Len Dolding
Desmond Leonard Dolding (13 December 1922 – 23 November 1954) was an English footballer and cricketer.
Born in Nundygroog, South India, Dolding served as a bomb-aimer in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.[1]
He was a footballer playing as a winger for Chelsea (27 league appearances in 1946 – 1948) and Norwich City (12 appearances). He played non-league football for Wealdstone, Dover and Margate. Played in winning Wealdstone team in Middlesex Sports Red Cross final at Wembley in 1942 – beating RAF, Uxbridge in extra time. (said to be first amateur final played at Wembley)[2]
He was on the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) staff for seven years.[1] An excellent fielder, his main claim to fame on the cricket pitch was as twelfth man for England in the Lord's Test of 1949.[1] He played only once for Middlesex, against Yorkshire in 1951, but appeared frequently for the MCC as a right-arm leg-break bowler.[1][3]
On 12 November 1954, Dolding was a passenger in a car that collided with a trolleybus standard in Wembley.[4] The car was being driven by Middlesex teammate Syd Brown. Dolding died on 23 November 1954.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "Obituaries in 1954". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. 1955. Retrieved 23 April 2024 – via ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ 100 Images of a Works Cricket Team – D.E.Coleman
- ^ "Miscellaneous Matches Played by Len Dolding (5)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "News in Brief". The Times. 13 November 1954. Retrieved 23 April 2024 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- 1922 births
- 1954 deaths
- Royal Air Force personnel of World War II
- Men's association football wingers
- Chelsea F.C. players
- Margate F.C. players
- Norwich City F.C. players
- Wealdstone F.C. players
- Middlesex cricketers
- English cricketers
- Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers
- English men's footballers
- British people in colonial India
- Road incident deaths in London
- English Football League players