Mick Morgan 1936 - 2023 RIP

 

Tall off-spinner Michael (Mick) Morgan made his first-class debut for Nottinghamshire in 1957, appeared in 61 matches over five seasons and was the County’s leading wicket-taker in 1959.

Born on 21st May 1936 in Ynyshir in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales, Morgan first appeared for the Notts Second Eleven in 1954.  His senior debut came three years later, on 15th, 17th and 18th June 1957 against Cambridge University at Trent Bridge, when he claimed 5-176 in the match. Immediately after this contest, Morgan took 23 wickets for Notts Seconds in five Minor Counties Championship fixtures which led to Morgan making his championship debut versus Derbyshire at Ilkeston on 27th, 29th and 30th July where he had figures of 3-46 and 1-40 in the drawn fixture. He remained in the Notts first-team for the remainder of the season finishing with 17 wickets @47.47 in 11 first-class appearances. In the opinion of club skipper Reg Simpson in his end of term report ’Morgan, should with experience become a very effective off-spinner’

Opportunities were limited the following year, when he took seven wickets @55.71 in his six first-class starts, but he did record the only fifty of his career scoring 56 not out against Leicestershire at Grace Road in August.

If 1959 was the most successful season of Morgan’s career, it was a poor one for his team.  For the second year running, Notts finished in last place in the County Championship and in his end of season report, the Club Chairman declared that ‘the bowling was again not up to standard.’ Morgan and John Cotton were the only two bowlers singled out for any praise.  ‘Michael Morgan, called on to do a lot of work, really earned his 88 wickets’, concluded the Chairman. Morgan sent down 873.5 overs in 27 matches that season finishing with a bowling average of 32.12. He was Notts’ leading wicket-taker and recorded his best First-Class analysis of 6-50 against Middlesex at Trent Bridge, a contest which Notts lost by 74 runs. Earlier in the season he had innings figures of 5-63 in a 7-wicket victory over Lancashire at Trent Bridge. In the last match of 1959, Notts lost by an innings and 98 runs to Kent at Folkestone, with Morgan taking 6-130 in the sole Kent innings. 

Ahead of the 1960 season, Notts signed experienced off-spinner Bryan ‘Bomber’ Wells from Gloucestershire and he took the role as the County’s premier spinner, thus reducing the opportunities for Morgan.  He played a further 17 times over the next two seasons taking 34 first-class wickets @37.14 and took his career wicket tally to 146.

Mick Morgan played his final first-class game for Nottinghamshire on 19th, 20th and 21st July 1961 against Lancashire at Southport.  He was released at the end of the season, finishing his career with 146 wickets, 60 per cent of which were taken in his standout year of 1959.

Morgan moved with his parents to the West Midlands at an early age as his father got a job in the car industry.  After he left the Notts staff in 1961 he moved back to the West Midlands where he worked for Jaguar in Coventry and played cricket for their works team. For many years he resided in Hinckley.

 

His career record for Notts is given below:

 

BATTING	M		I		NO		RUNS		HS		AV’GE		CT	ST		100		50	30		0
First-Class	61		86		16		488		56*		6.97		23	-		-		1	-		22
BOWLING		OVERS		M		RUNS		W		AV’GE		ARPO			BPW		BB			5wI
First-Class		1680.5		482		5287		146		36.21		3.14			69.07		6-50			3

 

In 40 games for Notts Seconds in the Second Eleven and Minor Counties Championships he scored 381 runs @9.29 and took 144 wickets @16.90 with best figures of 6-43 versus Leicestershire Seconds at Dale Field, Collingham in June 1961.

 

Mick Morgan died in Hinckley on 14th February 2023, aged 86 years.

Thanks to MAG for this obituary