A right-hand bat and right-arm fast-medium bowler who also bowled a slower ball breaking back from leg, Arthur Robert Bennett was considered the best amateur bowler in the county in the 1890s. He was born 16 November 1868 in Mapperley, the son of the manager of the works of the Nottingham Patent Brick Company. The family residence, Barnsdale House, still stands at the corner of Bennett Street and Woodborough Road. Arthur was a member of Nottingham Castle CC. Given a trial in the Next XVI v Notts in September 1890, he then waited until 1893 for a second chance, when he played for Notts Colts v Yorkshire Colts at Sheffield, taking 9-121 in the match.
His Notts debut came in a non First-Class friendly v Warwickshire at Edgbaston in May 1893, and he then appeared v Leicestershire at Leicester in June 1893, taking 10-112 in the match. His First-Class debut came v Kent at Trent Bridge in July of the same year, bowling opener Alex Hearne for 1. For Amateurs v Professionals at Trent Bridge in August 1893 he had match figures of 13-118. He made a solitary First-Class appearance in 1894 in the Whitsun game against Surrey as Notts lost by an innings. In 1895, he appeared three times in August - taking 11 wickets @23.09, including a career best 5-81 at Trent Bridge versus Kent in the final game of the season. He took four First-Class wickets in two games in 1896, with his seventh and final First-Class match being against The Australians in June 1896. In total, he scored 40 first-class runs @4.00 and took 17 wickets @29.29.
He died aged 30 on 7 May 1899 at Doctor Victor Horsley’s Private Hospital in Marylebone, London.
June 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 226
See Arthur Bennett's career stats here