Born in Kimberley on 24 March 1884, George Henry Chambers was a right-hand batsman and slow left-arm bowler. At the age of 16, he was a given a trial for County Colts v City Colts at Trent Bridge and won the prize ball, taking 5-43. He was afforded further trials in the Colts matches in 1901 and 1902 and v Yorkshire Colts in 1902. On 3 and 4 August 1903, Chambers appeared for Professionals v Amateurs at Trent Bridge and took 6-53 in the first innings; he was then invited to make his First-Class debut v Middlesex at Trent Bridge in August 1903. In 1904 he joined the Trent Bridge staff and played in one First-Class match v MCC at Lord’s. He remained on the staff in 1905 playing at The Parks v Oxford University, scoring a personal best of 30 in the second innings, and his last game was versus Yorkshire in a championship fixture at Trent Bridge. In four First-Class matches he scored 58 runs @11.60 and failed to a take a wicket conceding 54 runs. He also appeared in Scotland for Forfarshire.
Chambers who was a miner, moved from Kimberley to Bentley in South Yorkshire where he died on 13 September 1947, aged 63 years. His brother, Isaac Albert Chambers, was on the groundstaff in 1904 and another brother, William Thomas Chambers, appeared in 16 Minor County fixtures for Cheshire between 1909 and 1914. George’s son Ronald (1909-1981) played a few matches for Notts Second Eleven between 1929 to 1931.
His namesake, George Henry Chambers from Ilkeston, who played in the 1890s, was a second cousin of this George.
May 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 285