| Charlie Frith | |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Fullname: | Charles Frith |
| Birth Date: | 19 January 1854 |
| Birth Place: | Bodmin, Cornwall, England |
| Death Place: | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Bowling: | Right-arm off-break |
| Family: | William Frith (brother) |
| Club1: | Canterbury |
| Club2: | Otago |
| Year2: | 1881/82–1889/90 |
| Columns: | 1 |
| Column1: | First-class |
| Matches1: | 14 |
| Runs1: | 66 |
| Bat Avg1: | 4.12 |
| 100S/50S1: | 0/0 |
| Top Score1: | 9 |
| Deliveries1: | 2,575 |
| Wickets1: | 63 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 9.60 |
| Fivefor1: | 6 |
| Tenfor1: | 1 |
| Best Bowling1: | 7/25 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 12/– |
| Date: | 4 October |
| Year: | 2014 |
| Source: | https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/21/21911/21911.html CricketArchive |
Charlie Frith (19 January 1854 – 3 April 1919) was an English-born New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Canterbury and Otago between the 1877–78 and 1889–90 seasons.
Charlie Frith's family moved from England to New Zealand in 1867.[1] A "tall, cheery fellow with an easy, full overarm action",[2] Frith was "a right-hand medium-paced bowler, with a slight off-break. His great success as a bowler was his ability to keep a fine length ... he was able, even on a perfect wicket, to quickly wear a spot that enabled him to get work on the ball."[3]
In February 1877 he took 6 for 23 and 3 for 29 for a Canterbury XVIII against James Lillywhite's XI; in the only close match of the English team's six-week tour of New Zealand, Canterbury lost by 23 runs.[4] Some of the English players tried to persuade him to return to England and play county cricket, but he preferred to stay in New Zealand.[5] In 1877-78 Frith was part of the Canterbury XV that beat the Australians, taking the wickets of Bannerman, Horan, Bailey and Gregory, and finishing with match figures of 81–48–55–4 (four-ball overs).[6]
He took 6 for 34 and 4 for 29 when Canterbury beat Otago by nine wickets in 1879–80.[7] In the return match the next season, George Watson scored a record 175 for Canterbury, then Charlie's brother William took 8 for 18 in the first innings and Charlie took 7 for 25 in the second to give Canterbury victory by an innings and 232 runs.[8] In 1883–84, now playing for Otago, he took 5 for 8 in Tasmania's second innings to help Otago to an eight-wicket victory.[9] In senior club cricket in Dunedin in 1886–87, playing for the Phoenix club, he took 111 wickets at an average of 4.13.[10] In his last first-class match, in 1889–90, he bowled unchanged throughout both innings (53.4 five-ball overs in all) to take 5 for 24 and 3 for 18 in a victory over Canterbury.[11]
Dan Reese called him "the first great bowler in New Zealand cricket".[5] He was one of the 14 players chosen in 1927 by the New Zealand cricket historian Tom Reese as the best New Zealand cricketers before the First World War,[12] and one of the 11 Reese chose in 1936 as the best New Zealand team of all time.[13]
Frith umpired four first-class matches in New Zealand between 1885 and 1900.[14] The Otago–Southland match in 1901-02 was played in his benefit, and he was presented with £51 as a result.[15]
He worked as a newspaper compositor,[16] having served his apprenticeship with the Christchurch Press.[17]