Victor Cannings

Victor Henry Douglas Cannings (3 April 1919 – 27 October 2016) was an English cricketer. Cannings was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace.

Cannings made his first-class debut for Warwickshire against Northamptonshire in the 1947 County Championship, where on debut Cannings took two wickets for 19 runs in Northamptonshire's second innings.

From 1947 to 1949 Cannings represented Warwickshire in 53 first-class matches. In his debut season of 1947, he took 63 wickets at a bowling average of 29.57, with best figures of 5–49, which was one of his three five wicket hauls for the club during that season. Thereafter, in the 1948 and 1949 seasons Cannings struggled to take wickets, playing his last first-class match for Warwickshire against Somerset.

In his 53 first-class matches for Warwickshire, Cannings scored 745 runs at an average of 14.32, including his only first-class half century which yielded him highest first-class score of 61. With the ball Cannings took 88 wickets at an average of 31.11, with best figures of 5–49 and three five wicket hauls, all coming in his debut season for the county.

In 1950 Cannings joined the county of his birth, Hampshire. Cannings made his first-class debut for the club against Middlesex. In his debut season Cannings' bowling was revitalised, and he took 83 wickets at 24.32, with his career best figures of 7–52 coming as he made three five wicket hauls. In 1951, 1952, 1953, and 1954 seasons he took over 100 wickets, with Cannings taking his first ten wicket haul in a match in 1951. Cannings continued to take wickets for the county, taking over 50 wickets in the 1955, 1956, 1957, and 1959 seasons.

Cannings additionally represented TN Pearce's XI in a first-class match against Essex in 1952. In 1953, Cannings was the bowler who interrupted Bill Johnston’s amazing run of sixteen not-outs in seventeen innings.

Cannings played his final first-class match for Hampshire in 1959 against Derbyshire. In the same season Cannings represented the Marylebone Cricket Club in a first-class match against Scotland, where he claimed two wickets.

Cannings played 230 first-class matches for Hampshire, scoring 1,888 runs at an average of 9.88, with a high score of 43*. With the ball Cannings took 834 wickets at an average of 21.69, with best figures of 7–52. Cannings took 39 five wicket hauls and ten wickets in a match four times. Cannings was also an able fielder, taking 89 catches for the club.

Cannings overall first-class statistics in the bowling department were impressive. Cannings took 927 wickets at an average of 22.73, with best figures of 7–52. Cannings took 42 five wicket hauls and took ten wickets in a match four times. With the bat Cannings was a tailender, scoring 2,660 runs at an average of 10.85, with one half century which yielded him his highest first-class score of 61.

After leaving Hampshire in 1959, Cannings joined Buckinghamshire in the 1960 Minor Counties Championship, making his debut against Norfolk. Cannings represented Buckinghamshire in ten Minor Counties matches in the 1960 season. Cannings returned to play for Buckinghamshire in 1962, representing them in two matches, with his final match for the county coming against Oxfordshire.

In 1963 Cannings stood as an umpire in a single Minor Counties Championship match between Berkshire and Devon. He died on 27 October 2016 at the age of 97.^[1]

References

External links

• Victor Cannings at Cricinfo
• Victor Cannings at CricketArchive
• Matches and detailed statistics for Victor Cannings