Born on 16 February 1863 in Lenton, Oliver Redgate was a right-hand bat and a fair bowler. His first-class debut was made for M Sherwin’s XI v Lord Hawke’s XI at Scarborough on 13, 14 and 15 June 1889. A month later he made his Notts First-Class debut versus Liverpool and District, scoring a first-class best of 37. A member of Notts Castle CC and also Forest Amateurs CC, Redgate played eight First-Class matches for Notts the last one v Gloucestershire at the Gloucester Spa Ground in 1894. He scored 134 runs @11.16 and took four wickets @13.00, with a best of 3-8 v MCC at Lord’s in 1891. In total, Redgate played 12 First-Class games scoring 205 runs @11.38 and taking seven wickets @18.57.
One of his more curious engagements was at Lord’s in May 1882 when he appeared for the ‘Single XI v the Married XI, an occasional fixture that was played sixteen times in the 19th Century, seven of those accorded First-Class status. Given that the match included such luminaries as George Lohmann, Johnny Briggs and a host of Redgate’s Nottinghamshire team-mates - ‘Dick’ Attewell, John Dixon, Arthur Shrewsbury and Mordecai Sherwin - it certainly had some first class performers. Redgate scored 5 and 25no, being there in partnership with Lohmann as the ‘Singles’ clinched a five-wicket win.
Redgate, who died aged 49 years in Sherwood on 11 February 1913, worked in the brewing trade, being variously described in census returns as 'brewer', 'maltster', and, in 1911, 'Publican'.
June 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 213