Douglas James Smith

Who was Douglas James Smith?

Douglas James Smith was an English cricketer and umpire. He played first-class county cricket for Somerset and Worcestershire, as well as appearing for Glamorgan, not at the time a first-class county, in the Minor Counties Championship. He also umpired one Test match.

Born in Batley, Yorkshire, Smith made his debut in May 1896, for Somerset against Gloucestershire at Bristol, but made only 8 and 0. He then had a relatively good period, his next three games yielding 175 runs and including his only two half-centuries: 62 against Middlesex at Lord's and 54 against Sussex at Hove. His form then fell away and 12 further innings that year produced only 164 more runs. The 1896 season also saw his only bowling in first-class cricket, though he took no wickets. Smith played seven games in the middle of the 1897 season, and two more the following summer, but enjoyed no success at all, recording just 97 runs in 17 innings.

His next first-class game was not until 1901, when he turned out for Worcestershire against Hampshire at Worcester, making 3 and 10. He played a handful more games for the county over the next few years, but did nothing of note other than to make his only first-class stumping. This came in his very last first-class game, against Lancashire in 1904, when in the absence of Worcestershire's usual keeper he played behind the stumps and accounted for Lancashire's own keeper, William Findlay.