Text taken from the Telegraph, 02/02/2002
Winston Place
WINSTON PLACE, the Lancashire batsman who has died aged 87, played for England against the West Indies in 1948, and suffered the melancholy distinction of being dropped forever by his country after scoring a century in his latest Test innings.
Place had made his reputation immediately after the Second World War, when he and Cyril Washbrook proved themselves the best opening pair in the County championship. Place scored 1,868 runs in 1946, and 2,501 (at an average of 62.52) in 1947, his best season.
That year he and Washbrook made a total of 19 centuries, and Place scored 10 of them. Against Sussex at Old Trafford they put on 350 together (Washbrook 204 not out, Place 134 not out), still the highest opening stand for Lancashire since the Second World War. Afterwards Washbrook exulted over the entertainment they had given the crowd. Place, modest to a fault, merely confided that the bowling had not been up to much.
Washbrook was always the more cocksure and flamboyant, alike as a batsman and character. Yet good judges reckoned that Place, taller than his fellow opener, and with a longer reach, was the better player on bad wickets. Sound in defence, he was also capable of delicate late cuts and graceful off drives. Occasionally, too, he would hit the bowling over the top.
His achievements in 1947 placed him in contention for the England side; and with Hutton, Washbrook, Edrich and Compton all standing down from the tour of the West Indies that winter, his place in the party was assured. It was the last time that England were rash enough to send a second-string team to the Caribbean.
Place made his international debut in the first Test at Bridgetown, Barbados, opening the batting with Jack Robertson, of Middlesex. On that occasion he mustered only a few runs, but soon afterwards he hit a fine 120 not out against Trinidad. Unluckily, in the process he strained his groin, and had to miss the second Test.
With injuries mounting, MCC sent out an SOS for Len Hutton, whose arrival meant that Place batted at No 3 for the third and fourth Tests. Both these matches were won by the West Indies. But at SabinaPark, Kingston, Jamaica, Place overcame an uncertain start to score a gallant 107 in the second innings, before the last six England wickets fell for only 20 runs.
Back in England in 1948, Place did not even play in the Test trial. As Don Bradman's Australians seized the initiative in the Ashes series, the selectors tried all manner of expedients; but there was no call for Place.
Wholly unassuming, and impeccably behaved both on and off the pitch, Place was the last man on earth to complain of neglect or unfairness. Many years later Brian Statham would describe Place's imperturbability as "an object lesson to present-day batsmen who become hysterical when given out".
Winston Place was born on December 7 1914 at Rawtenstall, near Manchester; orphaned at the age of five, he went to live with his aunt. Rawtenstall was a keen cricketing town, and the talent for games which young Winston showed at school did not go unnoticed. In 1930, still only 15, he began to play for Rawtenstall in the Lancashire League.
Place joined the ground staff at Old Trafford in 1935, but he never commanded a regular position in the county side before the Second World War. His finest hour came when Eddie Paynter was injured before the match against the West Indies in 1939. Place seized his opportunity to hit a faultless 164.
During the Second World War he worked for an engineering firm at Accrington, and played cricket for Horwich in the Bolton League.
In 1949-50 Place was a member of the Commonwealth side which toured India, Pakistan and Ceylon. He played in two of the "Tests", but failed to make much mark. He continued to represent Lancashire until 1955, exceeding 1,000 runs in a season eight times, and helping the county to share the championship with Surrey in 1950. His popularity at Old Trafford was demonstrated by his benefit in 1952, which raised the then substantial sum of £6,297.
There was never any complaint about the pressures of professional cricket from Winston Place. On the last day of his first season with Lancashire, the players were talking about what they would do in their holidays. "What about you, Winston?" someone asked. "This is the last day of my holiday," Place replied.
When Geoffrey Howard, Lancashire's secretary, had to tell him in 1955 that the club was not renewing his contract, Place broke down in tears.
He qualified as a first-class umpire, but gave up after only a year as he did not like being away from his family. Years later Place's stolid virtues as an umpire inspired Peter Tinniswood to a flight of fantasy in the sermon delivered by the Rev A K Mole-Drably in Tales From a Long Room (1981): "I am reminded here of that great and saintly Lancashire cricketer, Mr Winston Place, who on retiring from the first-class game took up umpiring. He resigned from his position, however, because such was his goodness and benevolence, he could not bear to give people out. God is rather like Winston Place."
Place returned to his native Rawtenstall, where he had a newspaper shop, and once more played for the town's cricket team. The ginger hair turned white, but remained in place, and his energy remained undiminished into old age. Latterly he was the second oldest surviving England cricketer, after Norman Mitchell-Innes, 91 days his senior.
In his three Test matches Place made 144 runs at an average of 28.90. In his first class career he played in 324 matches and scored 15,609 runs (including 36 centuries) at an average of 35.63.
Winston Place is survived by his wife Eileen, whom he married in 1940; they had two daughters, one of whom predeceased him.
© Telegraph Media Group Ltd
Winston Place (left) with Cyril Washbrook 1947