David Nicholls

David Nicholls (8 December 1943 – 10 June 2008), was an English cricketer who played for Kent County Cricket Club during the 1960s and 1970s. He was born at East Dereham in Norfolk and died at Dartford in Kent in 2008 aged 64.

Nicholls was a powerfully-built left-handed batsman, usually used as an opener, and a wicketkeeper. In both roles, he usually had to play second fiddle to Kent's established stars, being behind Peter Richardson, Brian Luckhurst, Mike Denness and Graham Johnson for most of his career as an opening batsman, and being deputy to Alan Knott as wicketkeeper. In an 18-season first-class cricket career, he played more than 200 matches for Kent, plus almost 100 List A games, but was a regular member of the side with a fixed place in the team for only a couple of years in the early 1970s. In one of those seasons, 1971, he completed exactly 1,000 first-class runs, the only time he passed this particular landmark.

Early career Nicholls made his first-class debut as a 16-year-old in 1960 but did not bat, bowl or keep wicket in his only game that season. He appeared next in 1962, playing nine first-class matches and making his first score of more than 50 – 76 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

In 1963, the Kent side was in transition and captain Colin Cowdrey was injured for much of the season. Luckhurst and Denness took advantage of vacancies in the batting line-up to establish themselves in the side, but Nicholls was unable to do so: although he played in 16 first-class matches, he made only 684 runs at an average of just 25. He did, however, make the highest individual score of the whole English season, 211 against Derbyshire at Folkestone in 335 minutes. It remained the highest score of Nicholls' first-class career.

Re-emergence That career did not go forward much over the next few seasons. Nicholls remained a fringe first-team player, with his batting average drooping below 20. In 1969, batting improvement came, and Nicholls played in several games where Knott was also playing: he scored 743 runs and his average rose to 23. He was also awarded his county cap. He finally added a second century to the double he had scored in 1963, making 135 against Lancashire at Southport.

Later career Nicholls remained a regular player in the 1972 season, but he failed to make 1,000 runs and his highest score was just 60.

He then went on to work for the sports company Lillywhite Frowd based in Tonbridge.