12 Facts About Phil Mead

Charles Phillip Mead was an English first-class cricketer.

Phil Mead played as a left-handed batsman for Hampshire and England between 1905 and 1936.

Phil Mead was born at 10 Ashton Buildings, second eldest of seven children.

Phil Mead first trialled for Surrey, but qualified for Hampshire because Surrey's batting strength was such that they were unable to offer him a contract.

Phil Mead was not nearly so successful as might have been expected in Australia, but in South Africa he hit a Test century and played particularly well throughout.

Phil Mead hit his highest score of 280 not out that year against Nottinghamshire.

In 1929, affected by injury, Phil Mead declined substantially, failing to reach 2000 runs for the first time since the war.

However, despite no longer being in the front rank of English batsmen, Phil Mead was still feared for his great technical skill and reached a thousand runs every year until, at the age of forty-nine in 1936, he was not re-engaged by Hampshire.

Phil Mead's batting was not slow, but completely unhurried; a spectator once described him as having 'stone-walled' from a quarter to one to half past six for 200.

Phil Mead retained a great interest in cricket and often attended Hampshire matches at Dean Park right up to his death on 26 March 1958.

In 1907, Phil Mead signed for Southampton for one season to assist the club's reserve team as a useful inside-forward, but he had no intention of taking up football as a full-time occupation.

Phil Mead therefore played in goal in a Southern League match against West Ham United.