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in May 1939. Talking about why he thought he hadn't matched his success from the previous year, Wilkinson said "I don't know why but nothing really went right. The only thing I can think of is that I tried to be too perfect, particularly with the googly. I had an
England cap and as an England player
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The Second World War prevented
Wilkinson from playing first-class cricket until 1946, although he did play for the army. His 1946 season was curtailed after just one match when he injured the cartilage in his knee and had to undergo an operation. He returned to fitness in 1948 but only played two
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alongside Verity and
Goddard. He was the fifth bowler England used, turned to ahead of Goddard, and finished with match figures of 2/111. Wilkinson did not play the second Test, but played in the third and fourth, finishing with match figures of 4/115 and 1/45 respectively on pitches that were
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After the tour of South Africa, Wilkinson's 1939 season was disappointing. A hand injury prevented him from playing early on in the season. He finished the year with 63 wickets at an average of 30.85, although he did manage career best figures of 8/53 against
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considered perfect for batting. Although the selectors lost confidence in
Wilkinson's bowling after he managed seven wickets at 38.71 in Tests, he finished the tour top of the bowling averages with 44 wickets at an average of 18.86.
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matches, taking a single wicket. He retired from first-class cricket, although continued to play cricket in local leagues. He became a newsagent and died on 3 September 2002. He was married and had two sons.
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After a remarkable season in 1938, in which he took 151 wickets, Wilkinson was selected for the
England team. After 3 Tests, he was dropped. He was less successful on his return to
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In the 1938 English cricket season, his first and only full season, Wilkinson took 151 wickets in 36 games at an average of 23.28, and earned selection for
481:. In his first eight games of the season, all in May, he took only 16 wickets at an average of about 40. He improved the following month, taking his first
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and after the Second World War only played 3 more first-class matches. He continued to play in local leagues and became a newsagent.
453:. Wilkinson joined Lancashire in 1936 after trials and give up his job at a cotton mill. He made his debut in 1937 against the
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489:. He had a remarkable August in which he took 58 wickets from in the last nine games of the season. He managed 11
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524:. Despite this, Wilkinson debuted in the first Test of the series, being chosen ahead of Wright to play against
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has managed to take more wickets at a younger age (Rhodes was 20 when he took 154 wickets in 1898).
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f16192, t270: South Africa v
England. Marylebone Cricket Club in South Africa 1938/39 (4th Test)
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f16178, t269: South Africa v
England. Marylebone Cricket Club in South Africa 1938/39 (3rd Test)
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f16159, t267: South Africa v
England. Marylebone Cricket Club in South Africa 1938/39 (1st Test)
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in the season, gaining the notice of the national selectors. Wilkinson was awarded his
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399:(5 November 1916 – 3 September 2002) was an English cricketer who played in 3
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by
Lancashire in the same season. Wilkinson was 21 at the time, and only
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469:. He played 7 first-class matches in 1937, taking 22 wickets.
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On the tour, there were three more senior spinners than
Wilkinson:
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between 1937 and 1947, although his career was interrupted by the
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582:"Obituary: Len Wilkinson - Star pre-war leg-spinner"
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445:leg spin at the age of 15. He represented
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579:Hodgson, Derek (1 October 2002).
457:. In his first over, Wilkinson
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695:Retrieved on 17 December 2008.
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678:Retrieved on 17 December 2008.
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661:Retrieved on 17 December 2008.
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644:Retrieved on 18 December 2008.
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627:Retrieved on 17 December 2008.
416:Lancashire County Cricket Club
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622:Len Wilkinson Wisden obituary
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473:Success and England selection
153:22 February 1938 v
142:24 December 1938 v
16:English cricketer (1916–2002)
485:, a feat he managed against
403:from 1938 to 1939. He was a
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764:Sportspeople from Northwich
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165:Domestic team information
114:International information
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397:Leonard Litton Wilkinson
38:Leonard Litton Wilkinson
739:England Test cricketers
714:Cricinfo player profile
192:Marylebone Cricket Club
455:touring New Zealanders
749:Lancashire cricketers
596:– via Newsbank.
451:Bolton Cricket League
709:CricketArchive stats
693:, CricketArchive.com
676:, CricketArchive.com
659:, CricketArchive.com
642:, CricketArchive.com
325:5 wickets in innings
29:Personal information
543:I had to be good".
447:Heaton Cricket Club
412:first-class cricket
337:10 wickets in match
60:, Cheshire, England
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744:English cricketers
441:, Wilkinson began
79:, Cumbria, England
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491:five wicket hauls
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54:5 November 1916
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73:(aged 85)
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590:. Retrieved
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526:South Africa
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433:Early career
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348:Best bowling
155:South Africa
144:South Africa
88:Right-handed
71:(2002-09-03)
18:
734:2002 deaths
729:1916 births
522:Doug Wright
514:Tom Goddard
463:New Zealand
410:and played
238:Runs scored
212:Competition
723:Categories
551:References
467:Curly Page
368:53/–
182:Lancashire
96:Right-arm
50:1916-11-05
540:Hampshire
503:Yorkshire
483:hat-trick
465:captain,
365:0/–
361:stumpings
273:Top score
178:1937–1947
150:Last Test
98:leg break
58:Northwich
592:24 April
505:spinner
493:and two
405:leg spin
382:Source:
359:Catches/
262:100s/50s
533:Decline
449:in the
443:bowling
299:Wickets
227:Matches
188:1938/39
126:England
93:Bowling
85:Batting
520:, and
487:Sussex
459:bowled
439:seamer
408:bowler
293:14,516
287:bowled
108:Bowler
401:Tests
319:25.25
316:38.71
285:Balls
216:Tests
194:(MCC)
170:Years
594:2024
461:the
414:for
354:8/53
351:2/12
257:7.64
254:3.00
173:Team
104:Role
66:Died
44:Born
499:cap
306:282
290:573
268:0/0
265:0/0
244:321
137:306
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602:^
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559:^
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386:,
332:17
279:48
233:77
221:FC
343:3
340:0
329:0
303:7
276:2
241:3
230:3
139:)
52:)
48:(
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