Player profile

Full name John Wilson Russell Cooke
Born Balham, May 19, 1936
Nickname Cookie
Batting style Right-hand tailender
Bowling style Left-arm medium
Height 6 ft 1 in
Clubs Dorking, Wimbledon, Durham University, Palatinate, Western Command, Nigeria
School XI 1953 (1 match)
OC Career 1954 to 2001

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat		Inns		NO		HS		Runs		Ave		50		100		Ct		St
OCCC	130		91		27		52		1049		16.39		1		0		32		0

Bowling averages

	Overs		Mdns		Runs		Wkts		Ave		Best		5WI		SR		Econ
OCCC	1560.3		328		5039		274		18.39		6-21		17		34.2		3.2

Notes

Major Tours: Kenya 2001

Profile

It is strange that the two leading wicket-takers in OCCC history managed just nine matches in the School 1st XI between them – and Cookie's share is one of those. His OC career was also a slow starter, National Service and going to university at the age of 26 meaning that he didn’t start playing regularly until he was almost 30. Cookie, a left-armer who possessed a remarkably ugly action (his final leap as approached the wicket being compared to a parachutist landing) bowled at medium pace, relying on late inswing (he admitted that he couldn’t make the ball leave the right-hander), the occasional leg-cutter and nagging accuracy. In the late 1960s throughout the 70s, Cookie was invariably the leading wicket-taker, and by the mid-70s he shouldered almost all the burden of bowling sides out. His commitment was matched only by his longevity, and he continued to play well into the 1990s, the arm getting lower by the season to the extent that umpires at his end stood well back rather than risk being struck between their shoulder blades. His final appearance came in Kenya on the 2001 tour, 47 seasons after his debut. As a batsman he was under-rated – he spent his last few seasons opening for his club – and as a fielder he was safe rather than spectacular. He also claims that he is the only true OCCC international, having represented Nigeria in the 1960s.

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