Denis Smith (English cricketer)

Denis Smith

Personal information
Full name	Denis Smith
Born	(1907-01-24)24 January 1907 Somercotes, Derbyshire, England
Died	12 September 1979(1979-09-12) (aged 72) Derby, England
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
Role	Batsman
International information
National side	England
Test debut	13 July 1935 v South Africa
Last Test	27 July 1935 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1927–1952	Derbyshire
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 2 443 Runs scored 128 21,843 Batting average 32.00 31.65 100s/50s 0/1 32/116 Top score 57 225 Balls bowled – 1,516 Wickets – 20 Bowling average – 36.70 5 wickets in innings – 1 10 wickets in match – 0 Best bowling – 5/37 Catches/stumpings 1/– 382/5
Source: CricketArchive, 19 April 2010

Denis Smith (24 January 1907 – 12 September 1979) was an English

in 1935. He scored more than 21,000 runs in first-class cricket.

Smith was born in Somercotes, Derbyshire on 24 January 1907.^[1] He made his debut for Derbyshire in June 1927 against Somerset, when he was out for a duck in the only innings he played and was given a chance to bowl just 10 balls.

A tall left-handed opening batsman who played his strokes, and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler,^[2] Smith was the mainstay of Derbyshire's batting line-up during the 1930s,^{[citation needed]} the most successful period in the county's history. Derbyshire came second in the Championship in 1935 and won it in 1936.^[2]

Smith played two

and did well enough to be considered unlucky not to play more.

Smith played regularly for Derbyshire until 1951, acting as wicket-keeper in 1946 and 1947.^[2] In 1952 he became county coach.^[2] His career aggregate of runs and his 30 centuries for the county were both Derbyshire records until beaten by Kim Barnett in the 1990s.^[3]

Smith was a

in 1936.

Smith died in Derby at the age of 72.

References

• Preston, Norman, ed. (1980). "Obituary, 1979: Smith, Denis". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1980 (117th ed.). London: Queen Anne Press, Macdonald and Jane's Publishing Group Limited. pp. 1156–1158.
  ISBN 0362-02002-7
  .