Charlie Parker (cricketer)
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Charles Warrington Leonard Parker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Prestbury, Gloucestershire | 14 October 1882|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 11 July 1959 Cranleigh, Surrey | (aged 76)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Slow left-arm orthodox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Only Test | 23 July 1921 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1903–1935 | Gloucestershire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricInfo, 20 July 2021 |
Charles Warrington Leonard Parker (14 October 1882 – 11 July 1959) was an English cricketer, who stands as the third highest wicket taker in the history of first-class cricket, behind Wilfred Rhodes and Tich Freeman.[1]
Life and career
Parker paid no serious attention to cricket in his childhood, preferring to concentrate on golf. He only took to cricket around 1900 and was recommended to Gloucestershire by W. G. Grace in 1903. However, he played only twice in first-class cricket before 1907. From then on, he played regularly as a medium-paced left-hand bowler,[2] but despite several excellent performances, he was always overshadowed by George Dennett until World War I put a halt to county cricket.[3] By 1914, Parker had not taken 100 wickets in a season and in his last two years was very expensive, suggesting that his was to be an insignificant career.
After the war, Parker announced he was shifting to a slower style,
This success reflected Parker's ability to get through huge amounts of bowling: in 1926 and 1927 Parker passed 10,000 balls, and in the latter season he bowled over 85 per cent of Gloucestershire's overs from one end. He is one of only three bowlers to bowl over 10,000 balls in a season multiple times.[a]
Among his best feats were 9 for 36 against Yorkshire in 1922 and 10 for 79 against Somerset in 1921. He took a hat trick in each innings against Middlesex at Bristol in 1924 after his Gloucestershire team had themselves been bowled out for 31. He took 17 for 56 against Essex in 1925, and 16 for 109 against Middlesex in 1930, the year he took 7 for 54 against the Australians in a famous tied match. From 1929 to 1931 he formed, with
In 1931, though already forty-eight — an age at which most cricketers even in that era had already retired — Parker equalled
Because Australian wickets of the 1920s and 1930s were totally unresponsive to his bowling, Parker was never even considered for a tour there. He did tour with private parties to the West Indies and on
As a batsman, he rarely accomplished much, though he nearly did the match double[b] against Leicestershire in 1921 and Somerset in 1922.
After he retired in 1935, Parker became an umpire until World War II. Following the war, he coached his old county club for a short period[15] and then coached cricket at Cranleigh almost up to his death on 11 July 1959.
World record
Charlie Parker was the first player to take three hat-tricks in a single first-class season. He achieved this in 1924. His record was later equaled by
Notes
- ^ The others are Tich Freeman in 1928, 1929, 1930, 1933 and 1934, and Alfred Shaw in 1876 and 1878.[11]
- ^ A “match double” refers to the scoring 100 runs and taking of 10 wickets over two innings of a single first-class game.[14]
References
- ^ "The man of 2009". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ a b c Paul Edwards (28 April 2020). "Anti-establishment fighter whose statistics defy belief". ESPN CricInfo.
- ^ a b Pardon, Sydney H., ed. (1923). John Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack: Sixtieth Edition. London: John Wisden & Co. Ltd. p. 315.
- ^ Pardon, Sydney H., ed. (1920). John Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack: Fifty Seventh Edition. London: John Wisden & Co. Ltd. p. 142.
- ISBN 0-7207-1454-0.
- ^ Pardon, Sydney H., ed. (1921). John Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack: Fifty Eighth Edition. London: John Wisden & Co. Ltd. pp. 173, 185.
- ^ Pardon, Sydney H., ed. (1922). John Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack: Fifty Ninth Edition. London: John Wisden & Co. Ltd. p. 572.
- ^ Pardon, Sydney H., ed. (1923). John Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack: Sixtieth Edition. London: John Wisden & Co. Ltd. p. 545.
- ^ Pardon, Sydney H., ed. (1925). John Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack: Sixty-Second Edition. London: John Wisden & Co. Ltd. p. 462.
- ^ Caine, C. Stewart, ed. (1926). John Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack: Sixty-Third Edition. London: John Wisden & Co. Ltd. p. 452.
- ^ Webber, Roy, ed. (1951). The Playfair Book of Cricket Records. London: Playfair Books. p. 173.
- ISBN 978-1-84607-880-4.
- ^ Caine, C. Stewart, ed. (1933). John Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack: Seventieth Edition. London: John Wisden & Co. Ltd. p. 349.
- ^ Webber (ed.). The Playfair Book of Cricket Records. pp. 185–188.
- ^ Parker. Gloucester Road. p. 137.
- ^ "3 Hat-tricks in a season by Charlie Parker". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 September 2016.