Charles Donnelly played once for Glamorgan during 1890.

The seam bowler was raised in Nottinghamshire but failed to secure a place on the Trent Bridge groundstaff before accepting a professional appointment with the thriving Hill’s Plymouth club during the mid-1880s. These were heady years for the Merthyr-based club as they secured a permanent ground at Pentrebach on land owned by Crawshay Bailey, the owner of the Hill’s Plymouth works. Acquiring Charles’ services was another bonus, and his lively bowling brought success for the go-ahead club, as well as attracting the interests of the Glamorgan selectors.    

Consequently, Charles was chosen for the two-day friendly against the MCC at Swansea, and after getting permission from the Works Manager to play in this prestigious fixture, Charles opened the bowling for the county side. However, he only took one wicket in the first innings and pulled a muscle which prevented him from bowling in the MCC’s second innings, as the visitors completed a narrow three-wicket victory.    

It proved to be his sole appearance for the Welsh county, but Charles continued to enjoy much success at club level with Hill’s Plymouth in the Glamorgan League, created in 1897 for teams in the Taff and Rhondda valleys including Pontypridd, Pentre, Treherbert, Treorchy, Porth, Ynysybwl and Llwynypia. Charles proved to be one of the leading bowlers in the League and played in their representative eleven which met similar teams drawn from other leagues across South Wales.    

After retiring from playing cricket, he returned to his native Nottinghamshire and became a notable figure in the Methodist church in the Kimberley area. He never married.

DONNELLY, Charles William.                                                                

Born – Kimberley, 19 October 1865.

Died – Kimberley, 23 September, 1946.

Batting and Fielding Record  

	M	I	NO	RUNS	AV	100	50	CT	ST
MC Friendly	1	2	1	0	–	–	–	–	–

Bowling Record  

	Balls	M	R	W	AV	5wI	10wM
MC Friendly	23	1	13	1	13.00	–	–

Career-best performances

Minor County Friendly – 0* and 1/13 v MCC at St. Helen’s, Swansea, 1890.