Australia
Born on 18 August, 1920 Finchley, Middlesex
Died on 3 May, 1999.
Nickname: Godders
Test debut: Against India at the Oval in 1946
Favourite Cricketers: Leslie Ames – former Kent & England wicketkeeper, Wally Hammond, Ray Lindwall, Denis Compton, Len Hutton and Don Bradman
Favourite Sportsman: Henry Cooper, the heavyweight boxer
Arguably the best wicket keeper ever, Thomas Godfrey Evans was one of the many ‘keepers from Kent who did service for England. He was also a very capable lower order batsman. During a career lasting more than a dozen years, he played 91 tests, scoring 2,439 runs at an average of 20.49 and a highest score of 104. He also held 173 catches and affected 46 stumpings, thus becoming the first wicket keeper to claim 200 test dismissals. A man of boundless energy, he took some astonishing catches during his long career at the top. He would stand up to anything less than genuine pace, and most notably to the seam and swing of fast medium bowler, Alec Bedser.
Evans was nominated Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1951 and was also awarded the CBE.
After his retirement in 1959, he worked as an advisor to Ladbrokes, the bookmakers, for fixing odds on matches.