Seymour Clark

Infobox Old Cricketer


nationality = England
country = England
country abbrev = Eng
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngname = Seymour Clark
batting style = Right-hand tail-end batsman
bowling style = Wicketkeeper
FCs = 5
FC runs = 0
FC bat avg = 0.00
FC 100s/50s = 0/0
FC top score = 0*
FC balls = -
FC wickets = -
FC bowl avg = -
FC 5s = -
FC 10s = 0
FC best bowling = -
FC catches/stumpings = 8/0
debut date = 21 June
debut year = 1930
last date = 8 July
last year = 1930
source = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/3/3484/3484.html CricketArchive

Arthur Henry Seymour Clark, (born at Weston-super-Mare on March 26, 1902 and died there on March 17, 1995), was a first class cricketer who played five times for Somerset in the 1930 English cricket season and set a record that appears not to have been surpassed.

Clark, a local club cricketer in Weston and a locomotive driver with the Great Western Railway, was called into the Somerset side for five matches when regular wicketkeeper Wally Luckes was ill. He took eight catches, and Wisden Cricketers' Almanack for 1931 said that he "rendered useful service in that capacity".

But it is as a batsman that Clark is chiefly remembered. In nine innings in the five games, he failed to score a single run. [cite web | url = http://content-www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/72183.html | title = Nine innings ... no runs: Seymour Clark had a county career of five matches, during which he kept wicket brilliantly ... and never once got off the mark | author = David Foot | date = February 16, 2008 This article was first published in the July 1988 edition of Wisden Cricket Monthly.] In the match against Northamptonshire at Kettering, he was not out in both innings and failed to score, but otherwise he was out for 0, bowled five times and caught twice. Nine innings is believed to be the record for a first-class cricketer who failed to score a single run. John Howarth of Nottinghamshire played in 13 matches without scoring, but batted only seven times.

In Clark's obituary in Wisden 1996 edition, it is reported that the Essex and England bowler Peter Smith, bowling Essex to an overwhelming victory at Colchester, attempted to give him a run. He bowled so gently to Clark that the ball bounced twice before reaching the batsman. Clark was still bowled by it. In club cricket, Clark reckoned his highest score was three.

He returned to his career on the railways after this brief taste of first-class cricket.

References

* Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1931 and 1996 editions