Daft Richard Image 1 Nottinghamshire 1874

Description

Radcliffe on Trent, Nottinghamshire born Richard Daft was one of the best batsmen of his day, the peak of his firstclass career (which lasted from 1858 to 1891) being the 1860’s and early 1870’s. He appeared in only a handful of matches after 1880.

Most of his important matches were played for Nottinghamshire and the All England Eleven, and he captained his County from 1871 to 1880. Unusually for the period, after beginning his career as a professional he later became an amateur. Two of his most notable innings were 118 at Lord’s for North against South in 1862 and 102 for the Players against the Gentlemen at Lord’s in 1872.

He led a strong side to North America in late 1879, which beat a XV of Philadelphia. A portrait of him painted in 1875 by Frank Miles is owned by Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. It was written of him: “Not a big hitter, but played a thoroughly sound and at the same time graceful game.” He was ridiculed on one occasion when he came out to bat with his head wrapped in a towel for protection in protest at what turned out to be a fatal injury received by the previous batsman (George Summers), due to short-pitched bowling on the notoriously uneven Lord’s pitch.

In August 1891, he played with his son Harry in the County eleven against Surrey at Kennington Oval. Richard Daft had returned to the Nottinghamshire side after an absence of ten years because Arthur Shrewsbury was forced to stand down through injury. Richard Daft was then 56 and Harry 25. Neither father nor son made any particular impact in this game, with Harry scoring 5 and 0, and his father 12 and 2 as Surrey won by an innings and 46 runs. Other father and son combinations have played first class cricket together, among them WG Grace and his son, William Bestwick and his son, and Walter Quaife and his son.

He wrote Kings of Cricket: Reminiscences and Anecdotes with Hints on the Game, which was published by J. W. Arrowsmith/Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. in 1893.

In 254 first class matches, Daft scored 9,788 runs at an average of 25.42, scoring 7 centuries and 50 half centuries with a highest score of 161. He also took 51 wickets at 20.98 runs a piece as an occasional bowler with 2 five wicket innings and a best of 6-59. He also took 155 catches in the first class game.

Daft was the father of Harry Daft who played cricket for Nottinghamshire from 1885 to 1899 and was more famous as a footballer for Notts County, Newark Town, Nottingham Forest and the Corinthians, winning the FA Cup with Notts County and playing for England five times. Another son, Richard Parr Daft played cricket for Nottinghamshire in 1886, he also played cricket with his brother Charles Frederick Daft (Nottinghamshire 1862-64) and his nephew H.C. Daft was a champion hurdle racer.