Druce Frank Image 2 Cambridge University 1896

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Denmark Hill, London born right-hand batsman Frank Druce began his career in cricket with the Marlborough College eleven between 1891 and 1893, captaining them in his last season before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1893. A regular in the University’s eleven, he achieved little for Cambridge in 1894, but in 1895, with very dry weather and firm pitches whilst University cricket was being played, he was first awarded his Blue and scored 786 runs in 17 innings at an average of 56. He made an impressive 50 on a fiery pitch for The Gentlemen against an extremely strong Players attack (with Richardson, Mold and Peel prominent) at Lord’s in July, appearing twice in the fixture that summer, but playing for Surrey in July and August that year Druce was a complete failure on a succession of sticky wickets – so much so that in seven matches he scored only 111 runs from ten innings. He visited America with Frank Mitchell’s Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C.) team in 1895.

In 1896, Druce again did well for Cambridge with the weather even drier than in the corresponding period of 1895. He was not available for Surrey after the University season ended, but in 1897, after being appointed captain of Cambridge University, he surpassed his 1895 form, averaging 66 an innings. In that season he hit 227 not out out, the highest innings to that date at Fenner’s, against C. I. Thornton’s XI. Although he was again disappointing for Surrey later that year, his form for the University was so good that Wisden chose Druce as one of their Five Cricketers of the Year for 1898. Wisden said of him:

“He plays his own game without any rigid over-adherence to rule, scoring on the on-side from straight balls in a fashion only possible to a batsman with genius for timing.”

He toured Australia with the M.C.C. under A. E. Stoddart, making his Test match debut for England against Australia at Sydney in December 1897. Although England were overwhelmed as bowlers like Richardson and Briggs lost form, Druce did not do badly, consistently getting starts and averaging 28 in his five Tests on tour with a highest score of 64, his only half century, in the first innings of the Fifth Test at Sydney in February 1898. He also scored 109 in a tour match against New South Wales at Sydney.

Although it was rumoured that Druce would play for Kent in 1898, it was, according to Wisden that year, thought that “very little will be seen of him in first class cricket”. In fact, Druce could not spare any time at all for County cricket as he moved into business, and though he played two more first class matches for the M.C.C. and H.D.G. Leveson-Gower’s XI in 1902 and 1909, his serious cricket had ended with his Ashes tour. However, his 152 for Free Foresters against Cambridge University as late as 1912 does suggest he would have done a good deal had he been able to play even occasionally.

Druce was a rather unorthodox batsman focused chiefly on hitting, and for his day his hitting on the leg-side was exceptional in quality. Although he was not a pure slogger, his defence on sticky wickets was not the equal of the best batsmen of his day, as shown in August 1895.

In 65 first class matches, he averaged 35.21 with the bat, making 9 centuries and 12 half centuries. He also took 8 wickets as an occasional bowler at an average of 33.50 a piece, holding 66 catches, 5 of which were in his Test matches.

He was the younger brother of Walter Druce, who had also captained both Marlborough and Cambridge University.