Charles Knott
Encyclopedia
Charles James Knott was an English
cricketer
. Knott was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off-break and right-arm medium pace
.
Despite his work for the family business, he found time for cricket on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and soon began to turn in excellent performances bowling medium-pace for Deanery, in the Southampton League. He also helped Phil Mead
's son to operate the scoreboard at the County Ground.
debut for Hampshire
in the 1938 County Championship
against Kent
. Knott represented Hampshire in 16 first-class matches before the Second World War and a further 150 from 1946 to 1954. Knott's final appearance for the county came in the 1954 County Championship against Kent at the County Ground, Southampton
.
In his 266 matches for the county, Knott scored 1,023 runs at a batting average
of 6.95, with a high score of 27. Knott's poor batting record was due to the fact he was primarily a bowler and as such batted as a tailender.
Employed as a bowler, Knott was a consistent bowler taking 647 wickets for the county at a bowling average
of 23.53, with 44 five wicket hauls and 8 ten wicket hauls in a match, with best bowling figures of 8/26 against Cambridge University
in 1951. The 1946 season was Knott's best with the ball, during which he took 122 wickets at an average of 18.47, with 12 five wicket hauls, 3 ten wicket hauls in a match and best figures of 7/36. It could be said that Knott never had a poor season with the ball, with him taking 100 wickets in a season in 1946, 1948, 1949 and 1950. In addition Knott took 57 catches in the field.
In addition to playing first-class matches for Hampshire, Knott also represented Marylebone Cricket Club
, making his debut for the club in the 1951 season, during which he played twice for the club against Yorkshire
and Surrey
. Knott's final first-class match in 1957 came for the club in a match against Scotland at Mannofield Park
. Knott took 19 wickets for the club at an average of 11.15, with two five wicket hauls and best figures of 8/38 against Scotland.
Knott also played first-class cricket for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players
fixtures of 1946 and 1950, where he took 8 wickets at an average of 25.12, with one five wicket haul of 5/66 in the 1950 fixture. Knott also played single first-class matches for the Over 32s and the Rest of England.
, Hampshire
on 27 February 2003. A housing estate near the old county ground at Southampton, built on the site of the speedway stadium, was named "Charles Knott Gardens", in tribute to both father and son.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
. Knott was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off-break and right-arm medium pace
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
.
Early life
Knott was born in Southampton and educated at Taunton's School, where he developed first as a footballer before turning to cricket. On leaving school he went into his father's fishmonger's business; his father, Charles Knott senior, was an important figure in Southampton during the 1930s, having built a stadium for dog-racing and motor-cycle racing alongside the county cricket ground. Within a year or so of going into the business, Charles junior was in charge of the fishmonger's.Despite his work for the family business, he found time for cricket on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and soon began to turn in excellent performances bowling medium-pace for Deanery, in the Southampton League. He also helped Phil Mead
Phil Mead
Charles Phillip Mead was a left-handed batsman for Hampshire and England between 1905 and 1936. He was born at 10 Ashton Buildings , second eldest of seven children...
's son to operate the scoreboard at the County Ground.
Cricket career
Knott made his first-classFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debut for Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
in the 1938 County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
. Knott represented Hampshire in 16 first-class matches before the Second World War and a further 150 from 1946 to 1954. Knott's final appearance for the county came in the 1954 County Championship against Kent at the County Ground, Southampton
County Ground, Southampton
The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...
.
In his 266 matches for the county, Knott scored 1,023 runs at a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 6.95, with a high score of 27. Knott's poor batting record was due to the fact he was primarily a bowler and as such batted as a tailender.
Employed as a bowler, Knott was a consistent bowler taking 647 wickets for the county at a bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 23.53, with 44 five wicket hauls and 8 ten wicket hauls in a match, with best bowling figures of 8/26 against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
in 1951. The 1946 season was Knott's best with the ball, during which he took 122 wickets at an average of 18.47, with 12 five wicket hauls, 3 ten wicket hauls in a match and best figures of 7/36. It could be said that Knott never had a poor season with the ball, with him taking 100 wickets in a season in 1946, 1948, 1949 and 1950. In addition Knott took 57 catches in the field.
In addition to playing first-class matches for Hampshire, Knott also represented Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, making his debut for the club in the 1951 season, during which he played twice for the club against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
and Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
. Knott's final first-class match in 1957 came for the club in a match against Scotland at Mannofield Park
Mannofield Park
Mannofield Park is a cricket ground Mannofield district of Aberdeen, Scotland. The cricket ground is the regular home of the Scotland national cricket team and Aberdeenshire Cricket Club. It is also known as Citylets Mannofield for international fixtures....
. Knott took 19 wickets for the club at an average of 11.15, with two five wicket hauls and best figures of 8/38 against Scotland.
Knott also played first-class cricket for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
fixtures of 1946 and 1950, where he took 8 wickets at an average of 25.12, with one five wicket haul of 5/66 in the 1950 fixture. Knott also played single first-class matches for the Over 32s and the Rest of England.
Legacy
Knott died at SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
on 27 February 2003. A housing estate near the old county ground at Southampton, built on the site of the speedway stadium, was named "Charles Knott Gardens", in tribute to both father and son.
External links
- Charles Knott at CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
- Charles Knott at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...
- Matches and detailed statistics for Charles Knott