Editing David Sheppard (section)

== Cricketing career ==
Sheppard played cricket for [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]] (blue 1950, 1951 and 1952; captain 1952), [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex]] (captain 1953) and [[English cricket team|England]]. He made his Test debut against West Indies in August 1950, having scored heavily for Cambridge against the tourists earlier that summer.  He toured Australia as an [[undergraduate]] with [[Freddie Brown (cricketer)|Freddie Brown]] in [[English cricket team in Australia in 1950–51|1950–51]] without success. In 1952 he topped the English batting averages, scoring 2,262 runs at an average of 64.62, including a record 1,281 runs and 7 centuries for [[Cambridge University]]. His career total for Cambridge University, 3,545, was also a record. He hit 1,000 runs in a season six times, reaching 2,000 three times (highest 2,270, average 45.40, in 1953). He hit three double centuries, one for Sussex and two for Cambridge University (highest 239 not out for Cambridge University v Worcestershire at Worcester in 1952).

He reached his highest Test score, 119, against India at the Oval in 1952.<ref>{{cite web |title=4th Test, The Oval, Aug 14 - 19 1952, India tour of England |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-tour-of-england-1952-62273/england-vs-india-4th-test-62740/full-scorecard |website=Cricinfo |access-date=31 December 2021}}</ref>

Sussex were the runners-up in the [[County Championship]] in 1953, and Sheppard was one of the [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year]] that year. In 1954 he captained England in two Tests against [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]] in the absence of [[Len Hutton]]. He won one Test and drew the other, but the series ended in a 1–1 draw. Sheppard was a favourite with the Old Guard at Lord's, who had wanted him to captain the [[English cricket team in Australia in 1954–55|tour of Australia in 1954–55]] instead of the [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]] professional Hutton, but this came to naught. Sheppard was already progressing his clerical career and declined to tour unless required as a captain. In 1956 he was recalled to play Australia and made 113 in the Fourth Test at Old Trafford, where [[Jim Laker]] famously took 19 wickets and England won by an innings.<ref>{{cite web |title=4th Test, Manchester, Jul 26 - 31 1956, Australia tour of England |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-england-1956-61355/england-vs-australia-4th-test-62814/full-scorecard |website=Cricinfo |access-date=31 December 2021}}</ref>

He was a staunch opponent of [[apartheid]] in South Africa, and one of many signatories in a letter to ''The Times'' on 17 July 1958 opposing 'the policy of apartheid' in international sport and defending 'the principle of racial equality which is embodied in the Declaration of the Olympic Games'.<ref>Brown and Hogsbjerg, ''Apartheid is not a game'', 16.</ref> He refused to play against the touring South Africans in 1960, refused to watch the touring South Africans in 1965 and was a vocal opponent of the proposed MCC tour in 1968–69 which [[D'Oliveira affair|was ultimately cancelled]] after the South African government refused to allow [[Basil D'Oliveira]] to play. In 1970 he supported the Fair Cricket Campaign against the proposed 1970 tour of England by South African cricket team.<ref>Brown and Hogsbjerg, ''Apartheid is not a game'', 68.</ref>

{{blockquote|On top of all this we were besieged by [[clergymen]] eager to meet [[the Reverend]] David Sheppard&nbsp;... In no time at all the news in the press concerning the [[English national cricket team|England team]] centred on&nbsp;... where David Sheppard was sermonizing.
:[[Fred Trueman]]<ref>[[Fred Trueman|Trueman, Fred]] (2004) ''As It Was, The Memoirs of Fred Trueman'', Pan Books. pp. 274, 227–278. {{ISBN|140504148X}}</ref>}}

Sheppard was willing to take a [[sabbatical]] from his [[Mission (Christianity)|church mission]] in the [[East End of London|East End]] in order to tour [[English cricket team in Australia in 1962–63|Australia in 1962–63]]. His many friends at [[Lord's]] wanted him to captain the Fourth and Fifth Tests against Pakistan in 1962, but Sheppard had not played serious cricket for years. He made 112 for the [[Gentlemen v Players|Gentlemen]] and was chosen for the tour, but [[Ted Dexter]] was confirmed as captain for the remainder of the home series and the forthcoming tour of Australia. Sheppard agreed to tour and "the presence in the pulpit of David Sheppard...filled the Anglican cathedral of every state capital from Perth to Brisbane"<ref>[[E.W. Swanton|Swanton, E.W.]] (1975) ''Swanton in Australia, with MCC 1946–1975'', Fontana. p. 124. {{ISBN|0002162369}}.</ref> Sheppard made 0 and 113 in the victorious Second Test at [[Melbourne Cricket Ground|Melbourne]], but dropped two catches and was dropped himself when he was on a pair in the second innings. He ran out his captain [[Ted Dexter]], took a risky single for the winning run and was run out by [[Bill Lawry]] so that [[Ken Barrington]] had to come out to see [[Colin Cowdrey]] make the winning single. Although he held some good catches on the tour "the ones I dropped were at such vital moments",<ref name="ReferenceA"/> [[Richie Benaud]] and [[Bill Lawry]] in the Second Test and [[Neil Harvey]] in the Fourth Test off Trueman, who told him "The only time your hands are together are on Sunday".<ref>Trueman, Fred (2004) ''As It Was, The Memoirs of Fred Trueman'', Pan Books. p. 282. {{ISBN|140504148X}}</ref> This is a story that increased with the telling, another version being "Pretend it's Sunday Reverend, and keep your hands together",<ref name="ReferenceA">Freddi, Criss (1996) ''The Guinness Book of Cricket Blunders'', Guinness Publishing. pp. 168–169. {{ISBN|0851126243}}</ref> or that it was Sheppard who said "Sorry Fred, I should have kept my hands together".<ref>[[Fred Titmus|Titmus, Fred]] and Hildred, Stafford (2005) ''My Life in Cricket'', John Blake Publishing Ltd. p. 116. {{ISBN|184454124X}}</ref> One couple in Australia asked Mrs Sheppard if the Reverend could [[Infant baptism|christen]] their baby, but she advised them not to as he was bound to drop it.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Sheppard played his last Tests against New Zealand in early 1963.