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Full name Kenneth Ernest Palmer
Born April 22, 1937, Winchester, Hampshire
Current age 71 years 130 days
Major teams England,Somerset
Nickname Pedlar
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Other Umpire
Height
5 ft 10 in
Education Southbroom Secondary Modern, Devizes
Relations Brother - R Palmer,Son - GV Palmer
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
100
50
4s
6s
Ct
St
Tests
1
1
0
10
10
10.00
0
0
1
0
0
0
First-class
314
481
106
7771
125*
20.72
2
27
158
0
List A
24
19
5
137
35
9.78
0
0
6
0
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
Tests
1
2
378
189
1
1/113
1/189
189.00
3.00
378.0
0
0
0
First-class
314
44254
18485
866
9/57
21.34
2.50
51.1
47
5
List A
24
1335
733
34
4/26
4/26
21.55
3.29
39.2
1
0
0
Career statistics
Only Test
South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 12-17, 1965 scorecard
Test statistics
First-class span
1955 - 1969
List A span
1963 - 1969
Umpiring statistics
Test debut
England v Pakistan at Birmingham, Jun 1-5, 1978 scorecard
Last Test
England v South Africa at The Oval, Aug 18-21, 1994 scorecard
Test matches
22
Test statistics
ODI debut
England v Australia at The Oval, Jun 6, 1977 scorecard
Last ODI
England v Pakistan at Lord's, Jun 12, 2001 scorecard
ODI matches
23
ODI statistics
Profile
Ken Palmer will be best remembered as one of England's longer-serving umpires, but he also played one Test, when he was coaching in Johannesburg and was called up after a series of injuries in 1964-65. It was a chastening debut: his bowling average of 189 is the second-worst in England's Test history. In fairness, although it was a case of right place, right time, Palmer had been chosen in the England XII twice in 1963 only to be left out on the morning of the match. A stalwart allrounder for Somerset between 1955 and 1969, he was a solid middle-order batsman and fast-medium bowler. In 1961 he achieved the double - the youngest Somerset player to do so. He was appointed as an umpire in 1972, and in 31 seasons he stood in 22 Test matches and 23 one-day internationals. He was embroiled in controversy at Headingley in 1992 when he gave Graham Gooch not out when replays showed he had been run-out by two feet. The Pakistan side never forgave him as England went on to win a close match.
Martin Williamson
