Cardigan Connor
Encyclopedia
Cardigan Adolphus Connor (born 24 March 1961) is a Anguilla
n born former English
cricket
er. Connor was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium
bowler.
in 1979 to pursue a cricketing career in England
. Connor was signed by Buckinghamshire
in 1979 and remained at the club for five years playing in the Minor Counties Championship. Connor was eventually spotted by former Hampshire cricketer Charlie Knott who recommended him to Hampshire
, who signed him for the 1984 season
.
Connor made his first-class
debut for Hampshire against Somerset
. This was to the first of Connor's 221 first-class matches for the club. The same year Connor made his List-A debut against Nottinghamshire
in the John Player Special League. Connor would go onto play 300 one-day matches for the club.
Connor formed a deadly partnership with his fellow West Indian new ball bowler Malcolm Marshall
, often trying to compete with his partner for pace. Connor was a member of the 1988 Benson and Hedges Cup Hampshire team, taking two wickets in the final at Lord's
. A further honour came in 1991 when Connor was again a member of the Hampshire winning team, this time in the 1991 NatWest Trophy
where he took three wickets, including that of future England batsman Graham Thorpe
for 93. There was call of Connor being called up to the England one-day squad, but this never materialised. Connor tasted success for a second time in the Benson and Hedges Cup, this time in 1992 when Hampshire beat Kent
. Connor took a single wicket in the match, that of Mark Ealham
.
In 1994 he was named the Hampshire Cricket Society Player of the Year. By this time Connor was something of a cult figure at the County Ground
. Connor took his best innings bowling figures during the 1996 County Championship. In a match against Gloucestershire
he took 9/38, this at a time when Malcolm Marshall
had retired.
Connor made his final first-class appearance for Hampshire in a County Championship
match against Derbyshire
in 1998, although that season he played just four first-class matches for the club. His final one-day appearance came 13 September 1998 in an AXA League match against Worcestershire
. Connor retired at the end of the 1998 season. In total Connor took over 1,000 wickets for Hampshire. Testament to Connor's cult figure at the club, his benefit year raised £147,000.
in Manchester
. Connor currently works as a hotel masseur and a fitness coach, with a website calling him "the island's most popular personal trainer".
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
n born former English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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. Connor was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
bowler.
Career
Connor left his home island of AnguillaAnguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
in 1979 to pursue a cricketing career in England
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...
. Connor was signed by Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Buckinghamshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play...
in 1979 and remained at the club for five years playing in the Minor Counties Championship. Connor was eventually spotted by former Hampshire cricketer Charlie Knott who recommended him to Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
, who signed him for the 1984 season
1984 English cricket season
The 1984 English cricket season saw a continued dominance by the best-ever Essex team who won a second successive County Championship and also won the Sunday League.-Honours:*County Championship - Essex*NatWest Trophy - Middlesex...
.
Connor made his 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...
debut for Hampshire 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...
. This was to the first of Connor's 221 first-class matches for the club. The same year Connor made his List-A debut against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire 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 Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
in the John Player Special League. Connor would go onto play 300 one-day matches for the club.
Connor formed a deadly partnership with his fellow West Indian new ball bowler Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall
By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7-53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings...
, often trying to compete with his partner for pace. Connor was a member of the 1988 Benson and Hedges Cup Hampshire team, taking two wickets in the final at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
. A further honour came in 1991 when Connor was again a member of the Hampshire winning team, this time in the 1991 NatWest Trophy
1991 NatWest Trophy
The 1991 NatWest Trophy was an English county cricket tournament, held between 26 June and 7 September 1991. The competition was won by Hampshire who beat Surrey by 4 wickets at Lord's.-Format:...
where he took three wickets, including that of future England batsman Graham Thorpe
Graham Thorpe
Graham Paul Thorpe MBE is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey and England. A left-handed middle-order batsman and slip fielder, he appeared in exactly 100 Test matches.-Early life:...
for 93. There was call of Connor being called up to the England one-day squad, but this never materialised. Connor tasted success for a second time in the Benson and Hedges Cup, this time in 1992 when Hampshire beat 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...
. Connor took a single wicket in the match, that of Mark Ealham
Mark Ealham
Mark Alan Ealham is a retired English cricketer, who played domestic cricket for Kent C.C.C. and Nottinghamshire C.C.C.. He is an all-rounder and is a former England international at both Test and one-day cricket....
.
In 1994 he was named the Hampshire Cricket Society Player of the Year. By this time Connor was something of a cult figure at the County Ground
County Ground, Southampton
The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...
. Connor took his best innings bowling figures during the 1996 County Championship. In a match 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....
he took 9/38, this at a time when Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall
By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7-53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings...
had retired.
Connor made his final first-class appearance for Hampshire in a County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
match against Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
in 1998, although that season he played just four first-class matches for the club. His final one-day appearance came 13 September 1998 in an AXA League match against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire...
. Connor retired at the end of the 1998 season. In total Connor took over 1,000 wickets for Hampshire. Testament to Connor's cult figure at the club, his benefit year raised £147,000.
After cricket
After retiring from cricket Connor returned to Anguilla. He was Anguilla's 'chef de mission' (team manager) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Connor currently works as a hotel masseur and a fitness coach, with a website calling him "the island's most popular personal trainer".
External links
- Cardigan Connor CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
- Cardigan Connor at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...
- Matches and detailed statistics for Cardigan Connor