The younger of two cricketing brothers from Manton near Worksop, Harry Winrow played for Nottinghamshire in two seasons before WWII. After wartime service with the RAF (in which he attained the rank of sergeant) Winrow rejoined Notts for the
1946 season and stayed for a further six seasons.
A left-hand bat and a bowler of slow left-arm orthodox spin, Harry made his First-Class debut at the most illustrious of grounds, against Middlesex at Lord’s in 1938, and represented Notts in nine matches that season. The following year, cricket was somewhat curtailed and he played in four games. Resuming after the war, he had his best season – and best figures – in 1947; in the match against Kent he made 140no and shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 244 with Tom Reddick. Winrow went even better versus Derbyshire at Trent Bridge, going on to his highest innings, 204no, and another huge stand - then a sixth wicket record for the county - of 303 with Peter Harvey.
At that time the two brothers each held a partnership record for Notts with Bob Winrow sharing 220 with George Heane for the eighth wicket v Somerset in 1935. Though Harry's record was eventially surpassed - Kevin Petiersen and John Morris making 372 against Derbyshire in 2001 - Bob's still stands.
Harry Winrow finished the 1947 season with a batting average of 44.70 and for the first time scored more than 1,000 runs. His slow left arm bowling, though expensive, provided the only support to the opening attack of Butler and Jepson that season; this was also his peak for wickets, taking 58 (more than half his career total) at 38.79, with a best of 6-65 and two five-wicket hauls.
In all, he played 113 First-Class matches between 1938 and 1951, scored 4,769 runs, with five ‘tons’ and that one double century; he took 95 wickets at 42.20.
With these figures, Harry Winrow might be been expected to have a longer county cricket career but was, according to the late Peter Wynne-Thomas (supported by contemporary reports) held back by his poor fielding, for instance in 1950 he took just three catches in the outfield and by all accounts had a poor throwing arm.
After retiring from playing, Harry Winrow emigrated to South Africa where he stood as an umpire in the Currie Cup competition and other First-Class games. He was based at East London, where he owned a shoe shop, and in addition to his umpiring, served as president of the Border Umpires Association and an executive member of the Border Cricket Union.
He returned to England during the summers of 1953 to 1956 to play cricket for Ind Coope brewery at Burton-on-Trent, and in 1953 he scored 219 for Ind Coope out of a total of 404 in the Breweries Cup Final at Burton.
He was born Frederick Henry Winrow on 17 January 1916 and died in East London, South Africa, on 19 August 1973.
January 2023
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 367
See Harry Winrow's career stats here