| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ronald Wilfred Coventry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 29 May 1928 Hartley, Rhodesia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Left-arm fast-medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1953-54 to 1957-58 | Rhodesia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Cricinfo, 9 August 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ronald Wilfred Coventry (born 29 May 1928) is a former cricketer who played first-class cricket for Rhodesia from 1953 to 1958.
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a 20-metre (22-yard) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striking the ball bowled at the wicket with the bat, while the bowling and fielding side tries to prevent this and dismiss each player. Means of dismissal include being bowled, when the ball hits the stumps and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side catching the ball after it is hit by the bat, but before it hits the ground. When ten players have been dismissed, the innings ends and the teams swap roles. The game is adjudicated by two umpires, aided by a third umpire and match referee in international matches. They communicate with two off-field scorers who record the match's statistical information.
First-class cricket is an official classification of the highest-standard international or domestic matches in the sport of cricket. A first-class match is of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officially adjudged to be worthy of the status by virtue of the standard of the competing teams. Matches must allow for the teams to play two innings each although, in practice, a team might play only one innings or none at all.
The Rhodesia cricket team played first-class cricket and represented originally the British colony of Southern Rhodesia and later the unilaterally independent state of Rhodesia which became Zimbabwe. In 1980 the Rhodesia cricket team was renamed as the Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Cricket team, and in 1981 it adopted its current name of the Zimbabwe national cricket team.
Coventry was an all-rounder, who batted at various positions in the order and often opened the bowling. He wore spectacles while playing. He made his first-class debut against the touring New Zealanders in 1953-54. [1] In the second innings he made a quick 63, including 24 off one over from John Reid, playing shots that Reid thought resembled tennis, rather than cricket, shots. "I didn't know where to bowl," Reid admitted. [2]
The New Zealand national cricket team toured South Africa from October 1953 to February 1954 and played a five match Test series against the South Africa national cricket team. South Africa won the Test series 4–0. South Africa were captained by Jack Cheetham and New Zealand by Geoff Rabone.
John Richard Reid is a former New Zealand cricketer who captained New Zealand in 34 Test matches. He was the country's first cricketing leader to achieve victory, both at home against the West Indies in 1956 and the first away win, against South Africa in 1962.
Coventry's best season was 1955-56, when he scored 213 runs for Rhodesia at an average of 30.42, [3] including his highest score of 94 against Orange Free State, [4] and took 16 wickets at 20.31. [5] Rhodesia won the Currie Cup B Section title, winning all six of their matches.
According to CricketArchive he is still alive as of November 2019, but according to Cricinfo, he is "presumed dead". [6] [7]
