Dan Piachaud
{{short description|Sri Lankan cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Dan Piachaud
| image =
| country = Sri Lanka
| fullname = James Daniel Piachaud
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1937|3|1|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Colombo, Western Province,
British Ceylon
| heightft =
| heightinch =
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm off break
| international =
| club1 = Oxford University
| year1 = 1958–1961
| club2 = Hampshire
| year2 = 1960
| club3 = Marylebone Cricket Club
| year3 = 1962–1968
| columns = 1
| column1 = First-class
| matches1 = 71
| runs1 = 1,037
| bat avg1 = 12.20
| 100s/50s1 = –/–
| top score1 = 40
| deliveries1 = 12,227
| wickets1 = 205
| bowl avg1 = 24.73
| fivefor1 = 8
| tenfor1 = 1
| best bowling1 = 8/72
| catches/stumpings1 = 53/–
| date = 23 December
| year = 2009
| source = http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/49860.html Cricinfo
}}
James Daniel 'Dan' Piachaud (born 1 March 1937) is a former Sri Lankan first-class cricketer. Piachaud studied in England at the University of Oxford, where he made 52 appearances in first-class cricket — the joint-highest amount — and took nearly 150 wickets as an off break bowler. He also played county cricket for Hampshire and first-class cricket for Ceylon.
Life and first-class cricket career
The son of James Arthur Piachaud, he was born in March 1937 at Colombo in what was then British Ceylon. He was educated at St Thomas' College, before matriculating to Kelble College at the University of Oxford.{{cite book|last=Preston|first=Norman|year=1962|title=Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|edition=99|publisher=Sporting Handbooks|location=London|page=341}} There, he was a member of the Oxford University Cricket Club and made his debut in first-class cricket for the club against Gloucestershire at Oxford in 1958, with him making fifteen appearances in his debut season.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6948/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Dan Piachaud|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=19 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} In these, he took 41 wickets at an average of 20.07, with two five wicket hauls against the Free Foresters;{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6948/f_Bowling_by_Season.html|title=First-Class Bowling in Each Season by Dan Piachaud|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=19 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} his 8 for 72 in their second innings was to become his career best bowling figures.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/22/22922.html|title=Oxford University v Free Foresters, University Match 1958|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=19 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} He made the same number of appearances for Oxford University in 1959, taking 50 wickets at an average of 26.02, with three five wicket hauls. In 1960, his once again made fifteen appearances for Oxford, taking 47 wickets at an average of 22.89 and a further two five wicket hauls. Against Hampshire that season, he was struck for 28 runs off an over by Butch White, having bowled a dot ball followed by four sixes and a four.{{cite book|title=The Promise of Endless Summer|editor-last=Smith|editor-first=Martin|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=2013|page=163|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TrXWAgAAQBAJ|isbn=9781781311325}}
Despite this, his bowling performances for Oxford bought him to the attention of Hampshire, for whom he played for in the latter half of the 1960 County Championship, making twelve first-class appearances. Along with Charles Fry, he was the last amateur to be called into the Hampshire side.{{cite web|url=https://hampshirecrickethistory.wordpress.com/2018/04/07/a-z-p3/|title=A-Z P3|website=www.hampshirecrickethistory.wordpress.com|accessdate=20 September 2023}} In these, he took 29 wickets at an average of 29.31, with best figures of 4 for 62.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6948/f_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Dan Piachaud|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=20 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} He did not feature to Hampshire in 1961, but did play seven final first-class matches for Oxford University. His 52 first-class appearances for Oxford is the joint-highest, alongside Abbas Ali Baig.{{cite web|url=https://acscricket.com/wp-content/uploads/Oxford-University-Cricketers-L-R-March-2023.pdf|title=Oxford University cricketers - L to R|publisher=ACS|accessdate=20 September 2023}} He took 149 wickets for Oxford, at an average of 25.25 and took seven five wicket hauls. His tally is the fourth-highest number of wickets taken for Oxford in first-class cricket.{{cite web|url=https://acscricket.com/wp-content/uploads/Oxford-University-Cricketers-Miscellaneous-Records.pdf|title=Oxford University cricket: Miscellaneous Records|publisher=ACS|accessdate=20 September 2023}} As a batsman, he scored 926 runs at a batting average of 12.86 and a highest score of 40.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6948/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Dan Piachaud|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=20 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} Piachaud gained a blue in each of the four seasons in which he played for Oxford, by virtue of playing in The University Match against Cambridge University at Lord's. In 1961, he additionally played for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture.
Piachaud first appeared for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1962, against Cambridge University. In April 1964, he toured India with E. W. Swanton's XI, during which he played in a first-class match against a strong Indian XI at Eden Gardens. In 1966, he played a second match for the MCC against Ireland at Dublin and appeared in the same fixture in 1968. In between these matches, he played for the Free Foresters in 1968 against Oxford University. He was selected to tour England with the Ceylon team in 1968, but the tour was cancelled just before it was due to begin.{{cite book|title=The Janashakthi Book of Sri Lanka Cricket (1832–1996)|first=S. S.|last=Perera|publisher=Janashakthi Insurance|location=Colombo|date=1999|pages=320–26|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgWCAAAAMAAJ|isbn=9781851454761}} He would later represent Ceylon in one first-class cricket match, against a strong MCC side at Colombo in 1969; this marked his final first-class appearance. As an off break bowler, it was noted that he bowled particularly fast for a spin bowler, whilst utilising a skilful change of pace; coupled with a peculiar looping flight, he was said to be effective even on flat wickets.{{cite book|title=Double Century: Cricket in the Times|editor-last=Williams|editor-first=Marcus|publisher=Pavilion|date=1989|page=275|volume=2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_YEkAQAAIAAJ|isbn=9781851454761}} In his 71 appearances in first-class cricket, Piachaud took 205 wickets at an average of 24.73. As a batsman, he scored 1,037 runs at a batting average of 12.20.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/dan-piachaud-49860|title=Player profile: Dan Piachaud|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|accessdate=20 September 2023}}
In September 2018, he was one of 49 former Sri Lankan cricketers felicitated by Sri Lanka Cricket, to honour them for their services before Sri Lanka became a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).{{cite web|url=http://www.srilankacricket.lk/news/sri-lanka-cricket-to-felicitate-49-past-cricketers |title=Sri Lanka Cricket to felicitate 49 past cricketers|website=www.srilankacricket.lk|accessdate=5 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906014051/http://www.srilankacricket.lk/news/sri-lanka-cricket-to-felicitate-49-past-cricketers|archive-date=6 September 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://www.srilankacricket.lk/news/slc-launched-the-program-to-felicitate-ex-cricketers|title=SLC launched the program to felicitate ex-cricketers|website=www.srilankacricket.lk |accessdate=5 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906014108/http://www.srilankacricket.lk/news/slc-launched-the-program-to-felicitate-ex-cricketers|archive-date=6 September 2018|url-status=dead}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cricinfo|id=49860}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piachaud, Dan}}
Category:Cricketers from Colombo
Category:Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia
Category:Alumni of Keble College, Oxford
Category:Sri Lankan cricketers
Category:Oxford University cricketers
Category:Sri Lankan expatriate cricketers in England
Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers
Category:E. W. Swanton's XI cricketers