Charles Winter (cricketer, born 1866)

Charles Edgar Winter (9 October 1865^[a] – 3 April 1954) was an English cricketer who played 25 first-class matches for Somerset County Cricket Club between 1882 and 1895. A right-arm fast bowler, he claimed 50 wickets for the county at a Bowling average of 22.14. His highest score was 62, the only occasion on which he made a half-century.^[2]

Winter played his first match for Somerset in 1879 aged just 13 in a match against Wells Cricket Club. His next matches for the then second-class county came in 1881 when he claimed three wickets against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC),^[3] and five against Hampshire.^[4] Somerset were awarded first-class status in 1882,^[5] and it was in this season that Winter made his debut first-class appearance, playing for the county against Hampshire.^[6] By the time of his first-class debut, Winter was still only aged 16, making him among the youngest debutants to have played first-class cricket for Somerset.^[7] Coming on to bowl at the first change of bowling, Winter claimed a wicket in his first innings, with the Hampshire captain Russell Bencraft being caught off his bowling. He was dismissed for six in both of Somerset's innings.^[6] In his second match, against the MCC, Winter claimed four wickets for 49 runs in the second-innings, achieving a return that would remain his best until 1885.^[8] It was another match against Hampshire in which Winter improved his bowling figures, taking four wickets for 20 runs.^[9] Playing the same opposition later that season, Somerset had only travelled to Southampton for the match with nine players. After scoring 22 in the first-innings, Winter was promoted to open the second for Somerset, and scored his highest total, and only half-century, making 62 runs.^[10]

His son, also named Charles Winter, subsequently also played for Somerset.

• Foot, David (1986). Sunshine, Sixes and Cider: The History of Somerset Cricket (1986 ed.). David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8890-8.