Charlie Frank

Charles Newton Frank - A survivor from the First World War where he had been badly gassed, Charles Frank - known as Charlie - returned home to forge a short first-class career from 1919 to 1926. He played for Transvaal throughout that time and announced himself on the cricket scene by scoring 108 on his debut for the province against Australia Imperial Forces at Johannesburg in October 1919. Diminutive in stature, Frank was born in Jagersfontein, Orange Free State, on 27 January 1891, and died in Bryanston, Johannesburg on 25 December 1961, aged 71. During Australia’s visit to South Africa in 1921/22, he was selected for all three Test matches of the tour and played a starring role in the second game of the series, played at Johannesburg. Forced to follow on in their second innings 207 runs behind, Frank batted for over eight and a half hours in scoring 152 to prevent an Australian victory. His time at the crease, against a strong Australian attack comprising J.M. Gregory, E.A. McDonald and A.A. Mailey, included partnerships of 105 with H.W. Taylor and 206 with A.W. Nourse. Frank’s century remains one of the slowest on record for a Test match. But it produced the draw that took the series to a final match decider which Australia subsequently won comfortably by ten wickets. No obituary appeared within the pages of Wisden for Frank after his death.

References

1. World Cricketers - A Biographical Dictionary by Christopher Martin-Jenkins published by Oxford University Press (1996)
2. The Wisden Book of Test Cricket, Volume 1 (1877-1977) compiled and edited by Bill Frindall published by Headline Book Publishing (1995)
3. Who's Who of Cricketers by Philip Bailey, Philip Thorn & Peter Wynne-Thomas published by Hamlyn (1993)
4. www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players