Whiz Morris

Harold Marsh "Whiz" Morris (16 April 1898 – 18 November 1984) was an English amateur cricketer. He played for Essex between 1919 and 1932 and was captain of the team between 1929 and 1932.[1]

Whiz Morris

Personal information
Full name	Harold Marsh Morris
Born	(1898-04-16)16 April 1898 Wanstead, Essex, England
Died	18 November 1984(1984-11-18) (aged 86) Brighton, Sussex, England
Nickname	Whiz
Batting	Right-handed
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1919–1932	Essex
Career statistics
Competition FC Matches 246 Runs scored 7086 Batting average 19.52 100s/50s 3/34 Top score 166 Balls bowled 1439 Wickets 16 Bowling average 55.43 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 2/16 Catches/stumpings 80/0
Source: Cricinfo, 21 July 2013

Morris was educated at Repton School, where he captained the First XI, and Cambridge University, where he was unable to find a place in the cricket team.[2] He was a regular member of the Essex side in the 1920s, batting usefully and fielding superbly.[2] In 1927 he scored 143 against Somerset[3] and, a couple of weeks later, 166 against Hampshire, when he added 233 in 140 minutes for the fourth wicket with Jack Russell.[2]

Although Morris played only three matches in 1928, the Essex committee chose him to captain the team for the 1929 season, replacing Johnny Douglas. The 46-year-old Douglas opposed the appointment on the grounds that Morris was unqualified both as a cricketer and a captain, but Morris captained the team with reasonable success for the next three seasons.[2] In 1930 the county finished sixth in the County Championship, owing in part to the "infectious enthusiasm" of Morris's captaincy.[4] Although he was appointed captain for the 1932 season he was unavailable for all but two matches, and resigned the captaincy. His Wisden obituary described him as a batsman as "a good stylist, who drove and cut well, [who] looked at his best capable of more than he in fact accomplished".[2]