Sidney Kitcat

{{short description|English cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Sidney Kitcat

| image = S. A. P. Kitcat Cricket 14 4 1898.png

| country =

| fullname = Sidney Austyn Paul Kitcat

| birth_date = {{birth date|1868|7|20|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Tetbury, Gloucestershire

| death_date = {{death date and age|1942|6|17|1868|7|20|df=yes}}

| death_place = Esher, Surrey

| nickname =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm medium-pace

| role =

| club1 = Gloucestershire

| year1 = 1890-1904

| clubnumber1 =

| club2 =

| year2 =

| clubnumber2 =

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 54

| runs1 = 1899

| bat avg1 = 21.82

| 100s/50s1 = 0/10

| top score1 = 95*

| deliveries1 = 725

| wickets1 = 14

| bowl avg1 = 34.35

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 2/0

| catches/stumpings1 = 38/0

| date = 3 March 2020

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/16072.html Cricinfo

}}

Sidney Austyn Paul Kitcat (20 July 1868 – 17 June 1942) was an English cricketer. He played for Gloucestershire between 1890 and 1904.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/16072.html |title=Sidney Kitcat |accessdate=30 March 2014 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}

Life

Sidney Kitcat was the seventh child and third son of the Reverend David Kitcat, Rector of Westonbirt, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire.{{cite web |title=Person Page - 61006 |url=http://thepeerage.com/p61006.htm#i610058 |website=The Peerage |accessdate=3 March 2020}} He was educated at Marlborough College, where he captained the First XI in 1886.[https://archive.acscricket.com/cricket/1898/54/index.html "Chats on the Cricket Field: Mr. S. A. P. Kitcat"], Cricket, 14 April 1898, pp. 49–50. After an incident in a school match when he was controversially dismissed, the Marylebone Cricket Club changed the Laws of Cricket to make it illegal for a bowler to bowl consecutive overs.

W. G. Grace saw Kitcat playing for Marylebone Cricket Club and asked him to join Gloucestershire, Grace's county team. He played as an amateur, fitting county matches in when the demands of his business allowed. His highest score was 95 not out against Middlesex at Lord's in 1897.{{cite web |title=Middlesex v Gloucestershire 1897 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4765.html |website=CricketArchive |accessdate=29 February 2020}} Against Sussex in 1896, he and Grace, who made 301, added 193 for the ninth wicket; Kitcat made 77 not out.{{cite web |title=Gloucestershire v Sussex 1896 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4627.html |website=CricketArchive |accessdate=3 March 2020}}

He was also an international hockey player."Obituary: S. A. P. Kitcat", The Cricketer, 4 July 1942, p. 160. In 1896 he married a widow, Mabel Murray Hickson, a writer of short stories.

References