Cyril Poole

Cyril John Poole (13 March 1921 – 11 February 1996) was an English cricketer, who played for Nottinghamshire and in three Tests for England. He also played football for Mansfield Town, Gillingham and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

His one taste of Test cricket came on the 1951/52 tour to India. Poole, who had replaced Jack Ikin because of injury, played three times for what was, in effect, an England second eleven, scoring two fifties. He was never picked for England again, his batting defensive frailties counting against him,

Cyril Poole died, in Balderton, Nottinghamshire, on 11 February 1996, aged 74. His Wisden obituary in 1997, which described him as a "splendidly entertaining" cricketer, "one of the most gifted and audacious left-handed batsmen on the circuit... and a great fielder". It also included an anecdote: "He would regularly borrow any bat that was lying around the dressing room, never worrying about the weight or other technicalities. It is said that his team-mates tried to cure him with a trick bat, which was merely a shell filled with sawdust. He scored about 70 with it and apparently never noticed."