Thomas Spencer (10 June 1850 – 28 November 1933) played first-class

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

for

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

in three matches between 1891 and 1893. His birthplace is not known, and he died at Bishopsteignton,

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

. Spencer's batting and bowling styles are not known and in his three first-class matches, one in 1891 and two in 1893, and all played when he was more than 40 years old, he batted as a tail-ender and did not bowl. His highest first-class score was 14, made in his first match, against

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

, for whom

George Hirst George Herbert Hirst (7 September 1871 – 10 May 1954) was a professional English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1891 and 1921, with a further appearance in 1929. One of the best all-r ...

was also making his debut. Spencer had, however, played as a middle-order batsman and as an occasional bowler in other matches for Somerset during the period up to 1891 when the team's matches were not deemed first-class. Spencer's role within Somerset County Cricket Club was wider than just as a player: a history of the club indicates that at the time of the restoration of Somerset to first-class status, Spencer was helping the club secretary, H. E. Murray-Anderdon, with the administration duties, a task he handed over when Sammy Woods was recruited as an "amateur" player in need of financial assistance in 1893. Another history refers to him as the "diffident and effective joint secretary" alongside Murray-Anderdon. As a Somerset official, he attended the meeting of the County Cricket Council in December 1890 with Somerset captain

Herbie Hewett Herbert Tremenheere Hewett (25 May 1864 – 4 March 1921) was an English amateur first-class cricketer who played for Somerset, captaining the county from 1889 to 1893, as well as Oxford University and the Marylebone Cricket Club. A battling ...

at which the council unexpectedly voted to abolish itself, opening the way for the first-class counties to increase their number by arranging fixtures between themselves, with Somerset as the first beneficiary of this loosening of the rules.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Thomas 1850 births 1933 deaths English cricketers Somerset cricketers