{{Short description|English cricketer (1907–1987)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Use British English|date=August 2012}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Lofty Herman | image = | country = England | fullname = Oswald William Herman | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|9|18|df=y}} | birth_place = Horspath, Oxfordshire, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|1987|6|24|1907|9|18|df=y}} | death_place = Southampton, Hampshire, England | heightft = | heightinch = | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm fast-medium<br>Right-arm off break | family = Bob Herman (son) | club1 = Oxfordshire | year1 = 1927 | club2 = Hampshire | year2 = {{no wrap|1929–1948}} | club3 = Wiltshire | year3 = 1950–1951 | umpire = true | fcumpired = 210 | umpfcdebutyr = 1963 | umpfclastyr = 1974 | listaumpired = 53 | umplistadebutyr = 1963 | umplistalastyr = 1971 | columns = 1 | column1 = First-class | matches1 = 322 | runs1 = 4,336 | bat avg1 = 11.08 | 100s/50s1 = –/10 | top score1 = 92 | deliveries1 = 56,468 | wickets1 = 1,045 | bowl avg1 = 27.00 | fivefor1 = 58 | tenfor1 = 6 | best bowling1 = 8/49 | catches/stumpings1 = 122/– | date = 16 April | year = 2023 | source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/lofty-herman-14166 Cricinfo }}
'''Oswald William '''"'''Lofty'''"''' Herman''' (18 September 1907 – 24 June 1987) was an English first-class cricketer and cricket umpire. Herman played county cricket either side of the Second World War for Hampshire, taking over 1,000 wickets as a right-arm fast-medium and later off break bowler, whilst also scoring over 4,000 runs. He later became an umpire, standing in over 200 first-class and 50 List A one-day matches.
==Playing career== Herman was born in September 1907 at Horspath, Oxfordshire. He played club cricket for Horspath Cricket Club as a tall right-arm fast-medium bowler,<ref name="MCM">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6662/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html|title=Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Lofty Herman|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 September 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref> and played minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire in 1927, making a single appearance against Monmouthshire in the Minor Counties Championship.<ref name="OBIT">{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228608.html|title=Wisden – Obituaries in 1987|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|accessdate=7 September 2023}}</ref> Having impressed at club level, he was recruited by Hampshire and after meeting his qualification requirements to play for the county, he made his debut in first-class cricket against Glamorgan at Swansea in the 1929 County Championship.<ref name="FCM">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6662/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Lofty Herman|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=8 September 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref> His first season at Hampshire saw Herman take 60 wickets at an average of 25.01,<ref name="HCH">{{cite web|url=https://hampshirecrickethistory.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/a-z-h9/|title=A – Z (H9)|website=hampshirecrickethistory.wordpress.com|accessdate=7 September 2023}}</ref> which included four five wicket hauls.<ref name="FCBS">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6662/f_Bowling_by_Season.html|title=First-Class Bowling in Each Season by Lofty Herman|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=8 September 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Although he was less effective in 1930, with 38 wickets, he did manage to record his career best bowling figures of 8 for 49 against Yorkshire at Bournemouth.<ref name="HCH"/> He was a consistent bowler for the remainder of the 1930s, taking over 100 wickets in a season on four occasions (1932 and 1936–38).<ref name="FCBS"/> His best season came in 1937, when he took 142 wickets at an average of 22.07 and was Hampshire's leading wicket-taker, a feat he also achieved in the previous season.<ref name="OBIT"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/0/County_Championship_1936/Hampshire_Bowling.html|title= Bowling for Hampshire County Championship 1936|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=8 September 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 1939, he left Hampshire to play in the Lancashire League for Rochdale Cricket Club, on a two-year contract.<ref>{{cite news |title=Collection for Herman |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000290/19390627/181/0010 |access-date=7 September 2023 |work=The Evening News |date=27 June 1939 |location=Portsmouth |page=10 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Herman returned to Hampshire following World War II, when Hampshire, under the captaincy of Desmond Eagar, were looking to rebuild after the war.<ref name="OBIT"/> His return was met with immediate success, with Herman taking 100 wickets in a season for the fifth time.<ref name="HCH"/> In the proceeding two seasons, he took a combined total of 112 wickets. However, with the emergence of Derek Shackleton, he found himself playing for the second eleven in 1949, and retired from first-class cricket at the end of that season.<ref name="HCH"/><ref name=retire>{{cite news |title='Lofty' Herman Leaves First Class Cricket |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000290/19490908/078/0008 |access-date=7 September 2023 |work=The Evening News |location=Portsmouth |date=8 September 1949 |page=8 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref> A tall right-arm fast-medium bowler, in the latter part of his career he took to bowling off break bowling alongside his seam bowling. Herman often did this when the pitch favoured spin bowling or when the shine was off the ball. ''Wisden'' noted that this late addition to his bowling repertoire was considerably successful.