Tom Young (cricketer)

Archibald Young, known as "Tom", was a professional first-class cricket player who appeared for Somerset in more than 300 matches. Though a regular cricketer for a dozen years, he was frequently in poor health because of damage to his lungs during the First World War and he died at the age of 45, less than three years after his most successful cricket season.

Young, a right-handed batsman often used as an opener and a right-arm slow spin bowler, was born at Bathwick in Bath on 6 November 1890, and first appeared for Somerset in three matches in 1911, making little impact. He reappeared again in two matches in 1919, again to no great effect. In 1921, however, he was given 10 matches and made useful runs, including his first score of more than 50, an unbeaten 69 in the match against Essex at Southend, when he also took wickets that helped to win the game.

From 1922 to 1933, Young was a regular member of the Somerset side. He was, says a history of Somerset cricket, "a laconic and frail man", yet despite the damage done to his lungs in France during the First World War he missed very few games over the 12 seasons.

Initially, he played largely as a batsman, usually opening. In 1922, he made 881 runs, and in every other season he went on to more than 900 runs, passing the 1,000 runs for the season five times. His first century came in 1923 against a weak Glamorgan side at Taunton, when he put on 251 for the second wicket with Jack MacBryan, who made 148. A year later, he made 198 against Hampshire at Bath, the major contribution in what was, at that stage, Somerset's highest-ever first-class total. The innings remained Young's highest score in first-class cricket. He was picked twice to represent the professionals in Gentlemen v Players matches, once at Folkestone and once at The Oval.