NEWS: Gold fingers...a special jubilee for Sharpe

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Gold fingers…It is 50 years since Philip Sharpe’s 71 First Class catches for Yorkshire beat the record set by John Tunnicliffe in 1901. Left to right at the Supporters’ presentation of a framed statistical table to mark his golden Jubilee at Headingley Cricket Ground are Alan Kaye, Joan Fort, Philip, Eric Stephens (also Yorkshire County Cricket Club Members’ Committee) and John Briggs.

It is 50 years since Philip Sharpe’s 71 First Class catches for Yorkshire in 1962 beat the record set by John Tunnicliffe in 1901.

This may be the weekend to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen’s Accession to the Throne, but Yorkshire County Cricket Supporters’ Association decided to mark Philip’s own special Golden Jubilee.

Left to right at the Supporters’ presentation of a framed statistical table to Philip at Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground are Alan Kaye, Joan Fort, Philip, Eric Stephens (also Yorkshire County Cricket Club Members’ Committee) and John Briggs.

Eric said that so outstanding was Philip’s slip fielding that there was a danger of forgetting his batting. In fact, Philip had an excellent 1962 with 2,252 First Class runs and six centuries at an average of over 40 in all of his 64 First Class innings – and this in addition to his record-breaking 71 First Class catches.

Philip holds two records from his golden year of 1962:
Most catches by a Yorkshire player for the county in First Class matches - 70
Most catches by a Yorkshire player in all First Class matches - 71
* The additional catch was for the Players against the Gentlemen.

As Anthony Bradbury writes in the 2012 Yorkshire Yearbook it is a record that may last into eternity because of the reduced number of First Class matches being played.

Philip thanked the Supporters' Association for making the presentation. He said that Yorkshire had a strong fielding side in all departments in those days. He himself stood in the slips...but if Fred Trueman was at short-leg and the ball was played behind the wicket he knew who would have to chase it to the boundary.