<ref name="OBIT"/> In total for Hampshire, he took 1,041 wickets at an average of 27.02; he took a five wicket haul on 58 occasions and took ten wickets in a match on six.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6662/f_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Lofty Herman|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 September 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref> {{as of|2023}}, he was Hampshire's seventh leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket. ''Wisden'' remarked that "he batted after the old-fashioned tradition of fast bowlers", as a hard-hitting lower-order batsman. In 321 matches for Hampshire, he scored 4,237 runs at a batting average of 11.09;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6662/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Lofty Herman|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 September 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref> he made ten half centuries and recorded his highest score of 92 against Leicestershire in 1948. His most successful season came in 1937, with 801 runs. Such was his success that season, ''Wisden'' considered him to close being an all-rounder.<ref name="OBIT"/> In addition to playing first-class cricket for Hampshire, Herman also made a single appearance for the Players in the Gentlemen v Players fixture at The Oval in 1932.<ref name="FCM"/>
Like many cricketers of that era, Herman also played football. Throughout the 1930s he turned out frequently for East Meon F.C. in the Waterlooville and District League at inside-left or left-half.<ref>{{cite news |title=County Cricketer's Success |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001973/19350329/352/0022 |access-date=4 October 2023 |work=Hampshire Telegraph |location=Winchester |date=29 March 1935 |page=22 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==Post-retirement== Following his retirement, he played minor counties cricket for Wiltshire in 1950 and 1951,<ref name="MCM"/> where he had become solely an off break bowler.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dodgson & Porter Dispel Hopes of Devon Victory |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000329/19500728/079/0008 |access-date=8 September 2023 |work=Western Morning News |location=Plymouth |date=28 July 1950 |page=8 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref> In retirement, he also worked as a publican,<ref name=retire/> and later as a cricket coach, including at Butlin's Filey holiday camp,<ref>{{cite news |title=Herman to play for Skegness |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004360/19520625/071/0004 |access-date=7 September 2023 |work=The Skegness News |date=25 June 1952 |page=4 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Butlins in Its Prime: Those Golden Years|last=Mason|first=Rocky|page=67|year=2013|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=05eZBQAAQBAJ|isbn= 9781291448504}}</ref> and at Harrow School,<ref>{{cite news |title=Is it a record? |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000729/19600529/247/0023 |access-date=8 September 2023 |work=The People |location=London |date=29 May 1960 |page=23 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref> and played his club cricket for Harrow Town Cricket Club in the late 1950s and early 1960s.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cricket |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002511/19590507/317/0018 |access-date=8 September 2023 |work=Harrow Observer |date=7 May 1959 |page=18 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Herman later became an umpire.<ref>{{cite news |title=Umpire bans Rhodes after he cuts up pitch |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19670518/240/0027 |access-date=7 September 2023 |work=Daily Mirror |date=18 May 1967 |page=27 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref> His club cricket at the end of the 1950s was played for Harrow Town Cricket Club. In 1963, he joined the list of first-class umpires and stood in his first match between Sussex and Worcestershire in the County Championship. He remained on the first-class umpires list until 1971, having stood in 206 first-class and 53 List A one-day matches.<ref name="FCU">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6662/Umpire_in_First-Class_Matches.html|title=Lofty Herman as Umpire in First-Class Matches|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 September 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6662/Umpire_in_List_A_Matches.html|title=Lofty Herman as Umpire in List A Matches|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=8 September 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref> After his removal from the first-class umpires list, Herman stood in four further first-class matches, three of which were in matches for Derrick Robins personal eleven in 1973 and 1974.<ref name="FCU"/>
Herman died in hospital at Southampton on 24 June 1987 after a long illness.<ref name="OBIT"/> His son, Bob, was also a first-class cricketer.<ref name="OBIT"/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Swanton |first=E. W. |authorlink=E. W. Swanton|date=1987-06-26 |title='Lofty' Herman dies at 79 |pages=27 |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-lofty-herman-dies/131593051/ |access-date=2023-09-11}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{cricinfo|id=14166}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herman, Lofty}} Category:1907 births Category:1987 deaths Category:Cricketers from Oxford Category:English cricketers Category:Oxfordshire cricketers Category:Hampshire cricketers Category:Players cricketers Category:Wiltshire cricketers Category:English cricket coaches Category:English cricket umpires Category:20th-century English sportsmen