Charles Richardson (cricketer, born 1864)

Charles Augustus Richardson (22 February 1864 – 17 August 1949) was an Australian-born cricketer who captained the New Zealand cricket team and scored its first century. He also scored the world's first first-class century of the 1900s.

Charles Richardson

Personal information
Full name	Charles Augustus Richardson
Born	(1864-02-22)22 February 1864 Sydney, Australia
Died	17 August 1949(1949-08-17) (aged 85) Waipara, Canterbury, New Zealand
Batting	Right-handed
Relations	William Richardson (brother)
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1886-87 to 1894-95	New South Wales
1897-98 to 1906-07	Wellington
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 30 Runs scored 1079 Batting average 25.09 100s/50s 1/5 Top score 113 Balls bowled 347 Wickets 3 Bowling average 64.33 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 2/12 Catches/stumpings 22/0
Source: Cricket Archive, 14 November 2014

Early career

Richardson was born in Sydney and attended Sydney Grammar School.^[1] He spent several seasons as a batsman in the New South Wales team, scoring 473 runs at an average of 22.52 in 15 matches between 1886–87 and 1894-95. His highest score was 75 not out against South Australia in 1892-93 in his first Sheffield Shield match; it was also the highest score in the match, which New South Wales won by an innings.^[2]

Richardson moved to New Zealand late in 1897 to take charge of the New Zealand office of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia,^[3] and played his first match for Wellington a few days later, scoring 77 in an innings victory over Canterbury.^[4] He was selected to tour Australia with the New Zealand team in 1898-99, but was unable to obtain leave from his work to make the trip.^[5]

He captained Wellington in two matches in 1899-1900, and scored 113 in the match against Otago, reaching his century on 1 January 1900, thus becoming the world's first first-class century-maker of the 1900s. He and Frederick Midlane, who reached his century during the previous day's play and ended up scoring 149, added 207 for the fourth wicket.^[6]

Playing for New Zealand

Richardson played his first match for New Zealand a few weeks later against the touring Melbourne Cricket Club. Although Melbourne did not have first-class status, they were too strong for New Zealand, winning by an innings. In the second innings, Richardson, batting at number three, scored 114 not out in a total of 246, the first time anyone had scored a century for New Zealand.^[7][8]

He was appointed New Zealand's captain for their next series, two matches against Lord Hawke's XI in 1902-03. However, apart from winning the toss in both matches he had little success, scoring 44 runs in two losses by large margins.^[9] He did not play for New Zealand again. Dan Reese, who scored a century in the second match, later said, "no more likeable man has led New Zealand sides; he was also an able leader".^[10]

Later career

Richardson captained Wellington in his last first-class match in 1906-07, against the MCC. For some years he held the record for the number of runs scored in a season of Wellington club cricket: 553.^[11] He later served on the selection panel for Wellington.^[12]

His younger brother William also played for New South Wales, from 1887 to 1896.^[13]

See also

• List of New South Wales representative cricketers