Somerset Cricket Museum – Art Gallery – Oil Paintings

The Somerset Cricket Museum has many oil paintings both of famous players and it’s ground at Taunton and previously used out grounds.

Sir Viv Richards

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards KNH OBE OOC (born 7 March 1952), now retired, represented the West Indies cricket team between 1974 and 1991 and Somerset between 1974 and 1986. He was knighted for his contributions to cricket in 1999.

Artist – Michael Tarr, owned by Jeremy Leyton and on permanent loan to the Museum

Picture – Alain Lockyer

Ian Botham (in Durham colours)

Ian Terence Botham, Baron Botham, OBE (born 24 November 1955) is an English cricket commentator, member of the House of Lords, a former cricketer who has been chairman of Durham County Cricket Club since 2017 and charity fundraiser.

Artist – David Stribling

Picture – Alain Lockyer

Ian Botham

Joining Somerset at the age of 16, Ian had done well for the Second XI and he later acknowledged the help and advice he received from Somerset players Peter Robinson, Graham Burgess and Ken Palmer. He made his senior debut, aged 17, for Somerset on Sunday, 2nd September 1973.

Artist – Fiona Davies, Martock, Somerset.

Picture – Alain Lockyer

Displayed courtesy of Mrs Gemma Balfour nee Davies

Bill Alley

William Edward Alley (3 February 1919 – 26 November 2004) was a cricketer who played 400 first-class matches for New South Wales, Somerset and a Commonwealth XI. A prolific batter, in the1961 season he scored over 3000 runs. After retiring as a cricketer, Bill continued as a cricket umpire for many years.z

Artist – Phyllis Weare

Picture – Alain Lockyer

Harold Gimblett

Bicknoller was his village, Harold Gimblett was his name, Farming was his working day, but cricket was his game.

When he was but twenty and first played for Somerset, He played the mighty innings that we remember yet…….

from a poem Harold Gimblett’s Hundred by John Arlott.

Artist – John Lowe

Picture – Alain Lockyer

The Recreation Ground, Bath

Painted in the late 1940s/early 1950s. (Note -No Hampton Stand or Leisure Centre) this picture is owned by the Somerset Cricket Museum, and was on temporary loan to the Bath & Wilts Area Committee, before being returned to the Museum.

The painting is signed by the Sports and Travel Poster artist Mr Alan Durman, who died in Saltford in 1963 and confirmed by his son who was present at the match when his father painted it.

Picture – Alain Lockyer

Sir Pelham (Plum) Warner

Artist – Denise Lebreton Brown (1911–1998), restored by Michael Tarr March 2024.
Painting owned by the Somerset Cricket Museum