Nigel Paul (cricketer)

{{short description|English cricketer (1933–2022)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2016}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Nigel Paul

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Nigel Aldridge Paul

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1933|3|31|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Surbiton, Surrey, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|8|23|1933|3|31|df=y}}

| death_place =

| heightft = 6

| heightinch = 5

| family =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Left-arm fast-medium

| role =

| club1 = Warwickshire

| year1 = 1954–1955

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 7

| runs1 = 157

| bat avg1 = 15.70

| 100s/50s1 = 0/0

| top score1 = 40

| deliveries1 = 419

| wickets1 = 3

| bowl avg1 = 65.33

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 1/5

| catches/stumpings1 = 6/–

| date = 25 October

| year = 2015

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/18798.html Cricinfo

}}

Nigel Aldridge Paul (31 March 1933 – 23 August 2022) was an English cricketer active in the 1950s, making seven appearances in first-class cricket as a batting all-rounder.

Paul was educated at Cranleigh School, where he played for the school cricket team from 1949–1951.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Players/31/31921/all_teams.html|title=Teams Nigel Paul played for|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=26 October 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.oldcranleighan.org.uk/occc/players/paul.htm|title=Player profile: Nigel Paul|publisher=www.oldcranleighan.org.uk|accessdate=26 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026052103/http://www.oldcranleighan.org.uk/occc/players/paul.htm|archive-date=26 October 2007|url-status=dead}} He made his debut in first-class cricket when he was selected to play for Warwickshire against the touring Canadians at Edgbaston in 1954.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/31/31921/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Nigel Paul|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=26 October 2015}} He made three further first-class appearances for Warwickshire in 1955, playing two university matches against Oxford and Cambridge, and once against the Combined Services, but did not feature in any County Championship matches. He played a first-class match for the Free Foresters in 1956, and followed this up with two matches at The Saffrons in 1958 for DR Jardine's XI against Oxford University and Cambridge University. In seven first-class matches, Paul scored a total of 157 runs, averaging 15.70, with a high score of 40.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/31/31921/31921.html|title=Player profile: Nigel Paul|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=26 October 2015}} As a bowler he took just 3 wickets, which came at an expensive average of 65.33 runs apiece. He was one of the tallest first-class cricketers of the time, standing nearly two metres tall, which he used when batting to hit the ball hard, and score at a fast rate which was unusual for the times. His height helped when he was bowling, generating pace which forced the batsman onto the back foot.

Paul was a leading figure within the Old Cranleighan Cricket Club, a cricket club for former pupils of Cranleigh School. Following the Second World War, the club was virtually defunct, but he re-formed the club in the mid-1950s. He was club captain from 1958–1964 and president from 1981–1985.

Paul was also an amateur golfer.{{cite web|url=https://www.ocsociety.org/cricket/2022/10/14/a-cricketing-colossus |title=A cricketing colossus |publisher=www.oldcranleighan.org.uk |date=14 October 2022 |access-date=25 January 2024}} He won the Surrey Open in 1966.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-surrey-advertiser-county-times/139518122 |newspaper=The Surrey Advertiser, County Times |title=Open sets record for county golf |date=12 August 1967 |page=20 |via=Newspapers.com}} Playing with Peter Oosterhuis he won the 1969 Whitbread professional-amateur foursomes at Pleasington.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph/139467183 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |title=Giant pair's runaway win |first=John |last=Campbell |date=30 June 1969 |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Paul died on 23 August 2022, at the age of 89.[http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/259234/paul Paul]