Nolan Clarke

Who is Nolan Clarke?

Nolan Ewatt Clarke was a Dutch cricketer who played 5 One Day Internationals for The Netherlands in the 1996 Cricket World Cup. A big hitting right-handed batsman, he once topped the six hitting tally in the Hong Kong Sixes, a tournament that included Brian Lara.

Clarke was educated at St Michael's parish which was the same school that West Indian cricketers Vanburn Holder and David Murray went to. He represented Barbados in first class cricket from 1970 until 1978 and played 26 games for them in total. His highest first class score of 159 was made against Mike Denness's touring England side in 1973–74.

He then began coaching in the Netherlands and played for a team called Sparta, in Rotterdam.

In 1995 he made 86 for the Netherlands in a NatWest Trophy game against Northamptonshire.

When the Netherlands qualified for the 1996 World Cup, Clarke was heavily influential in getting them there having made 121 not out against Bermuda in a crucial ICC Trophy play off match.

At the age of 47 and 240 days, Clarke played his first One Day International for the Netherlands, becoming the oldest debutant in history, beating the previous record holder Norman Gifford by almost 3 years. He also holds the record for oldest player beating John Traicos by nearly 2 years.