval was less prestigious than its Lord’s counterpart and generally mattered less to participants, Gilligan chose to bat the next day and scored a century batting at number 10. Even so, the Gentlemen lost the game by six wickets. Gilligan was never again as effective a cricketer, and he later conceded that batting in the second innings was a mistake. It is likely that the strain of the innings did as much harm as the original blow, although Gibson later wrote that Gilligan’s subsequent long life suggests that he was not too badly hurt, and that it is unlikely too much damage was done. Nevertheless, Gibson concludes "there is no doubt that he was badly shaken up, and whatever the reason, the magic departed".

Gilligan played in the next Test match, without much success, and for the Gentlemen at Lord’s. The effects of the injury then forced him to rest in the following weeks and he missed the fourth Test. When he returned for the final Test, he did not take any wickets and finished the Test series with 17 wickets at an average of 18.94, placing him second in the England bowling averages behind Tate. He batted just three times in the series, scoring 77 runs at 25.66. England won the series 3–0, and although South Africa had not proved to be a strong team, several England players—including Gilligan—had impressed commentators. Gilligan continued to take wickets in the latter stages of the season, but was less successful than before his injury. At the end of the season, he had 103 wickets at 19.36 and 864 runs at 21.07.

By mid-July, Gilligan had been named as captain of the MCC team to tour Australia at the end of the English cricket season, and was expected to be one of the leading bowlers. He had, however, faced some criticism of his captaincy. Two players in the England team during the South Africa series spoke out against his tactics: Cec Parkin published a highly critical article in the press and never played for England again; George Macaulay clashed with Gilligan on the field during one Test. The consequent absence of both men from the tour substantially weakened the bowling strength of the team. Although Gilligan was generally popular for his cheerful and friendly approach, the press believed Fender to be the better captain. However, the cricket authorities at Lord’s disapproved of Fender’s unconventional tactics and approach.McKinstry, p. 226. Journalists later revealed that, at some point in the season, the selectors had first asked Frank Mann to captain, but he was unable to accept the invitation.Streeton, p. 138.

Style and technique

At the peak of his career, Gilligan was a fast bowler. He bowled with his arm quite low, but was very accurate; his usual strategy was to aim at the stumps or to try to induce the batsmen to edge the ball to be caught in the slips. According to his Wisden obituary, he "regarded it as a cardinal sin to bowl short". Following his injury, he could not reach his former speed and was reduced to medium pace. In this style, he continued to have some success at county level. His batting was based mainly around driving the ball. He batted low in the order, and tried to score quickly, particularly against fast bowling. Several of his centuries were scored against the most successful teams, and often in difficult situations. He excelled as a fielder; his Wisden obituary stated: "At mid-off he has had few rivals".

As a captain, Gilligan was not tactically sophisticated but was adept at inspiring his players. His Sussex teams were not consistent but became attractive to watch; under Gilligan’s direction the team ranked among the best fielding sides in England. The off side fielders were nicknamed the "ring of iron".Marshall, p. 72. His Wisden obituary stated: "In two or three seasons by his insistence on fielding and on attacking cricket and by his own superb example he raised Sussex from being nothing in particular to one of the biggest draws in England." According to The Times, Gilligan’s captaincy laid the foundations for the county’s relative success in the 1930s. In the official history of Sussex, writer Christopher Lee suggests: "The ten years from 1920 to the end of Gilligan’s captaincy in 1930 saw the blooding of some of the most famous names in Sussex and England cricket. Gilligan himself was a mixture of amateur brilliance and professional thoroughness which inevitably brought about criticism."