Thomas Martin (cricketer)

{{short description|Irish cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name =

| image =

| country = Ireland

| fullname = Thomas Martin

| birth_date = 15 January 1911

| birth_place = Lisburn, Ireland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1937|12|7|1911|1|15}}

| death_place = Lisburn, Northern Ireland

| nickname =

| family = Herbie Martin (brother)

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm fast-medium

| role =

| club1 = Ireland

| year1 = 1934

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 1

| runs1 = 7

| bat avg1 = 7.00

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 7

| deliveries1 = 108

| wickets1 = 0

| bowl avg1 = –

| fivefor1 = –

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = –

| catches/stumpings1 = –/–

| date = 3 November

| year = 2018

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ireland/content/player/24438.html Cricinfo

}}

Thomas Martin (15 January 1911 – 7 December 1937) was an Irish first-class cricketer.

Martin was born in Lisburn in January 1911, where he was educated at Lisburn Intermediate School.{{cite web|url=https://www.cricketeurope.com/IRELAND/PLAYERS/373/index.shtml |title=Player profile: Thomas Martin |publisher=CricketEurope |accessdate=2018-11-03}} (Which is now The Wallace High School) After leaving secondary education, Martin went up to Queen's University Belfast. Playing his club cricket for Lisburn, as one of "Awty's Boys", a group of young cricketers coached by the Staffordshire minor counties cricketer Joe Awty. His move to Belfast saw him play his club cricket for Queen's University. A tall man, standing over six feet tall, Martin used his height to his advantage as a fast-medium bowler, able to extract good bounce and move the ball both ways. His debut for Ireland came in a minor match against Sir J Cahn's XI at Belfast in 1930.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/26/26819/Miscellaneous_Matches.html |title=Miscellaneous Matches played by Thomas Martin |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2018-11-03}} His next appearance for Ireland came in July 1934, again in a minor match, this time against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Strabane. Later in August 1934, Martin made his only appearance in first-class cricket for Ireland against the MCC at Dublin.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/26/26819/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by Thomas Martin |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2018-11-03}} As a bowler, he bowled 18 wicket-less overs in the match, which conceded 49 runs.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/15/15160.html |title=Ireland v Marylebone Cricket Club, 1934 |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2018-11-03}} Batting from the tail, Martin ended Ireland's first-innings unbeaten without scoring, while in their second innings he was dismissed without scoring by Reginald Butterworth. Outside of cricket, Martin was a schoolteacher. However, he was afflicted with tuberculosis and fought a long battle against the illness, succumbing to it in December 1937. His brother, Herbie, was also a first-class cricketer, in addition to playing rugby union.