The 300 Club: Harold Gimblett
When Tom Abell raised his bat to acknowledge the adulation of the Taunton faithful against Surrey in September, he became only the eighth player to have scored a First Class triple hundred for Somerset.
Over the next few months, we will be taking a closer look at the other seven players who make up the exclusive membership of Somerset’s 300 Club.
The first Somerset player to make a triple century was Harold Gimblett.
The closest anyone had come to reaching the 300-mark was when Lionel Palairet scored 292 against Hampshire in 1896. The Club would have to wait another 52 years before Gimblett achieved the mammoth feat against Sussex.
Born in Bicknoller in 1914, Harold’s entry into the First Class cricket arena is the stuff of cricket legend.
Following a two-week trial with Somerset in 1935, he was informed that he wasn’t quite what the Club were looking for. He was about to set off for home when he was called back and told that Somerset were a player short for their game against Essex at Frome the next morning and that he would play.
On the morning in question, he missed the 6am bus to Bridgwater but was fortunate enough to secure a ride to the game from a lorry driver. After eventually reaching Frome, he arrived at the crease with Somerset on 107 for six. He proceeded to hit what turned out to be a match winning innings of 123.
The venue for Somerset’s first triple century was The Saffrons, Eastbourne.
Sussex were the hosts for this three-day County Championship match in August 1948.
After winning the toss, Sussex Captain, Hugh Bartlett elected to bat first. By the close of the opening day of the match, the hosts had reached 266 for four with James Langridge unbeaten on 40.
On day two, Langridge went on to make 100 as Sussex declared on 434 for nine. Horace Hazell was the pick of the Somerset attack, claiming five for 82.
Opening the Somerset innings, Gimblett had eased his way to 152 not out as Somerset finished the second day with the scoreboard showing 259 for three.
Runs continued to flow for the man from Bicknoller and he passed his previous best of 231 on his way to reaching an incredible 310.
His innings spanned 465 minutes and included 37 fours and two sixes.
During his time in the middle he shared a fifth wicket stand of 209 with Miles Coope (89), and Sussex used no fewer than eight bowlers in a bid to try and extract him from the crease.
The Somerset declaration eventually came at 584 for eight.
By the close of the third and final day, Sussex had reached 79 for two in their second innings. The game ended in a draw with Somerset claiming four points and Sussex none.
Regardless of the result, the game will go down in history as the match which saw the first entry into the Somerset 300 Club.
Gimblett continued to play for Somerset until 1954 when he retired.
During his career he scored a total of 21,142 First Class runs, including 49 centuries at an average of 39.96. He also represented England in three Test matches.
He remains Somerset’s highest ever First Class run scorer.
