Wally Hammond inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Bristol:

Former England batsman Wally Hammond was on Saturday inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the second ODI between England and Bangladesh at the County Ground here.

The late Hammond's commemorative cap was received by the Gloucestershire CCC Chairman Tony Brown and President Rex Body from ICC Director and the ECB Chairman Giles Clarke.

Hammond was born in 1903 and is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the history of the game. He was also a decent medium-fast bowler and a great slip fielder.

He took 110 catches in his career and passed away July 1 1965.

Born in Kent, Hammond played for Gloucestershire throughout his career and played 85 Test matches, and led the team in 20 of those Tests.

He scored 22 Test centuries and averaged 58.45.

Hammond set a world record when he struck what was then the highest score in Test cricket, making 336 not out against New Zealand in Auckland in 1933, an innings that included a then-record 10 sixes.

Another of his finest Test innings came when he made 240 against Australia at Lord's in 1938.

It was a knock that included 32 boundaries. During the 1928-29 Test series in Australia he scored 905 runs at a remarkable average of 113.12 in five Test matches.

Between 1920 and 1951 he scored 50,493 first-class runs at an average of 56.10, including 167 centuries. Among those runs were 7,249 at Test level.

As a bowler, he claimed 732 first-class wickets (at an average of 30.58) including 83 in Tests and he held 819 catches in total.

"Wally Hammond was, and will remain, a legend of Gloucestershire and he is regarded not only as one of our finest ever batsmen but also as one of Englands finest performers with the bat," Brown said after receiving the cap.