Charles Fiddian-Green
Encyclopedia
Charles Anderson Fiddian Fiddian-Green (22 December 1898 - 5 September 1976) was an English
cricketer
: an opening batsman who played 107 single first-class
matches between the wars
, playing county cricket
for both Warwickshire
and Worcestershire
, as well as university cricket for Cambridge University
.
Fiddian-Green first played in June 1920 against Cambridge University. He was by this time a student at the university, having gone there at the age of 21 because of the First World War, but here he was playing for Warwickshire. He had a quiet game, scoring 1 and 23 not out
, taking one catch and bowling a single over. He played another 14 times for the county that season, although only rarely did he catch the eye: he made 53*
(albeit out of 603/9 declared!) against Worcestershire in early August, and in other games took two wickets: those of Lancashire
's Robert Boddington and Middlesex
's future Test
all-rounder
Nigel Haig
.
In 1921 Fiddian-Green had a much better season for both Cambridge and Warwickshire, passing 1000 first-class runs for the first of two occasions (the other being the following year); his aggregate of 1,079 was the best of his career. He won his blue
, scoring 17 in his only visit to the crease as Cambridge beat Oxford
by an innings
. He passed fifty eight times in his 38 innings, although he never managed to go on to three figures; his highest score of the season was the 95 he hit for Cambridge against Warwickshire in June.
1922 saw him gain a second blue — and again Cambridge won by an innings — but the match was perhaps more remarkable for the manner of Fiddian-Green's dismissal. He was bowled
for 23 by Thomas Raikes
by a ball which was said to have pitched so wide as to be almost off the mown area of the pitch.
He enjoyed excellent form with the bat for much of the season, averaging
42.28 in all first-class cricket and 49.21 for Cambridge alone. In one purple patch in mid-season, he scored 83, 103, 113 and 120 in successive innings; this last, against HDG Leveson-Gower
's XI, remained the highest score of his career. He was also selected to represent the Gentlemen against the Players
at Lord's, where he made 27 and 1.
Fiddian-Green then became a master, and head of cricket, at Malvern College
,
and played no first-class cricket in 1923. However, for the following few years he did turn out for Warwickshire a few times a season during the school holidays, usually scoring good runs. There was then another gap until 1931, when he appeared for Worcestershire and scored 108 on debut against Essex
. He kept wicket
on a couple of occasions, and stumped Arthur Pothecary
of Hampshire
in August 1933.
His final first-class appearance came against his old university in late June 1934, in which he made 5 and 45. Outside cricket, Fiddian-Green represented Cambridge University at both hockey
and golf
. He died in Malvern, Worcestershire
, at the age of 77.
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...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
: an opening batsman who played 107 single 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...
matches between the wars
Between the Wars
Between the Wars is the thirteenth studio album by Al Stewart, recorded with Laurence Juber. Its major theme is of the period 1918 to 1939 - "Between the Wars"...
, playing county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
for both Warwickshire
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...
and 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...
, as well as university cricket for Cambridge University
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...
.
Fiddian-Green first played in June 1920 against Cambridge University. He was by this time a student at the university, having gone there at the age of 21 because of the First World War, but here he was playing for Warwickshire. He had a quiet game, scoring 1 and 23 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
, taking one catch and bowling a single over. He played another 14 times for the county that season, although only rarely did he catch the eye: he made 53*
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
(albeit out of 603/9 declared!) against Worcestershire in early August, and in other games took two wickets: those of Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
's Robert Boddington and Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex 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 Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
's future Test
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...
all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
Nigel Haig
Nigel Haig
Nigel Esme Haig was a cricketer who played for Middlesex and England.Tall, stringy and deceptively frail in appearance, Haig played regularly from 1912 to 1934 as an amateur batsman who could open the innings or bat further down the order and as a tireless swing bowler somewhat above medium pace...
.
In 1921 Fiddian-Green had a much better season for both Cambridge and Warwickshire, passing 1000 first-class runs for the first of two occasions (the other being the following year); his aggregate of 1,079 was the best of his career. He won his blue
University Sporting Blue
A Blue is an award earned by sportsmen and women at a university and some schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of Blues began at Oxford and Cambridge Universities...
, scoring 17 in his only visit to the crease as Cambridge beat Oxford
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
by an innings
The result in cricket
The result in a game of cricket may be a win for one of the two teams playing, a draw or a tie. In the case of a limited overs game, the game can also end with no result...
. He passed fifty eight times in his 38 innings, although he never managed to go on to three figures; his highest score of the season was the 95 he hit for Cambridge against Warwickshire in June.
1922 saw him gain a second blue — and again Cambridge won by an innings — but the match was perhaps more remarkable for the manner of Fiddian-Green's dismissal. He was bowled
Bowled
Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
for 23 by Thomas Raikes
Thomas Raikes
Thomas Raikes was a British merchant particularly trading from London with Russia, a banker and newspaper proprietor...
by a ball which was said to have pitched so wide as to be almost off the mown area of the pitch.
He enjoyed excellent form with the bat for much of the season, averaging
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
42.28 in all first-class cricket and 49.21 for Cambridge alone. In one purple patch in mid-season, he scored 83, 103, 113 and 120 in successive innings; this last, against HDG Leveson-Gower
HDG Leveson-Gower
Sir Henry Dudley Gresham Leveson Gower was an English cricketer who played for Oxford University and Surrey as well as England. He was the seventh son of Granville William Gresham Leveson-Gower JP DL FSA, by his wife The Hon Sophia Leveson Gower LJStJ .He captained England in all three of the Test...
's XI, remained the highest score of his career. He was also selected to represent the Gentlemen against the Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
at Lord's, where he made 27 and 1.
Fiddian-Green then became a master, and head of cricket, at Malvern College
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
,
and played no first-class cricket in 1923. However, for the following few years he did turn out for Warwickshire a few times a season during the school holidays, usually scoring good runs. There was then another gap until 1931, when he appeared for Worcestershire and scored 108 on debut against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex 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 Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
. He kept wicket
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
on a couple of occasions, and stumped Arthur Pothecary
Arthur Pothecary
Arthur Ernest Pothecary was an English cricketer. Pothecary was a left-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox spin....
of 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...
in August 1933.
His final first-class appearance came against his old university in late June 1934, in which he made 5 and 45. Outside cricket, Fiddian-Green represented Cambridge University at both hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. He died in Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, at the age of 77.
External links
- Statistical summary from 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...