Frank King (cricketer)

Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = West Indian
country = West Indies
country abbrev = WI
name = Frank King
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Right-hand bat
bowling style = Right-arm fast
tests = 14
test runs = 116
test top score = 21
test bat avg = 8.28
test 100s/50s = 0/0
test catches/stumpings = 5/0
test balls = 2,869
test wickets = 29
test best bowling = 5/74
test bowl avg = 39.96
test 5s = 1
test 10s = 0
FCs = 31
FC runs = 237
FC top score = 30*
FC bat avg = 9.11
FC 100s/50s = 0/0
FC catches/stumpings = 17/0
FC balls = unknown
FC wickets = 90
FC best bowling = 5/35
FC bowl avg = 28.75
FC 5s = 2
FC 10s = 0
debut date =21 January
debut year = 1953
last date =3 March
last year = 1956
source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/52291.html

Frank McDonald King (December 14, 1926 – December 23, 1990) was a West Indian cricketer who played in 14 Tests between 1953 and 1956.

Born in Delamere Land, Brighton, St Michael, Barbados, King was a hostile right-arm fast bowler who opened the bowling for the West Indies in three consecutive home series in the early 1950s. But he failed to build on a promising debut in the 1952-53 series against the Indian cricket team, when, with 17 wickets, he was the second highest wicket-taker after Alf Valentine. In the third Test of the series, he took five wickets for 74 runs in India's first innings, and also broke the hand of the Indian wicketkeeper, Ebrahim Maka. The report of the tour in Wisden for 1954, however, says that he "used the bumper a little too often for it to be a surprise ball".

The following season he played three Tests against England and took eight wickets, again bowling with much hostility and inflicting injury to several batsmen, though he himself also suffered from muscle strains. But in 1954-55 he took just three wickets in four matches against the Australians. His one overseas tour, to New Zealand in 1955-56, was blighted by injury. In the first Test, he pulled up with a strained muscle at the start of his ninth over; returning for the third Test, he again was injured, this time after four balls of his ninth over. This tour saw the emergence of Tom Dewdney as a fast bowler, and King never again appeared for the West Indies. When he was passed over for the 1957 West Indies tour to England, he retired from first-class cricket and moved to England where he played league cricket for West Bromwich Dartmouth in the West Midlands.

King's cricket outside Tests was largely for Barbados, but he played two matches in 1951-52 for Trinidad against Barbados. He died in Bescot, Walsall, Staffordshire, England.