Born On This Day: 4th February

Edward Sprot, an amateur batsman, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1872. While in the army he made his Hampshire debut aged 26 in 1898 in one match v Cambridge University, top-scoring with 21 & 56, in totals of 72 & 120 all out (Jessop 12-67).

He did not play again until the following season, when he played in five Championship matches, and then began playing regularly in the weak Hampshire side of 1900, scoring his first century, 103* v Warwickshire – there would be eleven more three-figure innings between 1900-1911 and one last one at the Oval in 1914, his final season with the county.

In 1905, he scored 1,206 runs at 41.58, the best average of four seasons in which he reached four figures. In 1903, he took on the Hampshire captaincy, and while he could not immediately arrest their occupation of last place in the Championship, with the arrival of the great professionals Hampshire’s cricket improved finishing eighth in 1906 and sixth in 1910 & 1912 – when they also beat the Australians for the first time.

In 1908, he was praised for what was then an unusual and inspired piece of captaincy: declarations were uncommon when he closed Hampshire’s innings 24 runs behind Northamptonshire, and gave the ball to the great batsman Phil Mead who took 7-18 in a total of 60 all out and Sprot then scored 62* as Hampshire won.

In 1911, his century in 45 minutes v Gloucestershire was, and remains, Hampshire’s fastest, while in 1914, Sprot’s side finished fifth, their highest until 1955, although by the end of that season he often handed leadership to the pace bowler Jaques who was killed at the front in 1915.

With cricket to resume in 1919, Sprot, by then 46, told the county he would not return, and Tennyson took charge. Sprot scored more than 12,000, often lively runs for Hampshire at 28.80, was a fine field, and an excellent leader; there were also 54 wickets, including 5-28 v Sussex at Portsmouth in 1900.

He retired, to fish, draw, paint and play the piano and he was also a keen shot and played, billiards, rackets and golf. HS Altham (1957) described him as “a fine field … (and) natural hitter … who played each game with optimism and zest …and made the game enjoyable both for his own side and the opposition”. He died in Farnham, Surrey 8th October 1945.