Charlie Frith
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Charles Frith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
19 January 1854 Bodmin, Cornwall, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died |
3 April 1919 (aged 65) Dunedin, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting style | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling style | Right-arm medium-paced off-spin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | William Frith (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1877-78 to 1880-81 | Canterbury | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1881-82 to 1889-90 | Otago | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: Cricket Archive, 4 October 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Charlie Frith (19 January 1854 – 3 April 1919) was an English-born New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Canterbury and Otago between 1877 and 1890.
A "tall, cheery fellow with an easy, full overarm action",[1] Charlie Frith was "a right-hand medium-paced bowler, with a slight off-break. His great success as a bowler was his ability to keep a fine length ... he was able, even on a perfect wicket, to quickly wear a spot that enabled him to get work on the ball."[2] Dan Reese called him "the first great bowler in New Zealand cricket".[3]
In February 1877 he took 6 for 23 and 3 for 29 for a Canterbury XVIII against James Lillywhite's XI. In the only close match of the English team's six-week tour of New Zealand, Canterbury lost by 23 runs.[4] Some of the English players tried to persuade him to return to England and play county cricket, but he preferred to stay in New Zealand.[5] In 1877-78 Frith was part of the Canterbury XV that beat the Australians, taking the wickets of Bannerman, Horan, Bailey and Gregory.[6]
He took 6 for 34 and 4 for 29 when Canterbury beat Otago by nine wickets in 1879-80.[7] In the return match the next season, George Watson scored a record 175 for Canterbury, then Charlie's brother William took 8 for 18 in the first innings and Charlie took 7 for 25 in the second to give Canterbury victory by an innings and 232 runs.[8] In 1883-84, now playing for Otago, he took 5 for 8 in Tasmania's second innings to help Otago to an eight-wicket victory.[9] In his last first-class match, in 1889-90, he bowled unchanged throughout both innings (53.4 five-ball overs in all) to take 5 for 24 and 3 for 18 in a victory over Canterbury.[10]
He umpired four first-class matches in New Zealand between 1885 and 1900.[11] The Otago–Southland match in 1901-02 was played in his benefit, and he was presented with £51 as a result.[12]
He worked as a newspaper compositor,[13] having served his apprenticeship with the Christchurch Press.[14]
References
- ↑ Don Neely & Richard Payne, Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985, Moa, Auckland, 1986, p. 29.
- ↑ Evening Post, 8 April 1919, p. 3.
- ↑ Dan Reese, Was It All Cricket?, George Allen & Unwin, London, 1948, p. 438.
- ↑ Canterbury v James Lillywhite's XI 1876-77
- ↑ Reese, Was It All Cricket?, pp. 438-39.
- ↑ Canterbury v Australians 1877-78
- ↑ Otago v Canterbury 1879-80
- ↑ Canterbury v Otago 1880-81
- ↑ Otago v Tasmania 1883-84
- ↑ Otago v Canterbury 1889-90
- ↑ Charles Frith as Umpire
- ↑ Otago Daily Times, 8 October 1902, p. 2.
- ↑ Otago Daily Times, 4 April 1919, p. 6.
- ↑ Press, 4 April 1919, p. 7.