Sir Pelham Warner

SIR PELHAM WARNER d1963. English test cricketer affectionately known as "Plum Warner" and "The Grand Old Man" of cricket. As a right-hand batsman, Warner played for Middlesex and England, playing 15 test matches and captaining in 10 of them, with a record of Won-4 // Lost-6. He succeeded in regaining The Ashes in 1903–04 winning the series against Australia 3-2. However he was less successful when he captained England on the tour of South Africa in 1905–06, suffering a resounding 1-4 defeat the first time England had lost to South Africa in a Test match. He was also to have captained England on the 1911–12 tour of Australia, but fell ill. Named Wisden cricketer of the year in 1904 and again in 1921. The second award marked his retirement as a county player after the 1920 season in which he captained Middlesex to the County Championship. He did not play in another first-class fixture until 1926–27, when he captained an MCC side to Argentina. After retiring as a player, he became a tour manager most notably on the infamous "Bodyline tour of Australia" in 1932–33, during which his ability to disappear at critical times was noted. He was the chairman of the England Test selectors for several years in the 1930s and later became President of the Marylebone Cricket Club. He was knighted for his services to cricket in 1937.