The powerful Kent and Oxford batsman Charles Harold ('John') Knott, who died on June 18, aged 87, had a top first-class score of 261 not out for Oxford Harlequins against the 1928 West Indians at Eastbourne, his side piling up 676 for 8 and winning by an innings. Knott's six-hour innings contained five sixes, a five and 29 fours, and he had stands of 233 (21/2 hours) with Reg Bettington and 160 in under an hour with A. J. Evans. At school he had been a prolific scorer, hitting 220 for Tonbridge v Lancing (230 with L. P. Hedges in an hour) and 372 in a house match. From 1915, when he enrolled at Tonbridge, he had a continuous connection with the school (where his brother F. H. Knott, also of Oxford and Kent, had been educated), teaching there and being in charge of cricket from 1930 to 1955, during which time his most distinguished pupil was Colin Cowdrey. Born in Tunbridge Wells, on March 20, 1901, John Knott scored 5633 runs in 136 first-class matches, mostly during school holidays, averaging 31.46, with nine centuries. He also bowled legbreaks and was a fine cover fielder. He earned Blues in the 1922, 1923 and 1924 Varsity matches, and later toured Egypt with six of H. M. Martineau's expeditions.
Wisden Cricket Monthly