Massey Poyntz

Who was Massey Poyntz?

Edward Stephen Massey Poyntz was an English first-class cricketer, who played for Somerset in the early twentieth century. An amateur, Poyntz was an aggressive right-handed batsman. He generally played as part of the middle order, and though his batting was not exceptional, he was highly praised for his fielding ability. He captained Somerset in the two years prior to the First World War.

The youngest son of the Chief Constable of Essex, Poyntz made his county cricket debut in 1905, hitting a half-century to help Somerset win their only match of that season. He achieved his best batting average in that year, while each of the following four were of little note. In 1910 he captained Somerset for the first time, and scored over 300 runs in a season for the second of five occasions. His only attempts at bowling occurred during 1911, when he claimed eight wickets at an average of almost forty. He was named as Somerset's official captain in 1913, and remained in charge for the following season. After serving in the Army during the First World War, Poyntz scored his only century in first-class cricket in a match for the Army against Cambridge University in 1919.