Douglas Carr
Encyclopedia
Douglas Ward Carr was an English
amateur
cricketer
.
Carr went to Brasenose College at Oxford University and while there played both football
and cricket
. He injured his knee playing football, and as a result did not make any first-class
appearances for the university's cricket team.
After leaving Oxford, he spent some years playing club cricket
in the Maidstone
area, and it was during this period, in 1908, that he learnt to bowl the then fairly new googly
. The following May he made his first-class debut for Kent
against his old university, and took seven wickets in the match, including 5-65 in the first innings. His next chances came in July, in two Gentlemen v Players
games, and again he met with success, taking a total of fifteen wickets in the four innings.
Carr quickly established himself as a regular in the Kent side, and by the second week of August had claimed no fewer than 42 wickets in his first six first-class games. There was now a clamour for his inclusion in the England
team, all the more so as England were 2-1 down in the Ashes
series at the time. The selectors agreed, and although Carr was twelfth man for the drawn game at Old Trafford
, he was picked for the final match of the series at The Oval
, becoming the first man ever to play Test cricket
in his first year in the first-class game. Carr took 7-282 in the match, including 5-146 in the first innings, although his efforts could not force an English victory and the resulting draw meant that the Australians carried off the Ashes. The newspapers heavily criticised the England captain AC MacLaren for over bowling Carr.
1909 was also Carr's best in first-class cricket as a whole, as he took 95 wickets including a fine bowling analysis
of 28.1-10-36-8 against Somerset
; he was to equal that 8-36 return three years later against Gloucestershire
. Named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year, in 1910 he helped Kent to the County Championship
title, and in 1912 he averaged
just 12.01 in taking 61 first-class wickets.
A poor batsman, Carr never made a half-century, and in his later years his batting declined even further; in his last significant season (1913) he scored only 95 runs in 17 innings. In 1914 he played only one match, in late July against Surrey
. He toiled away for 0-134 from his 28 overs, and the start of World War I
a few weeks later brought an end to his cricketing career. Carr died at the age of 78 in Salcombe Hill, Sidmouth
, Devon
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
amateur
History of English amateur cricket
The history of English amateur cricket describes the concept and importance of amateur players in English cricket.-Co-development of amateur and professional cricket to 1800:...
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"....
.
Carr went to Brasenose College at Oxford University and while there played both football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. He injured his knee playing football, and as a result did not make any first-class
First-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...
appearances for the university's cricket team.
After leaving Oxford, he spent some years playing club cricket
Club cricket
Club cricket is a mainly amateur, but still formal, form of the sport of cricket, usually involving teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. There is a great deal of variation in game format although the Laws of Cricket are always observed...
in the Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
area, and it was during this period, in 1908, that he learnt to bowl the then fairly new googly
Googly
In cricket, a googly is a type of delivery bowled by a right-arm leg spin bowler. It is occasionally referred to as a Bosie , an eponym in honour of its inventor Bernard Bosanquet.- Explanation :...
. The following May he made his first-class debut for 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...
against his old university, and took seven wickets in the match, including 5-65 in the first innings. His next chances came in July, in two 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...
games, and again he met with success, taking a total of fifteen wickets in the four innings.
Carr quickly established himself as a regular in the Kent side, and by the second week of August had claimed no fewer than 42 wickets in his first six first-class games. There was now a clamour for his inclusion in the England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
team, all the more so as England were 2-1 down in the Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
series at the time. The selectors agreed, and although Carr was twelfth man for the drawn game at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (cricket)
Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...
, he was picked for the final match of the series at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, becoming the first man ever to play Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
in his first year in the first-class game. Carr took 7-282 in the match, including 5-146 in the first innings, although his efforts could not force an English victory and the resulting draw meant that the Australians carried off the Ashes. The newspapers heavily criticised the England captain AC MacLaren for over bowling Carr.
1909 was also Carr's best in first-class cricket as a whole, as he took 95 wickets including a fine bowling analysis
Bowling analysis
In the sport of cricket, a bowling analysis usually refers to a notation summarising a bowler's performance in terms of overs bowled, how many of those overs are maidens , total runs conceded and number of wickets taken...
of 28.1-10-36-8 against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
; he was to equal that 8-36 return three years later against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
. Named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year, in 1910 he helped Kent to the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
title, and in 1912 he averaged
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...
just 12.01 in taking 61 first-class wickets.
A poor batsman, Carr never made a half-century, and in his later years his batting declined even further; in his last significant season (1913) he scored only 95 runs in 17 innings. In 1914 he played only one match, in late July against 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...
. He toiled away for 0-134 from his 28 overs, and the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
a few weeks later brought an end to his cricketing career. Carr died at the age of 78 in Salcombe Hill, Sidmouth
Sidmouth
Sidmouth is a small town on the English Channel coast in Devon, South West England. The town lies at the mouth of the River Sid in the East Devon district, south east of Exeter. It has a population of about 15,000, of whom 40% are over 65....
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.