Sydney Evershed
Sir Sydney Herbert Evershed | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Stapenhill, England |
| Died | 7 March 1937 (aged 76) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Cricketer |
| Known for | Brewing, Derbyshire cricket captain |
Sir Sydney Herbert Evershed (13 January 1861 – 7 March 1937) was an English entrepreneur in brewing and a first-class cricketer who represented Derbyshire between 1880 and 1901. He held the position of club captain from 1891 until 1898.
Originating from Stapenhill, he was the son of brewer and Member of Parliament Sydney Evershed. His education took place at Clifton College, after which he played cricket for Burton on Trent and Staffordshire prior to joining Derbyshire. Evershed made his Derbyshire debut in 1880, experienced a short break in 1882, but continued playing through the mid-1880s. A significant bowling achievement includes taking 5 wickets for 19 runs against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1883. Although Derbyshire lost its first-class status in 1887, Evershed remained involved and was appointed captain in 1891.
During his captaincy, Derbyshire reclaimed first-class status in 1894, finishing fifth in the County Championship with Evershed as a prominent opening batsman alongside Levi Wright. The following seasons brought varied results, including a notable draw against the touring Australians in 1896, featuring several established Test cricketers. Despite Derbyshire ending up last without a single victory in 1897, Evershed sustained commendable individual performances until his final year as captain in 1898, which saw Derbyshire set a record team total of 645 against Hampshire. He continued to appear intermittently until his last first-class appearance in 1901.
As a right-handed batsman, Evershed maintained a career batting average of 24.70 across 129 innings in 76 matches, amassing four centuries and accumulating 3,137 runs. His bowling style was right-arm medium pace, with all five of his wickets taken during one innings, achieving best figures of 5 for 19.
After the passing of his father in 1903, Evershed took over management of the family brewing enterprise, Marston Thompson and Evershed. He also held the role of President of Derbyshire County Cricket Club during the early decades of the twentieth century, fulfilled duties as a Justice of the Peace, and served as chairman of Burton Infirmary. In recognition of his contributions to Burton-on-Trent, he was knighted in 1929. He passed away at the age of 76 in Burton.
Cricketing talent ran in his family; several relatives played first-class cricket including brothers Edward Evershed, Wallis Evershed, Frank Evershed, cousin Geoffrey Bell, and ancestor William Evershed. His son Herbert gained prominence as an aviation pioneer.