Oliver Battcock

Oliver Battcock
Personal information
Full name
Oliver Gordon Battcock
Born(1903-09-16)16 September 1903
Slough, Buckinghamshire, England
Died26 July 1970(1970-07-26) (aged 66)
Southwark, London, England
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1938–1939Marylebone Cricket Club
1925–1951Buckinghamshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 2
Runs scored 30
Batting average 30.00
100s/50s –/–
Top score 27
Balls bowled 232
Wickets 2
Bowling average 51.00
5 wickets in innings –
10 wickets in match –
Best bowling 1/10
Catches/stumpings –/–
Source: Cricinfo, 8 May 2011

Oliver Gordon Battcock (16 September 1903 – 26 September 1970) was an English cricketer, actor and producer. Battcock was a left-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born in Slough, Buckinghamshire.

Battcock made his debut for Buckinghamshire in the 1925 County Championship against the Kent Second XI. He played Minor counties cricket for Buckinghamshire from 1925 to 1939, and again from 1946 to 1951, making 115 appearances.[1]

Battcock made the first of his two first-class appearances for the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1938 against Cambridge University. His second came the following season against Oxford University at Lord's.[2] In his two first-class matches, he scored 30 runs at a batting average of 30.00, with a high score of 27.[3] With the ball he took two wickets at a bowling average of 51.00, with best figures of 1/10.[4]

As an actor, under the name Oliver Gordon, he made his West End debut in The Midshipmaid in August 1931. He subsequently played opposite such stage stars as Gerald du Maurier (in Diplomacy, 1933) and Seymour Hicks (in Vintage Wine, 1934),[5] as well as appearing in several films.[6][7] During World War II he ran the Theatre Royal, Windsor, inaugurating its longstanding tradition of lavish pantomimes. According to John Counsell, founder of the Windsor Repertory Company, he was able "for five years to maintain, in spite of the strains and stresses of man and woman power shortage, of rationing and lack of materials, an astonishingly high level of production."[8] In later years he was closely associated as director-producer with both the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham and Salisbury Playhouse; among his final credits, at Salisbury, was Widow Twankey in Aladdin (1969-70), which he also directed.[9]

He was married to Gemma Fagan, daughter of Irish actor James Bernard Fagan.[10]

He died in Southwark, London on 26 September 1970.

References

  1. ^ "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Oliver Battcock". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  2. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Oliver Battcock". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  3. ^ "First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Oliver Battcock". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  4. ^ "First-class Bowling For Each Team by Oliver Battcock". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  5. ^ 'Obituary: Oliver Gordon', The Stage, 1 October 1970, page 19.
  6. ^ Haigh, Gideon, ed. (2006). Peter the Lord's Cat: And Other Unexpected Obituaries from Wisden. London: Aurum. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-84513-163-0.
  7. ^ Razzall, Tim (2014). Chance Encounters: Tales from a Varied Life. Biteback Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-84954-820-5.
  8. ^ Curtain Up [magazine programme of the Theatre Royal, Windsor], 12-31 October 1970, page 14.
  9. ^ "Oliver Gordon | Theatricalia".
  10. ^ International Motion Picture Almanac 1937-38. New York: The Quigley Publishing Company. 1938. p. 396.