Frank Marchant
Encyclopedia
Frank Marchant was an English
cricket
er. He was a right-handed batsman and an occasional wicket-keeper. He was born in Kent
.
, Eton
and Trinity College, Cambridge
. He first played cricket for Kent
during the 1883 season, in a loss against Lancashire. He received his cap two years later, following a string of University matches playing for Cambridge University Cricket Club
, while he returned to his home county during 1885. He bowled infrequently for Kent during 1885, meaning that he spent the first half of the following year back with Cambridge. Following 1887 however, these appearances for the University side would cease after he found greater form playing with Kent.
Working his way up to the position of opening batsman come this time, Kent's 1887 season was somewhat of a disappointment, managing only one win during the year. While Marchant was an underconfident batsman when placed in an opening position, he thrived amongst his weaker batting team-mates, able to better scores further down the order than when he opened for the side.
Marchant was present for the totality of the inaugural 1890 County Championship season, achieving two half-centuries in fourteen games for the side, being one of only five players to play in every match during the season. During the same year, as Australia toured the country, Merchant helped the team to decent performances against the touring side, a commanding position for a commanding player chosen as captain for the confident young side against the tourists.
While Kent's inconsistent performances County Championship appearances in the early days were subject to much scrutiny from players and spectators alike, Marchant, as the leader in averages during the 1891 season, showed he was in the right place as a leader of the team. The team failed to get higher than fourth up until the 1894 season, and then, just as things looked as they were getting back on track, Marchant and his teammates suffered one of their worst seasons in memory, concluding their season bottom of the table on Finishing Percentage, in spite of Marchant having been awarded the captaincy of the team.
Marchant was in the Kent team for three more years before leaving for personal reasons. By this time he was 34 years old and struggling for form. However, he returned during 1901, as he was satisfied with a third-placed Kent finish the previous season. With his form declining during 1902, he spent another year out, deflated by a loss to the Australian tourists on the county's home ground in Canterbury. He was to appear in Kent colours only occasionally from then on.
Through Marchant's career, he tended to appear in the lower order, for both the University and County sides, though in total he made 38 half-centuries and eight centuries in first-class cricket. Marchant died at the age of 82 in Roehampton
, London.
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...
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...
er. He was a right-handed batsman and an occasional wicket-keeper. He was born in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Life
Frank Marchant was educated at RugbyRugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He first played cricket 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...
during the 1883 season, in a loss against Lancashire. He received his cap two years later, following a string of University matches playing for Cambridge University Cricket Club
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...
, while he returned to his home county during 1885. He bowled infrequently for Kent during 1885, meaning that he spent the first half of the following year back with Cambridge. Following 1887 however, these appearances for the University side would cease after he found greater form playing with Kent.
Working his way up to the position of opening batsman come this time, Kent's 1887 season was somewhat of a disappointment, managing only one win during the year. While Marchant was an underconfident batsman when placed in an opening position, he thrived amongst his weaker batting team-mates, able to better scores further down the order than when he opened for the side.
Marchant was present for the totality of the inaugural 1890 County Championship season, achieving two half-centuries in fourteen games for the side, being one of only five players to play in every match during the season. During the same year, as Australia toured the country, Merchant helped the team to decent performances against the touring side, a commanding position for a commanding player chosen as captain for the confident young side against the tourists.
While Kent's inconsistent performances County Championship appearances in the early days were subject to much scrutiny from players and spectators alike, Marchant, as the leader in averages during the 1891 season, showed he was in the right place as a leader of the team. The team failed to get higher than fourth up until the 1894 season, and then, just as things looked as they were getting back on track, Marchant and his teammates suffered one of their worst seasons in memory, concluding their season bottom of the table on Finishing Percentage, in spite of Marchant having been awarded the captaincy of the team.
Marchant was in the Kent team for three more years before leaving for personal reasons. By this time he was 34 years old and struggling for form. However, he returned during 1901, as he was satisfied with a third-placed Kent finish the previous season. With his form declining during 1902, he spent another year out, deflated by a loss to the Australian tourists on the county's home ground in Canterbury. He was to appear in Kent colours only occasionally from then on.
Through Marchant's career, he tended to appear in the lower order, for both the University and County sides, though in total he made 38 half-centuries and eight centuries in first-class cricket. Marchant died at the age of 82 in Roehampton
Roehampton
Roehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is...
, London.
External links
- Frank Marchant at Cricket Archive