Leonard Bates

Leonard Thomas Ashton Bates (20 March 1895 – 11 March 1971) was an English cricketer. He was a right-hand batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler who played for Warwickshire.

Len Bates

Personal information
Full name	Leonard Thomas Ashton Bates
Born	(1895-03-20)20 March 1895 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
Died	11 March 1971(1971-03-11) (aged 75) Coldwaltham, Sussex, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium-pace
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1913–1935	Warwickshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 444 Runs scored 19,380 Batting average 27.84 100s/50s 21/102 Top score 211 Balls bowled 583 Wickets 9 Bowling average 52.33 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 2/16 Catches/stumpings 161/0
Source: Cricket Archive, 2 January 2015

Born in the pavilion at Edgbaston Cricket Ground where his father, John, was head groundsman,[1] Bates would go on play 200 first-class matches at the ground scoring over 8,000 runs.[2] In total Bates represented his county 441 times between 1913 and 1935, he also made two appearances for 'The Rest' against England in 1927 and once for the Players against Gentlemen in 1925.[3]

Bates scored a total of 19,380 first-class runs at an average of 27.84, passing 1,000 runs in a season 12 times and three times passing 1,500.[4] He scored 21 centuries, two coming against Kent at Coventry in 1927, his highest was a score of 211 against Gloucestershire in 1932.[5]

After retiring as a player in 1935, he fulfilled the role of coach and head groundsman at Christ's Hospital until 1963. He died at Coldwaltham following a long and debilitating illness in which both his legs were amputated.[1]