Cardigan Connor
{{short description|West Indian cricketer}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Cardigan Connor
| image =
| country = West Indies
| fullname = Cardigan Adolphus Connor
| nickname = Christy, Cardy
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|3|24|df=yes}}
| birth_place = The Valley, Anguilla
| heightft = 5
| heightinch = 10
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm fast-medium
| club1 = Hampshire
| year1 = 1984–1998
| clubnumber1 =
| club2 = Buckinghamshire
| year2 = 1979–1984
| clubnumber2 =
| columns = 2
| column1 = FC
| matches1 = 221
| runs1 = 1,814
| bat avg1 = 11.93
| 100s/50s1 = –/2
| top score1 = 59
| deliveries1 = 37,397
| wickets1 = 614
| bowl avg1 = 31.74
| fivefor1 = 18
| tenfor1 = 4
| best bowling1 = 9/38
| catches/stumpings1 = 61/–
| column2 = LA
| matches2 = 300
| runs2 = 335
| bat avg2 = 6.32
| 100s/50s2 = –/–
| top score2 = 25
| deliveries2 = 14,625
| wickets2 = 411
| bowl avg2 = 25.07
| fivefor2 = 1
| tenfor2 = –
| best bowling2 = 5/25
| catches/stumpings2 = 55/–
| date = 8 December
| year = 2009
| source = http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/10784.html Cricinfo
}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name =
|image =
|office =
|monarch =
|governor =
|term_start = 23 April 2015
|term_end =
|predecessor =
|successor =
|office1 = Member of the House of Assembly for West End
|term_start1 = 2015
|term_end1 =
|party = Anguilla United Front
}}
Cardigan Adolphus Connor (born 24 March 1961) is an Anguillan born former English cricketer. Connor was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler.{{cite web|title=Cardigan Connor|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/10784.html}}
Career
Connor left his home island of Anguilla in 1979 to pursue a cricketing career in England. Connor was signed by Buckinghamshire in 1979 and remained at the club for five years playing in the Minor Counties Championship. Connor was eventually spotted by former Hampshire cricketer Charlie Knott who recommended him to Hampshire, who signed him for the 1984 season.
Connor made his first-class debut for Hampshire against Somerset. This was to the first of Connor's 221 first-class matches for the club. The same year Connor made his List-A debut against Nottinghamshire in the John Player Special League. Connor would go on to play 300 one-day matches for the club.
Connor formed a deadly partnership with his fellow West Indian new ball bowler Malcolm Marshall, often trying to compete with his partner for pace. Connor was a member of the 1988 Benson and Hedges Cup Hampshire team, taking two wickets in the final at Lord's. A further honour came in 1991 when Connor was again a member of the Hampshire winning team, this time in the 1991 NatWest Trophy where he took three wickets, including that of future England batsman Graham Thorpe for 93. There was call for Connor being called up to the England one-day squad, but this never materialised. Connor tasted success for a second time in the Benson and Hedges Cup, this time in 1992 when Hampshire beat Kent. Connor took a single wicket in the match, that of Mark Ealham.
In 1994 he was named the Hampshire Cricket Society Player of the Year.{{cite web| date= 9 December 2009 | url= http://hcs.cricketarchive.co.uk/PLAYER_OF_YEAR.html| title= Hampshire Cricket Society Player of the Year| publisher =cricketarchivenews.com| accessdate=9 December 2009| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716062648/http://hcs.cricketarchive.co.uk/PLAYER_OF_YEAR.html| archivedate=16 July 2013| url-status=dead}} By this time Connor was something of a cult figure at the County Ground. Connor took his best innings bowling figures during the 1996 County Championship. In a match against Gloucestershire he took 9/38, this at a time when Malcolm Marshall had retired.
Connor made his final first-class appearance for Hampshire in a County Championship match against Derbyshire in 1998, although that season he played just four first-class matches for the club. His final one-day appearance came on 13 September 1998 in an AXA League match against Worcestershire. Connor retired at the end of the 1998 season. In total Connor took over 1,000 wickets for Hampshire. Testament to Connor's cult figure at the club, his benefit year raised £147,000.
After cricket
After retiring from cricket, Connor returned to Anguilla. He was Anguilla's 'chef de mission' (team manager) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.{{cite web| date= 27 July 2002 | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/hi/cycling/newsid_2155000/2155940.stm| title= Cardigan warms to Anguillian task| publisher =hnews.bbc.co.uk| accessdate=9 December 2009}} Connor currently works as a hotel masseur and a fitness coach, with a website calling him "the island's most popular personal trainer".{{cite web| date= 9 December 2009 | url= http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleview/1435/1/63/| title= Cardigan Connor Massage| publisher =anguillaguide.com| accessdate=9 December 2009| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623233133/http://anguillaguide.com/article/articleview/1435/1/63/| archivedate=23 June 2013| url-status=dead}}
At the Anguillian general election in April 2015 Connor was elected in District 7 – West End for the Anguilla United Front.{{cite web | url=http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/parliament/ai_parliament/ai_house.asp | title=House of Assembly of Anguilla | publisher=KnowledgeWalk Institute |work=Caribbean Elections | accessdate=10 June 2015 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609200621/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/parliament/ai_parliament/ai_house.asp| archivedate=9 June 2015| url-status=live}}
After the 2025 Anguillan general election, Connor became deputy premier to newly-elected premier Cora Richardson-Hodge.{{cite web| date= 27 February 2025 | url= https://starcomnetwork.net/blog/2025/02/27/anguilla-elect-first-female-premier-former-cricketer-is-her-deputy/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIvZmVleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdwCK9yXDvXQGoE3jonjY56XvoCewftZFQf0tpZrNcHq_rPGvFCuiYb-og_aem_agrt_JRgIXw_Ple0LZviXw| title= Anguilla elects first female Premier/Former cricketer is her deputy| publisher =Starcom Network| accessdate=27 February 2025 }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/10784.html Cardigan Connor] Cricinfo
- [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4234/4234.html Cardigan Connor] at CricketArchive
- [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4234/statistics_lists.html Matches and detailed statistics for Cardigan Connor]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connor, Cardigan}}
Category:Anguillan expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Buckinghamshire cricketers