Charles Vintcent

Charles Henry Vintcent (2 September 1866 – 28 September 1943) was a South African cricketer who played in three Test matches from 1889 to 1892.

The South African side for its first Test, against England at Port Elizabeth. Vintcent is back row, second from right.

Born in Mossel Bay and educated in Cape Town and then Charterhouse School, England, Charlie Vintcent, was without doubt the most versatile South African sportsman of his time. He excelled in many sport he played representing both Western Province and Transvaal at rugby, obtaining his national colours for soccer, a sport he did much to promote on the Reef and as an athlete he was the Transvaal sprint champion in the events from the 100 yards to 440 yards for three years from 1889 to 1891, besides being competitive at both the long and high jump events. Charlie was a left-handed all-rounder who played in both tests in the first home series against England as well as the only test of the 1891/92 series against the second English touring side. He owed his original selection to his fine performance for Kimberley in the fifth match of the tour falling 13 runs short of a century and taking nine wickets in the match for one hundred and five runs off eighty nine overs. He was unable to carry this form into the Internationals and his Test record is not a true reflection of his ability. Nevertheless, he enjoyed a long career in provincial cricket which lasted some twenty seasons playing first an important role for Transvaal in the early Currie Cup fixtures, and then when he returned to the Southern Cape, he captained them in their only appearance at provincial level, by which stage he was nearly 40. Charlie Vintcent lived a long and active life, dying in 1943 at the age of 77.