James Cranston
Encyclopedia
James Cranston was an amateur cricket
er who was educated at Taunton College in Somerset
and went on to play 103 first-class cricket
matches for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
between 1876
and 1899
. He also played for Warwickshire County Cricket Club
in 1886
and 1887
, which was before Warwickshire gained first-class status. He also played one Test match
for England
against Australia
in 1890
.
Although he only played in that one Test, at the Oval at the end of the 1890 season, it was a low-scoring match, and his innings
were important in England's two wicket victory, which saw them win the Ashes
. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
said of his innings that that "his defence under very trying conditions against the bowling of Turner
and Ferris was masterly". Cranston played no more Test cricket, and his career all but came to an end a year later after suffering a fit whilst playing the game, although he was able to return briefly eight years later.
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 who was educated at Taunton College in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and went on to play 103 first-class cricket
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...
matches for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
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....
between 1876
1876 English cricket season
The 1876 English cricket season saw WG Grace become the first player to score 2000 runs and take 100 wickets in a season: 2622 runs and 130 wickets in 26 matches.-Events:14 January. Formation of Essex CCC at a meeting in the Shire Hall, Chelmsford...
and 1899
1899 English cricket season
In the 1899 English cricket season, Surrey won the County Championship for the first time in four years, and the title turned out to be their last until 1914. Surrey's season was dominated by draws, with fourteen out of 26 games drawn, just like the season in general - especially the Australian...
. He also played for Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire 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 Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
in 1886
1886 English cricket season
-Events:Somerset did not play any other first-class counties and dropped out of the Championship until 1891.Hampshire ceased to be a first-class county after years of difficult circumstances and poor results. They did play matches against Surrey and Sussex in 1886 but these matches are not...
and 1887
1887 English cricket season
-External sources:* -Annual reviews:* James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual , Lillywhite, 1888* Wisden Cricketers Almanack 1888...
, which was before Warwickshire gained first-class status. He also played one Test match
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...
for 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...
against Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
in 1890
1890 English cricket season
The 1890 English cricket season was the first year the County Championship was officially held, which Surrey won after winning nine out of fourteen games...
.
Although he only played in that one Test, at the Oval at the end of the 1890 season, it was a low-scoring match, and his innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
were important in England's two wicket victory, which saw them win 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...
. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
said of his innings that that "his defence under very trying conditions against the bowling of Turner
Charles Turner (cricketer)
Charles Thomas Biass Turner was a bowler who is regarded as one of the finest ever produced by Australia....
and Ferris was masterly". Cranston played no more Test cricket, and his career all but came to an end a year later after suffering a fit whilst playing the game, although he was able to return briefly eight years later.