11 Facts About Charlie Townsend

Charles Lucas Townsend was a Gloucestershire cricketer.

An all-round cricketer, Charlie Townsend was classically stylish, left-handed batsman, who was able to hit well despite his slender build.

Charlie Townsend was often extremely difficult on sticky wickets but very rarely effective on good ones.

Charlie Townsend first emerged as a leg break bowler from Clifton College at the age of 16 in 1893.

Charlie Townsend took 21 wickets in four games and showed, despite his very slight build, the ability to get through a lot of bowling and spin the ball prodigiously from leg.

In May 1898, Charlie Townsend started his season poorly, although his nought for 150 against a powerful Surrey batting side on a soft Oval wicket was affected by several dropped catches.

In that innings Charlie Townsend took a brilliant running catch to dismiss the tenth man.

Charlie Townsend was rewarded for these feats with selection as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year, and his jump to the front rank of batsmen continued in the dry summer of 1899, when he made nine centuries, including 224 against Essex.

In 1900, though he only took 57 first-class wickets, Charlie Townsend again batted well despite playing no really large innings, showing greater ability than before to counter the spinning ball on treacherous pitches, notably late in the season at Cheltenham.

From 1901 Charlie Townsend began devoting most of the summer to studying law and later practising as a solicitor.

Charlie Townsend scored 147 on a fairly difficult pitch against Sussex in 1902, and 214 against Worcestershire in 1906.