Robert Armitage (cricketer)

Robert Lawrence Sugden Armitage (9 July 1955 – 9 December 2000) was a South African first-class cricketer.

Robert Armitage

Personal information
Full name	Robert Lawrence Sugden Armitage
Born	9 July 1955 Grahamstown, Cape Province, South Africa
Died	9 December 2000(2000-12-09) (aged 45) Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off break
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1973/74–1987/88	Eastern Province
1976/77–1977/78	Northern Transvaal
1979/80–1987/88	Eastern Province B
1980	Cambridgeshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class List A Matches 109 55 Runs scored 3,923 969 Batting average 23.21 25.50 100s/50s 4/15 –/5 Top score 171* 73 Balls bowled 14,749 1,466 Wickets 205 35 Bowling average 31.65 27.20 5 wickets in innings 7 – 10 wickets in match 1 – Best bowling 7/97 4/18 Catches/stumpings 47/– 15/–
Source: Cricinfo, 21 July 2019

Life and career

Armitage was born in Grahamstown in July 1955 and later studied at Rhodes University.^[1] He made his debut in first-class cricket for Eastern Province against Transvaal at The Wanderers in the 1973–74 Currie Cup. He made 109 appearances in first-class cricket until 1987–88 Castle Bowl, making ninety appearances for Eastern Province, nine appearances for Eastern Province B, six appearances for Northern Transvaal, and four appearances for South African Universities.^[2] Playing as an all-rounder, he scored 3,923 runs in first-class cricket, 3,376 of which came for Eastern Province at an average of 24.11 and a high score of 171 not out.^[3] Making four centuries and thirteen half centuries, his highest first-class score came against Northern Transvaal in the 1981–82 season.^[4] With his right-arm off break bowling, he took 205 wickets, 143 of which came for Eastern Province at a bowling average of 35.84 and best figures of 7 for 97.^[5] He took seven five wicket hauls, with his best figures coming against Transvaal in the 1975–76 season.^[6]

He made his debut in List A one-day cricket for Eastern Province against Border in the 1974–75 Gillette Cup. He played List A cricket until November 1987, making 55 appearances. These included 51 matches for Eastern Province, in addition to one match for Northern Transvaal and three matches for South Africa,^[7] at a time when South Africa was suspended from international cricket as a result of apartheid. He scored 969 runs at an average of 25.50 in his 55 List A matches, with a high score of 73. With the ball, he took 35 wickets at an average of 27.20, with best figures of 4 for 18. He was a South African cricketer of the year in 1982.^[8]

In addition to playing first-class and List A cricket, he also played minor counties cricket in England for Cambridgeshire in 1980, making eight appearances in the Minor Counties Championship.^[9] He died in Grahamstown in December 2000, following a long struggle with cancer.^[1]