Sidney Kitcat

Sidney Austyn Paul Kitcat (20 July 1868 – 17 June 1942) was an English cricketer. He played for Gloucestershire between 1890 and 1904.^[1]

Sidney Kitcat

Personal information
Full name	Sidney Austyn Paul Kitcat
Born	(1868-07-20)20 July 1868 Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Died	17 June 1942(1942-06-17) (aged 73) Esher, Surrey
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium-pace
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1890-1904	Gloucestershire
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 54 Runs scored 1899 Batting average 21.82 100s/50s 0/10 Top score 95* Balls bowled 725 Wickets 14 Bowling average 34.35 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 2/0 Catches/stumpings 38/0
Source: Cricinfo, 3 March 2020

Life

Sidney Kitcat was the seventh child and third son of the Reverend David Kitcat, Rector of Westonbirt, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire.^[2] He was educated at Marlborough College, where he captained the First XI in 1886.^[3] After an incident in a school match when he was controversially dismissed, the Marylebone Cricket Club changed the Laws of Cricket to make it illegal for a bowler to bowl consecutive overs.^[3]

W. G. Grace saw Kitcat playing for Marylebone Cricket Club and asked him to join Gloucestershire, Grace's county team.^[3] He played as an amateur, fitting county matches in when the demands of his business allowed.^[3] His highest score was 95 not out against Middlesex at Lord's in 1897.^[4] Against Sussex in 1896, he and Grace, who made 301, added 193 for the ninth wicket; Kitcat made 77 not out.^[5]

He was also an international hockey player.^[6] In 1896 he married a widow, Mabel Murray Hickson, a writer of short stories.^[3]