On the 13 June, 1879, the elegant English batsman, George Gunn, was born in Hucknall Torkard, Nottinghamshire.
George first joined the Trent Bridge staff in 1898. He was professional for the Holloway Sanitorium CC in 1900 and 1901, before rejoining the Nottinghamshire staff in 1902. He made his first-class debut in 1902 against Surrey, and in 1919 scored the most runs ever made by a Nottinghamshire player in a single game against Surrey at the time, scoring 169 and 185 not out.
Gunn paid little attention to compiling high scores, but in 1928 he overtook Arthur Shrewsbury’s record for the most centuries made in Nottinghamshire first-class matches. Gunn’s total at the close of his career stood at 55.
Gunn served as a member of the Nottinghamshire Committee (1945-1955), and became the Club’s a Honorary Vice-President in 1955.
Gunn played in 15 Tests (1907 to 1930), alongside other notable batsmen such as Jack Hobbs, Frank Woolley, and Phil Mead. Gunn was one of a group of players who began their first-class careers in the Edwardian Era, which seemed to go on for ever. In Gunn’s case, it was from 1902 to 1932, during which he made more runs for Nottinghamshire than anyone else, before or since, 31,592 at an average of 35.70.
His first-class career was brought to a close in 1932, as the result of an injury he received whilst batting, his last first-class match for Nottinghamshire was against India at Trent Bridge,
His Test career was an unusual one, in which only one of his Tests was played in England. This was the Lord’s Test of 1909, in which he scored only one run in two innings. He was not selected for the 1907-1908 tour of Australia, but decided to make the trip for the ‘good of his health’. It was agreed he could be called upon if necessary, and consequently appeared in the first Test in Sydney, scoring 119 in his first innings in Test cricket, and 74 in the second innings, ensuring his place in all five Tests.
After World War 1, Gunn fell out of favour, and his final four Tests were not until 1929–1930, against the West Indies.
A member of a notable Nottinghamshire cricketing family, the younger brother of John Gunn, and a nephew of Billy Gunn, both of whom played Test cricket, and father of George Vernon Gunn.
He scored 164 not out on his fiftieth birthday at Worcester, and two years later In 1931, scored 183 against Warwickshire, with his son scoring 100 not out in the same innings.
He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1914, and in 1949, and was numbered among the first group of cricketers to be elected honorary life members of the MCC.
In 1958, aged 79, George Gunn died in his sleep at his son’s house in Tyler’s Green, Cuckfield, Sussex.
13.06.2019