Charles Kerrison Hill Hill-Wood was an English cricketer known for his impressive left-arm fast-medium bowling and his contributions as a lower-order batsman. Born on June 1, 1907, Charles was the last surviving member of the four talented Hill-Wood brothers who represented Eton, Derbyshire, as well as various teams at Oxford or Cambridge.
Charles came from a cricketing family, with his father, S.H. Wood, having captained Derbyshire at the turn of the century. Following in his family’s footsteps, he secured a place in the Eton XI for two years before his entry into university. While his performance in the Freshman’s match in 1927 might not have caught much attention, he displayed remarkable improvement in the following year as he adapted his bowling technique to generate appreciable pace. By the time he played in the University Match, he had already taken 38 wickets, establishing himself as a promising bowler.
At Lord’s, during the University Match against Cambridge, Charles opened the bowling while his brother Denis took on the role of opening batsman. His exceptional spell of six wickets for 79 runs in the first innings helped Oxford maintain an equal footing with their rivals. However, it was Charles’ courageous batting during the third evening that truly saved the match for Oxford. Joining H.M. Garland-Wells when the team was three wickets away from defeat, Charles played a resolute innings and survived numerous close calls to ensure a draw.
Following his university stint, Charles went on to play for Derbyshire, making an immediate impact with 21 wickets in the County Championship at an average of 32. In the subsequent year, 1929, his bowling skills continued to flourish. Although he struggled against Cambridge, Charles took an impressive 51 wickets at an average of 25.33 for Oxford, including a career-best performance against Northamptonshire when he recorded figures of six for 24 in the first innings and seven for 68 in the second innings. Oxford won the match by an innings and 121 runs.
During his eight games for Derbyshire that season, Charles also showcased his batting abilities by scoring 206 runs as a reliable lower-order right-hand batsman. he has also contributed with 12 wickets. His exceptional performances garnered attention, and he was regarded as a valuable asset for his team.
However, Charles’ cricketing career started to dwindle after 1930, and he played no regular first-class cricket following that year. His final first-class game was for the Europeans against the Muslims in the Bombay Quadrangular Tournament of 1935-36. In his 58 first-class matches, he accumulated 185 wickets at an average of 29.98 and scored 1,256 runs at an average of 19.62.
Charles Kerrison Hill Hill-Wood will be remembered as a skillful left-arm fast-medium bowler and a determined lower-order batsman. Despite his relatively short career, his notable performances for Oxford and Derbyshire left a lasting impact on the cricketing world. Charles passed away on September 21, 1988, leaving behind a rich cricketing legacy that continues to inspire future generations.
