Charles Knott

Charles James Knott (26 November 1914 – 27 February 2003) was an English first-class cricketer. Knott was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off-break and right-arm medium pace.

Knott was born in Southampton in November 1914.^[1] He was educated at Taunton's School,^[1] where he developed first as a footballer before turning to cricket. On leaving school he went into his father's fishmonger's business; his father, Charles Knott senior, was an important figure in Southampton during the 1930s, having built the Banister Court Stadium for greyhound racing and motor-cycle racing alongside the county cricket ground. Within a year or so of going into the business, Charles junior was in charge of the fishmonger's.^[1] Despite his work for the family business, he found time for cricket on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and soon began to turn in excellent performances bowling medium-pace for Deanery Cricket Club in the Southampton League. He also helped Phil Mead's son to operate the scoreboard at the county cricket ground.^[1]

Following strong performances as a medium pace bowler in club cricket,^[2] Knott received a phone call from Hampshire in July 1938 inviting him to play against Kent at Canterbury in the County Championship.^[1] He got off to a promising start, dismissing Arthur Fagg to claim his maiden first-class wicket, and had it not been for a series of dropped catches off his bowling, Knott may well have ended with better bowling figures than 1 for 92.^[1] Knott made nine first-class appearances during his debut season,^[3] but took just one wicket in his first two matches, which prompted him to cut the pace at which he delivered the ball and add off spin to it.^[2][1] His change of bowling style bought him immediate success upon its introduction in his third match on a turning pitch against Gloucestershire,^[4] with Knott taking figures of 5 for 51.^[2] He ended his debut season with 21 wickets at an average of 31.33.^[5] The following season, he made seven first-class appearances,^[3] taking 35 wickets at an average of 23.31.^[5] Against Surrey at Portsmouth, he took figures of 8 for 85.^[6] He gained his county cap at the end of the 1939, but with the outbreak of the Second World War, it would be seven years before he would wear it on a cricket field.^[6]

Knott was called-up for service twice during the war, but was invalided from active service by stomach ulcers;^[4] the condition necessitated Knott to drink a glass of milk at the end of each day.^[1] He appeared in exhibition cricket matches during the war, playing for a British Empire XI.^[1] He spent the war working at the family's fish stall in the city's market.^[7]

Knott returned to play for Hampshire upon the resumption of first-class cricket in 1946. Making 25 first-class appearances throughout the season,^[3] he took 121 wickets at an average of 18.47, a tally which included twelve five wicket hauls and ten-wickets in a match on three occasions.^[5] His most notable performance during the 1946 came against the touring Indians, when he took match figures of 10 for 100.^[4][8] His performances established him as the leading off-spinner in county cricket, and drew the attention of the England selectors,^[1] who played Knott in the England vs The Rest match at Canterbury that season.^[3] However, he was overlooked for England's winter Ashes tour to Australia in favour of leg spinner Peter Smith, who was adjudged to be a better batsman.^[1] The 1946 season marked Knott's first appearance in the Gentlemen v Players fixture,^[3] with him representing the Gentlemen. By the 1947 season, Knott had been appointed vice-captain to Desmond Eagar.^[9] He was beset by injury in 1947,^[1] making just thirteen first-class appearances as a result.^[3] With emergence of Jim Laker, coupled with his injury problems, Knott fell out of the reckoning for a Test cap.^[1]

Knott overcame his injury struggles ahead of the 1948 season, in which he made 23 first-class appearances.^[3] He took a hundred wickets in a season for the second time, with 101 at an average of 24.89, whilst claiming seven five wicket hauls.^[5] One of his most noteworthy performances in 1948 came against the touring Australians in June, when he took 5 for 57 to help dismiss the tourists for 117.^[1] In August, he took his career best figures to date, with 8 for 79 against Nottinghamshire.^[10] In the proceeding season he once again took 101 wickets, this time at an average of 26.90, whilst taking six five wicket hauls.^[5] In July and August 1949, he deputised as captain in place of the injured Eagar in three matches.^[11][12] During the 1950 season Knott once again passed a hundred wickets for the season, taking 111 from 30 matches at an average of 23.19, with seven five wicket hauls.^[5] Playing his second match for the Gentlemen against the Players in 1950, he took a hat-trick when the Players were only 36 runs from victory, which steered the match toward a draw.^[4] Having taken over a hundred wickets for the fourth time in five seasons, talk of his inclusion in the England team once again began, but his inclusion was not forthcoming,^[13] which Wisden proffered was again due to what was perceived as his inferior batting and fielding when compared to his contemporaries.^[4]

The 1951 season was the first time since 1947 that Knott did not take a hundred wickets in a season, claiming 80 from 25 matches at an average of 23.47.^[5] In June, he took what would become his career-best figures of 8 for 26 against Cambridge University.^[14] At the beginning of the season, Knott made two appearances for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Yorkshire and Surrey.^[3] As his career progressed, he found himself becoming more heavily involved in the running of the fishmongers business and the Banister Court Stadium, which impacted his availability and performances.^[1] As a result he made just five first-class appearances in 1952,^[3] a year in which speculation began that he could replace Eagar, who was rumoured to be returning to his native Gloucester, as captain; ultimately, Eagar would remain Hampshire captain until 1957.^[15] Following a strong start to the 1953 season, in which he had successfully taken advantage of the good spin-bowling conditions which were on offer,^[16] Knott stood on the ball during a match against Leicestershire in mid-May, injuring his foot and ruling him out for five weeks.^[17] He returned later in the season, making four appearances in July and August,^[3] and ended the season with 38 wickets at an average of 13.71.^[5] His final season came in 1954, in which he made three appearances in the County Championship; his final appearance was a mirror of his debut, with the opponents being Kent.^[3] Three years after he last played for Hampshire, Knott made a final first-class appearance for the MCC against Scotland at Aberdeen in 1957;^[3] he took 8 for 38 in the Scottish second innings.^[1][18]

As a "beguiling and flighty" off-spinner who could generate sharp turn,^[4][6] Knott took advantage of the uncovered wickets of the era.^[1] In 173 first-class matches, he took 676 wickets at an average of 23.32. He took a five wicket haul on 47 occasions and took ten-wickets in a match on eight.^[19] John Arlott proffered that Knott was the best amateur bowler in Hampshire.^[6] He was a tailend batsman, with his batting average of 6.95 and a highest score of 27 matching that.^[19]

Following the opening of Hampshire's new home at the Rose Bowl in 2001, Knott would attend matches at the venue when his health allowed.^[7] Knott died at Southampton, Hampshire on 27 February 2003.^[1] His funeral took place at Highfield Church.^[7] He was survived by his wife, Iris, and their two daughters.^[20] A housing estate near the old county ground at Southampton, built on the site of the speedway stadium, was named "Charles Knott Gardens", in tribute to both father and son.^[1]

• Charles Knott at ESPNcricinfo