Edward Gothard

{{short description|English cricketer}}

{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Edward Gothard

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Edward James Gothard

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1904|10|1|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Burton upon Trent, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1979|1|17|1904|10|1|df=yes}}

| death_place = Birmingham, England

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm medium

| role =

| club1 = Derbyshire

| year1 = {{nowrap|1947–1948}}

| type1 = FC

| debutdate1 = 31 May

| debutyear1 = 1947

| debutfor1 = Derbyshire

| debutagainst1 = Northamptonshire

| lastdate1 = 18 August

| lastyear1 = 1948

| lastfor1 = Derbyshire

| lastagainst1 = Essex

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 45

| runs1 = 543

| bat avg1 = 12.34

| 100s/50s1 = 0/1

| top score1 = 50

| deliveries1 = 1,136

| wickets1 = 18

| bowl avg1 = 40.55

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 3/84

| catches/stumpings1 = 10/–

| date = 16 February

| year = 2010

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29718/29718.html CricketArchive

}}

Edward James Gothard OBE, MBE, TD (1 October 1904 – 17 January 1979) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Derbyshire in 1947 and 1948 and captained the side in both years.

Gothard was born in Burton-on-Trent, the son of William Henry Gothard who played cricket for Staffordshire. Gothard himself represented Staffordshire in the Minor Counties Championship in 1927. He was an able rugby player but as a result of injury took to playing hockey instead. He was captain of Burton Hockey Club from 1933 to 1939.{{Cite web |url=http://www.burtonhockeyclub.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=238&Itemid=243 |title=Burton Hockey Club – History of the Club |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=29 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129140527/http://www.burtonhockeyclub.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=238&Itemid=243 |url-status=dead }} During the Second World War he played four cricket matches for Nottinghamshire in 1943. He was captain of Burton Hockey Club again from 1946 to 1947, and was a regular player for the club after the war. He played hockey for Derbyshire 30 times and was a trialist for the "Midlands".

Gothard became cricket captain for Derbyshire in the 1947 season and made his first-class debut at the age of 42 at the end of May against Northamptonshire. An innings victory marked the start of a good run for the Derbyshire team. Gothard was a strict disciplinarian,Adrian Smith, Dilwyn Porter, Amateurs and Professionals in Post-war British Sport, Frank Cass, 2000. and they finished in fifth place in the 1947 County Championship. Against Middlesex Gothard took a hat-trick, including the wicket of Bill Edrich, one of the season's top scorers.[http://bygonederbyshire.co.uk/articles/Derbyshire_cricket's_summer_of_'47 Bygone Derbyshire – Derbyshire's cricket summer of 1947] During the 1948 season, Gothard clean bowled Don Bradman at Derby. At the end of the 1948 season, when Derbyshire finished sixth, he retired from first-class cricket. Gothard was a right-arm medium-pace bowler who took 18 first-class wickets at an average of 40.55 and a best performance of 3–84. He was a right-handed batsman who batted in the lower-order. He played 63 innings in 45 first-class matches with one half-century and an average of 12.34.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29718/29718.html Edward Gothard at Cricket Archive]

Gothard was later secretary and treasurer of the club.[http://www.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228571.html Wisden Obituaries 1979] He died in Birmingham at the age of 74.

Gothard's son, Squadron Leader Edward Leigh Gothard, MBE,1986 Birthday Honours{{Circular reference|date=February 2018}} played first class cricket for both the Royal Air Force and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).