Godfrey Cripps


Godfrey Cripps was a cricketer who played in one Test for South Africa in 1891–92.
Born in India and educated at Cheltenham College, Cripps played just four first-class cricket matches, all of them in South Africa. A middle-order right-handed batsman, his first first-class appearance was in the South African Test side that lost to Walter Read's English touring team – which included the Australian players Billy Murdoch and John Ferris. Cripps was one of four South Africans who were making their first-class debuts in this Test match.
A season later, Cripps played twice for Western Province, scoring a century in the second match against Griqualand West. His final first-class game was the 1893–94 Currie Cup final for Western Province against Natal which his side won inside two days.
In 1894, he was vice-captain of the South African tour team to England, but no first-class matches were played on the tour.

Personal life

According to his obituary in the Adelaide Advertiser, Cripps was the cousin of the British Cabinet minister Sir Stafford Cripps and had been a deputy sheriff in the Cape Colony before coming to Australia 30 years before his death. Cripps is described in the obituary as living at Simpson Road in the Adelaide suburb of Wattle Park, and as having been a schoolmaster, initially in Queensland and then at St Peter's College, Adelaide, until 10 years before his death.