George Nichols (cricketer)
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | George Benjamin Nichols | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
14 June 1862 Fishponds, Bristol, England |
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| Died | 19 June 1911 (aged 49) Dublin, Ireland |
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| Batting style | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling style | Right-arm fast-medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1883–1885 | Gloucestershire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1886–1899 | Somerset | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First-class debut | 28 May 1883 Gloucestershire v Middlesex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last First-class | 7 August 1899 Somerset v Middlesex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: CricketArchive, 6 December 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
George Benjamin Nichols (born 14 June 1862, Fishponds, Bristol, died 19 February 1911, Dublin, Ireland) was a professional first-class cricketer who played 134 matches for Somerset, after starting his career with five first-class appearances for Gloucestershire. He was a key part of the Somerset team that won the 'Second-class County Championship' in 1890 by winning twelve of their thirteen matches, tying the other with Middlesex. A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler, he was known for being able to bowl long, accurate spells.
Nichols began his career at Gloucestershire, taking just three wickets as part of a bowling attack dominated by W. G. Grace. His five first-class matches for the county came over three seasons and in 1886 he moved to bordering Somerset. Somerset had just lost their first-class status, having failed to arrange a sufficient number of matches against other first-class counties in 1885. Having customarily batted as part of the tail for Gloucestershire, Nichols opened the batting alongside fellow professional Albert Clapp on his first recorded appearance for Somerset in July 1886. A highlight for Nichols during these early years at Somerset was his 6/30 during the 1887 match against Hampshire. Typifying his bowling, he bowled 32.2 overs, of which 24 were maidens.
The demotion from first-class cricket in 1886 had stung the pride of Somerset, and they were determined to regain first-class status. Plans were immediately put into action to turn things around, with a nineteen-year lease taken on their ground, and a declaration from club-secretary Henry Murray-Anderdon: "There's only one way we'll do it, we must demonstrate that we are good enough." Thirteen fixtures were arranged against a variety of first-class and other second-class counties. Their first match of the season was at Lord's Cricket Ground, against a Middlesex team that was part of the inaugural official County Championship. The Middlesex side, which contained four players with Test caps, dismissed Somerset for 133 in their first-innings, Nichols one of James Phillips' seven victims. Nichols' three wickets helped to limit the Londoners to 132, giving Somerset a first-innings lead, albeit by a single run. After a second-innings in which Somerset scored 208, they had to take all ten Middlesex wickets for less than 209 to secure the win. Opening pair A E Stoddart and A J Webbe both failed to make double-figures, bowled by Nichols and Ted Tyler respectively. Nichols went on to take 5/55, and Middlesex were bowled out for 131, giving Somerset a 78 run victory.
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