Charles Clarke (cricketer, born 1910)

Charles Cyril Clarke (22 December 1910 – 6 November 1997) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire from 1929 to 1933 and for Sussex in 1947.

Charles Clarke

Personal information
Full name	Charles Cyril Clarke
Born	22 December 1910 Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
Died	6 November 1997 (aged 86) Carnforth, England
Batting	Right-handed batsman
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1929–1933	Derbyshire
1947	Sussex
First-class debut	31 July 1929 Derbyshire v Lancashire
Last First-class	25 June 1947 Sussex v Oxford University
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 28 Runs scored 472 Batting average 11.80 100s/50s / Top score 35* Balls bowled Wickets Bowling average 5 wickets in innings 10 wickets in match Best bowling Catches/stumpings 8/-
Source: , October 2011

Clarke was born at Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. He made his debut for Derbyshire against Lancashire in July 1929, but played little part as the match was abandoned as a draw. He played three more matches that year and for the next four years played about 5 matches in consecutive sets each year, either in May or August. From 1935 until the Second World War, he played minor county cricket for Staffordshire. During the war he played a match for Southern Command against the Royal Army Service Corps. He played in the second XI for Sussex in 1946 and in 1947 played three first-class matches for Sussex in which his batting average was 6.2. Clarke was a right-hand batsman and played 43 innings in 28 first-class matches with an average of 11.80 and a top score of 35 not out.[1]

Clarke moved to Kendal where he played and coached. He earned the nickname "the Conjuror", because he was magic on the field. Later he ran a white-elephant shop.[2]

Clarke died at Carnforth, Lancashire at the age of 86.

References

1. Charles Clarke at Cricket Archive
2. Wisden Obituaries in 1997