Cyril Perkins

George Cyril Perkins (4 June 1911 – 21 November 2013) was an English cricketer. Perkins was a right-handed batsman who bowled both slow left-arm orthodox and left-arm medium pace. He was born in Wollaston, Northamptonshire. On 4 June 2011 he became the 13th former first-class player to reach 100 years of age, and the fourth county cricketer to do so. Following the death of Syd Ward in January 2010, Perkins held the distinction of being the oldest living first-class cricketer.

Career Perkins made his first-class debut for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club against Middlesex in the County Championship. He played for Northamptonshire from 1934 to 1937, a period notable in Northamptonshire's history for their astonishing winless run: the county failed to register a win in 99 first-class matches between 1935 and 1939. Perkins made 56 first-class appearances for Northamptonshire, without ever being on the winning side. Perkins performed well with the ball during his first-class career with the county, taking 93 wickets at an average of 35.58, claiming a five wicket haul on 5 occasions, and taking best figures of 6/54. His best figures came against Worcestershire in 1935, a season which was by far and away his best season with the ball, with Perkins taking 63 wickets at 26.46 a piece. As a tailender, Perkins scored 560 runs with the bat, coming at a batting average of 7.88, with a high score of 29. A handy fielder, he took 30 catches in the field. Perkins left Northamptonshire at the end of the end of the 1937 season, having played his final match against Lancashire at Old Trafford. He played throughout 1939, before the Second World War ended county cricket until 1946. During the war, he served with the Royal Artillery, spending time at the end of the war in Cairo, Egypt. Perkins returned to playing minor counties cricket for Suffolk following the war, which he had to balance with his work commitments as cricket coach at Ipswich School. This meant he went winless in his 57 first-class appearances, a record for the number of first-class appearances without featuring in a win. He bowled 12 wicket-less overs for the cost of 31 runs, while he wasn't required to bat in the Suffolk innings as Kent ran out winners by 113 runs.