Denis Smith (cricketer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Denis Smith England (ENG)
Batting style	Left-hand bat
Bowling type	Right-arm medium
	Tests	First-class
Matches	2	443
Runs scored	128	21843
Batting average	32.00	31.65
100s/50s	-/1	32/116
Top score	57	225
Balls bowled	-	1516
Wickets	-	20
Bowling average	-	36.70
5 wickets in innings	-	1
10 wickets in match	-	-
Best bowling	-	5/37
Catches/stumpings	1/-	382/5
Test debut: 13 July 1935 Last Test: 27 July 1935 Source: [1]

Denis Smith (born January 24, 1907 in Somercotes, Derbyshire, died September 12, 1979 in Derby) was a cricketer who played for Derbyshire and England.

A tall left-handed opening batsman who played his strokes, Smith was the mainstay of Derbyshire's sometimes fragile batting line-up during the 1930s, the most successful period in the county's history. Traditionally one of the weaker counties, Derbyshire came second in the Championship in 1935 and won it (with an inferior record) in 1936.

Smith played two Test matches against the South Africans in 1935 and did well enough to be considered unlucky not to play more. He played regularly for Derbyshire until 1951, acting as wicket-keeper in the immediate post-war period. He later became county coach. His career aggregate of runs and his 30 centuries for the county were both Derbyshire records until beaten by Kim Barnett in the 1990s.

Smith was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1936.