Godfrey Cripps

Godfrey Cripps was a cricketer who played in one Test for South African [cricket team|South Africa] in 1891–92.

Life and career

Born in India and educated at Cheltenham College in England, 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 in March 1892 that lost to Walter Read's English [cricket team in South Africa in 1891–92|English touring team] – which included the Australian players Billy [Murdoch (cricketer)|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. At the time he was working as a cashier for the African Banking Corporation.
Cripps was a cousin of the British Cabinet minister Sir Stafford Cripps. He had been a deputy sheriff in the Cape Colony before going to Australia some 30 years before his death. At the time of his death in July 1943 he was living at Simpson Road in the Adelaide suburb of Wattle Park. He had been a schoolmaster in Australia, initially in Queensland and then at St Peter's College, Adelaide, until 10 years before his death.