Francis Marchant

Frank Marchant

Personal information
Full name	Francis Marchant
Born	(1864-05-22)22 May 1864 Kent, England
Died	13 April 1946(1946-04-13) (aged 81) Roehampton, England
Batting	Right-handed
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1883–1905	Kent
1884–1887	Cambridge University
1890–1896	Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)
First-class debut	20 August 1883 Kent v Lancashire
Last First-class	19 June 1905 Kent v Sussex
Career statistics
Competition FC Matches 267 Runs scored 9,124 Batting average 20.97 100s/50s 8/38 Top score 176 Balls bowled 1039 Wickets 20 Bowling average 30.45 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 2/11 Catches/stumpings 130/–
Source: CrinInfo, 11 March 2017

Francis Marchant (22 May 1864 – 13 April 1946), known as Frank Marchant, was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman, an occasional wicket-keeper and captain of Kent County Cricket Club from 1890 to 1897.

Frank Marchant was born in Matfield House, Matfield, Kent and educated at Rugby, Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. He first played cricket for Kent during the 1883 season, in a loss against Lancashire. He received his cap two years later, following a string of University matches playing for Cambridge University Cricket Club, while he returned to his home county during 1885. He bowled infrequently for Kent during 1885, meaning that he spent the first half of the following year back with Cambridge. Following 1887 however, these appearances for the University side would cease after he found greater form playing with Kent.

Working his way up to the position of opening batsman come this time, Kent's 1887 season was somewhat of a disappointment, managing only one win during the year. While Marchant was an underconfident batsman when placed in an opening position, he thrived amongst his weaker batting team-mates, able to better scores further down the order than when he opened for the side.

Marchant was present for the totality of the inaugural 1890 County Championship season, achieving two half-centuries in fourteen games for the side, being one of only five players to play in every match during the season. During the same year, as Australia toured the country, Merchant helped the team to decent performances against the touring side, a commanding position for a commanding player chosen as captain for the confident young side against the tourists.

While Kent's inconsistent performances County Championship appearances in the early days were subject to much scrutiny from players and spectators alike, Marchant, as the leader in averages during the 1891 season, showed he was in the right place as a leader of the team. The team failed to get higher than fourth up until the 1894 season, and then, just as things looked as they were getting back on track, Marchant and his teammates suffered one of their worst seasons in memory, concluding their season bottom of the table on Finishing Percentage, in spite of Marchant having been awarded the captaincy of the team.