Cyril Douglas Smart (30 June 1905 – 12 January 1992) was an English cricketer who played as a right‑handed batsman for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in first‑class cricket.
Early life and education
Smart was born in Northampton, England. Details of his early education and family background are not extensively documented in major encyclopedic sources.
Cricket career
Smart made his first‑class debut for Northamptonshire in 1926. Over a career spanning two decades, interrupted by the Second World War, he appeared in 280 first‑class matches. He amassed more than 13,000 runs, including 25 centuries and 58 half‑centuries. His most prolific season was 1934, when he scored 2,622 runs at an average of 38.79, a figure that stood as a county record for several years. Smart was known for his consistent middle‑order batting and occasional medium‑pace bowling, though his primary contribution to the team was with the bat.
Later life and death
After retiring from professional cricket in the mid‑1940s, Smart remained associated with the sport at a local level. He passed away on 12 January 1992 in Northampton.
Legacy
Smart is remembered as one of Northamptonshire’s leading batsmen of the inter‑war period. His 1934 season remains a notable achievement in the county’s statistical history.
