Neil McCorkell

Neil Thomas McCorkell (23 March 1912 — 28 February 2013) was an English first-class cricketer. A successor as Hampshire wicket-keeper to George Brown, McCorkell made his debut in first-class cricket in 1932. He played for Hampshire either side of the Second World War, with distinction as both a wicket-keeper and opening batsman. In 396 first-class matches, he scored over 16,000 runs and made 717 dismissals behind the stumps. He was Hampshire's most successful wicket-keeper until his records were surpassed by Bobby Parks. McCorkell never played Test cricket for England, largely due to the concurrent careers of the Kent wicket-keeping duo Les Ames and Godfrey Evans.

After his first-class career came to an end in 1951, McCorkell emigrated to South Africa to take up an appointment as a coach at Parktown Boys' High School in Johannesburg. In March 2012, he became the second Hampshire cricketer after Edward English to reach 100 years of age. McCorkell lived in South Africa until his death in February 2013.

Early life McCorkell was born in March 1912, at White Hart Lane (today White Hart Road) in Old Portsmouth. He was educated at the Portsmouth Town School, where he began to play cricket, With little coaching, he played for various church sides across Portsmouth and was selected to represent a Portsmouth District XI against a visiting Hampshire Club and Ground side, where his wicket-keeping caught the eye. earmarking him as a replacement for George Brown. By 1935, his batting had developed to the extent that he was regularly opening the batting, he made two centuries in a week home and away against Lancashire, with scores of 150 and 154 not out respectively. He only came to prominence towards the end of the tour, having missed out on selection for the five unofficial-Tests against India. He instead worked as a firefighter at the Vickers factory in Newbury, Berkshire. Like so many other cricketers, he lost six of his prime playing years due to the war.

McCorkell left Hampshire at the end of the 1951 season, to take up a coaching appointment in South Africa. For his final match against Sussex, he was appointed captain, but the occasion was ruined by rain which curtailed the match to just 68 overs in Hampshire's first innings. In 383 first-class matches for Hampshire, McCorkell scored 15,833 runs at an average of 25.87, with seventeen centuries and 76 half centuries. becoming the second Hampshire cricketer after Edward English to reach the landmark, McCorkell died at Uvongo on 28 February 2013, at age 100. He was predeceased by his wife and had one surviving son. Prior to his death, he was the second-oldest English first-class cricketer, behind Cyril Perkins (1911–2013).