Today would have been former Club Captain, Chairman and President Tom Pearce OBE's 121st Birthday.
Pearce made 231 first-class appearances for Essex between 1929 and 1950, scoring 11,139 runs at an average of 33.96, including 20 centuries. He shared the captaincy between 1933 and 1938 before taking on the role outright following the Second World War. In 1950, he handed over the reins to fellow Club stalwart Doug Insole CBE.
Following his playing career, Pearce continued to serve Essex off the field before going on to become a Test selector and MCC Tour Manager. He was awarded an OBE in 1979 for his services to cricket. Tom sadly passed away in Worthing in 1994, aged 88.
Since its construction, the Tom Pearce Stand at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground has served as a lasting tribute to Tom, remaining a popular spot among Essex Cricket Members.
[Main article picture - Trevor Bailey throwing a cricket ball off the slip catching cradle to Essex teammates Dick Horsfall, Tom Wade, wicketkeeper Frank Rist, Tom Pearce and David Gray on 19 April 1949].
