Full name Francis Marchant 1890–1896 M.C.C. 1884–1887 Cambridge University | 1883–1905 Kent Batting style Right-handed Name Frank Marchant | |
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Born 22 May 1864 ( 1864-05-22 ) Kent, England Died 13 April 1946(1946-04-13) (aged 81)
Roehampton, England | ||
Francis Marchant (22 May 1864 – 13 April 1946), known as Frank Marchant, was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman, an occasional wicket-keeper and captain of Kent County Cricket Club from 1890 to 1897.
Life
Frank Marchant was born in Matfield House, Matfield, Kent and educated at Rugby, Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. He first played cricket for Kent during the 1883 season, in a loss against Lancashire. He received his cap two years later, following a string of University matches playing for Cambridge University Cricket Club, while he returned to his home county during 1885. He bowled infrequently for Kent during 1885, meaning that he spent the first half of the following year back with Cambridge. Following 1887 however, these appearances for the University side would cease after he found greater form playing with Kent.
Working his way up to the position of opening batsman come this time, Kent's 1887 season was somewhat of a disappointment, managing only one win during the year. While Marchant was an underconfident batsman when placed in an opening position, he thrived amongst his weaker batting team-mates, able to better scores further down the order than when he opened for the side.
Marchant was present for the totality of the inaugural 1890 County Championship season, achieving two half-centuries in fourteen games for the side, being one of only five players to play in every match during the season. During the same year, as Australia toured the country, Merchant helped the team to decent performances against the touring side, a commanding position for a commanding player chosen as captain for the confident young side against the tourists.
While Kent's inconsistent performances County Championship appearances in the early days were subject to much scrutiny from players and spectators alike, Marchant, as the leader in averages during the 1891 season, showed he was in the right place as a leader of the team. The team failed to get higher than fourth up until the 1894 season, and then, just as things looked as they were getting back on track, Marchant and his teammates suffered one of their worst seasons in memory, concluding their season bottom of the table on Finishing Percentage, in spite of Marchant having been awarded the captaincy of the team.
Marchant was in the Kent team for three more years before leaving for personal reasons. By this time he was 34 years old and struggling for form. However, he returned during 1901, as he was satisfied with a third-placed Kent finish the previous season. With his form declining during 1902, he spent another year out, deflated by a loss to the Australian tourists on the county's home ground in Canterbury. He was to appear in Kent colours only occasionally from then on.
Through Marchant's career, he tended to appear in the lower order, for both the University and County sides, though in total he made 38 half-centuries and eight centuries in first-class cricket. Marchant died at the age of 82 in Roehampton, London.