John Maurice Coldham (17 January 1901 – 25 July 1986) was an English schoolmaster and cricketer. Coldham was a right-handed batsman. The son of Henry Roe Coldham and his wife Katherine Maynard Coldham, he was born at Forsbrook, Staffordshire, and was educated at St Ronan's School and Repton School.[1]

John Coldham
Personal information
Full name
John Maurice Coldham
Born(1901-01-17)17 January 1901
Forsbrook, Staffordshire, England
Died25 July 1986(1986-07-25) (aged 85)
Woking, Surrey, England
BattingRight-handed
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1925Oxford University
1924Minor Counties
1924–1932Norfolk
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 2
Runs scored 73
Batting average 18.25
100s/50s –/–
Top score 40
Balls bowled
Wickets
Bowling average
5 wickets in innings
10 wickets in match
Best bowling
Catches/stumpings –/–
Source: Cricinfo, 23 May 2012

Coldham made his debut in county cricket for Norfolk against the Surrey Second XI in the 1924 Minor Counties Championship, appearing eight times for the county in that season.[2] In that same season he was selected to represent a combined Minor Counties team in a first-class match against the touring South Africans at the County Ground, Lakenham.[3] Batting first, the Minor Counties made 196 all out, with Coldham making 40 runs in the innings, before he was dismissed by Sid Pegler. The South Africans then made 149 all out in their first-innings, to which the Minor Counties then responded to in their second-innings with 272 all out, with Claude Carter dismissing him for 20 runs. The South Africans were then dismissed for 294 in their second-innings, giving the Minor Counties a famous victory by 25 runs over their Test playing opponents.[4]

The following season, while studying at The Queen's College, Oxford, Coldham made a single first-class appearance for Oxford University Cricket Club against the Army at the University Parks.[3] Batting first, the Army were dismissed for 380 all out, with Oxford University then responding in their first-innings with 282 all out, with Coldham scoring 7 runs before he was dismissed lbw by Henry Kirkwood. In their second-innings, the Army were dismissed for 200, leaving Oxford University with a target of 299 for victory. They fell narrowly short of chasing down that target, dismissed instead for 286, with Coldham scoring 26 runs before he was dismissed by Edward Armitage.[5] He continued to play minor counties cricket for Norfolk, making a total of 52 appearances for the county in the Minor Counties Championship, the last of which came against Buckinghamshire in 1932.[3]

He married Elizabeth Herbert Hamilton Oldham in May 1933, with the couple having five children.[1] He spent 21 years as a master at Sedbergh School, where he coached cricket.[6] He died at hospital in Woking, Surrey, on 25 July 1986, following a long illness.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "John Maurice Coldham 1901–1986". www.saxonlodge.net. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by John Coldham". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "First-Class Matches played by John Coldham". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Minor Counties v South Africans, 1924". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  5. ^ "Oxford University v Army, 1924". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Wisden – Obituaries in 1986". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 May 2012.

External links edit