Name:

Pullar, Geoffrey

Nickname:

Noddy

Date of Birth:

01 Aug 1935

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Swinton, Lancs

Date Died:

26 Dec 2014

Career:

Test: 1959 - 1963
First Class: 1954 - 1970

Teams:

Lancashire (Regional)
England (Country)

Davo and Lawry get Aussies ahead (1961)

Geoff Pullar: Opened batting for first time on his Test debut

Geoff Pullar was born in Swinton, Manchester.

He went to East Oldham high school and played table tennis as a junior for England. He was mentored by old pro Cyril Washbrook and appeared at an early age in the Central Lancashire League for Werneth Cricket Club.

He was a left handed batsman who made his first class debut for Lancashire at 18 in 1954.

Having only played as a middle order batsman, Pullar was called up for his England debut at No 2 against India at Headingley in 1959. It was the first time he had ever opened the batting in first class cricket. He made 75, and the followed up with a century in his next test.

Pullar had an outstanding year in 1959. He scored 2,647 first class runs and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

Colin Cowdrey wrote in his autobiography of his “special affection” for Pullar. Pullar' highest Test score of 175 came in partnership with Cowdrey against South Africa at the Oval in 1960.

Pullar suffered a knee injury in Adelaide on the 1962/62 Ashes tour. He had surgery on the injured knee, but was then struck down by pleurisy. This ended his Test career.

Pullar scored 1,974 runs in 28 Test matches at an average of just under 44. In all first-class cricket, Pullar scored 21,528 runs at 35, with 41 hundreds

In retirement, Pullar ran a fish and chip shop. He died aged 79 on Christmas Day in 2014.

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter