Charles Richardson (cricketer, born 1864)

Charles Augustus Richardson (22 February 1864 – 17 August 1949) was an Australian-born cricketer who captained the New Zealand cricket team and scored its first century. He also scored the world's first first-class century of the 1900s.

Charles Richardson
Personal information
Full name
Charles Augustus Richardson
Born(1864-02-22)22 February 1864
Sydney, Australia
Died17 August 1949(1949-08-17) (aged 85)
Waipara, Canterbury, New Zealand
BattingRight-handed
RelationsWilliam Richardson (brother)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1886-87 to 1894-95New South Wales
1897-98 to 1906-07Wellington
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 30
Runs scored 1079
Batting average 25.09
100s/50s 1/5
Top score 113
Balls bowled 347
Wickets 3
Bowling average 64.33
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 2/12
Catches/stumpings 22/0
Source: Cricket Archive, 14 November 2014

Early career

Richardson was born in Sydney and attended Sydney Grammar School.[1] He spent several seasons as a batsman in the New South Wales team, scoring 473 runs at an average of 22.52 in 15 matches between 1886–87 and 1894-95. His highest score was 75 not out against South Australia in 1892-93 in his first Sheffield Shield match; it was also the highest score in the match, which New South Wales won by an innings.[2]

Richardson moved to New Zealand late in 1897 to take charge of the New Zealand office of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia,[3] and played his first match for Wellington a few days later, scoring 77 in an innings victory over Canterbury.[4] He was selected to tour Australia with the New Zealand team in 1898-99, but was unable to obtain leave from his work to make the trip.[5]

He captained Wellington in two matches in 1899-1900, and scored 113 in the match against Otago, reaching his century on 1 January 1900, thus becoming the world's first first-class century-maker of the 1900s. He and Frederick Midlane, who reached his century during the previous day's play and ended up scoring 149, added 207 for the fourth wicket.[6]

Playing for New Zealand

Richardson played his first match for New Zealand a few weeks later against the touring Melbourne Cricket Club. Although Melbourne did not have first-class status, they were too strong for New Zealand, winning by an innings. In the second innings, Richardson, batting at number three, scored 114 not out in a total of 246, the first time anyone had scored a century for New Zealand.[7][8]

He was appointed New Zealand's captain for their next series, two matches against Lord Hawke's XI in 1902-03. However, apart from winning the toss in both matches he had little success, scoring 44 runs in two losses by large margins.[9] He did not play for New Zealand again. Dan Reese, who scored a century in the second match, later said, "no more likeable man has led New Zealand sides; he was also an able leader".[10]

Later career

Richardson captained Wellington in his last first-class match in 1906-07, against the MCC. For some years he held the record for the number of runs scored in a season of Wellington club cricket: 553.[11] He later served on the selection panel for Wellington.[12]

His younger brother William also played for New South Wales, from 1887 to 1896.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Our Portrait Gallery". The Bird O' Freedom: 1. 18 January 1896.
  2. "New South Wales v South Australia 1892-93". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  3. "Notes by Slip". Otago Witness. No. 2286. 23 December 1897. p. 38.
  4. Wisden 1950, p. 912.
  5. Don Neely & Richard Payne, Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985, Moa, Auckland, 1986, p. 40.
  6. "Wellington v Otago 1899-00". CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  7. "New Zealand v Melbourne Cricket Club 1899-00". CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  8. "Mr C. A. Richardson". Otago Daily Times: 8. 20 August 1949.
  9. Neely & Payne, pp. 43-44.
  10. Dan Reese, Was It All Cricket?, George Allen & Unwin, London, 1948, p. 145.
  11. Auckland Star, 27 November 1913, p. 2.
  12. Free Lance, 20 February 1909, p. 18.
  13. "William Richardson". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
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