Profiled
by Peter Redding (Huddersfield University – 2006)
Golcar
1882-1897
Thomas Hanson is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers ever to play for Golcar. He possessed Glenn McGrath-like accuracy in the late-nineteenth century, superbly illustrated by his spell of 5 for 11 against Honley, which included seven successive maidens. During his career he also formed one of the most potent bowling partnerships with Peter Pullen, the man who once took 6 for 2 against Lascelles Hall.
Hanson began his Golcar career in 1882 and continued to probe away in “the corridor of uncertainty” for 15 seasons, where he won the Huddersfield League bowling prize in his first three seasons at the club and continued to produce amazing performances thereafter, his best figures being a remarkable spell of 7 for 7 against Huddersfield United.
With Hanson leading the attack Golcar often ripped through opposition for low totals. They bowled out Slaithwaite for 63, Lascelles Hall for 10 and Honley for 17. Hanson took figures of 6 for 16, 4 for 4, and 5 for 11 respectively in these matches. The game against Honley was best remembered for the extremely rare occurrence that denied Hanson of a hat-trick, having taken wickets with his previous two balls, he was denied a hat-trick when the ball passed through the stumps without dislodging a bail !
As well as being a bowler with metronomic accuracy, Hanson was also a handy batsman, as highlighted by his performances on the Whitsuntide weekend of 1888, when he made scores of 59 against Saddleworth on the Saturday, and then 62 against Honley on the Tuesday. Sandwiched in between this was a hat-trick against Almondbury on the Monday (no cricket was played on Sundays at the time).
Hanson called time on his career in 1897 and he is described as “one of the greatest bowlers ever to play for Golcar” in a 1931 article in the Huddersfield Examiner marking the 60th anniversary of Golcar CC.
An accurate bowler, he once conceded six runs…and then took six wickets against Broad Oak without a further run being added to his bowling figures. Batsmen couldn’t leave too many balls when Thomas Hanson was bowling.