Tom Atkinson

Thomas Atkinson (27 September 1930 – 2 September 1990) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club between 1957 and 1960. He later played as a professional in Scotland and worked as a groundsman for the West of Scotland Cricket Club.

Atkinson was born at Millom in Cumberland in 1930. He is known to have played club cricket in nearby Haverigg from 1948 and first played for Cumberland County Cricket Club in 1952. He went on to play regularly for the county in the Minor Counties Championship in 1955 and between 1961 and 1964, making 25 Championship appearances for the side. Described by Wisden as a "right-arm medium-pace bowler and a useful batsman in the lower order", Atkinson was employed as a member of the ground staff at Trent Bridge in April 1956 after having impressed at a trial. He made his senior debut for Nottinghamshire in May the following season against the touring West Indians, although he did not take a wicket in the match. After five seasons in Glasgow he moved as professional to Uddingston Cricket Club, south-east of Glasgow, before returning to the West of Scotland Club in 1975 to work as the groundsman at the club's Hamilton Crescent ground.

In total, Atkinson took 116 wickets in first-class matches for Nottinghamshire, at an average of 44.45. He scored 1,127 runs with his highest score of 48 runs coming against Hampshire in 1958. He died at Glasgow in 1990 after having suffered a heart attack. He was aged 59.