{{Short description|English cricketer}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = | image = | country = England | international = | fullname = William Russell Flower | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|11|6|df=yes}} | birth_place = Stone, Staffordshire, England | heightft = | heightinch = | batting = Left-handed | bowling = Slow left-arm orthodox | role = | | club1 = Minor Counties | year1 = 1982 | clubnumber1 = | club2 = Warwickshire | year2 = 1978 | clubnumber2 = | club3 = Staffordshire | year3 = 1964–1988 | clubnumber3 = | columns = 2 | column1 = First-class | matches1 = 9 | runs1 = 23 | bat avg1 = 5.75 | 100s/50s1 = –/– | top score1 = 10* | deliveries1 = 1,038 | wickets1 = 10 | bowl avg1 = 55.40 | fivefor1 = – | tenfor1 = – | best bowling1 = 3/45 | catches/stumpings1 = –/– | column2 = List A | matches2 = 6 | runs2 = 20 | bat avg2 = 10.00 | 100s/50s2 = –/– | top score2 = 9* | deliveries2 = 282 | wickets2 = 2 | bowl avg2 = 93.00 | fivefor2 = – | tenfor2 = – | best bowling2 = 2/34 | catches/stumpings2 = 1/– | date = 20 June | year = 2011 | source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/13099.html Cricinfo }}
'''Russell William Flower''' (born 6 November 1942) is a former English cricketer. Flower was a left-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox. He was born in Stone, Staffordshire.
Flower made his debut for Staffordshire in the 1964 Minor Counties Championship against Norfolk. Flower played Minor counties cricket for Staffordshire from 1964 to 1988, which included 107 Minor Counties Championship matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29444/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html|title=Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Russell Flower|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=20 June 2011}}</ref> and 4 MCCA Knockout Trophy matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29444/Minor_Counties_Trophy_Matches.html|title=Minor Counties Trophy Matches played by Russell Flower|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=20 June 2011}}</ref> Following success with over the course of a decade with Staffordshire, Flower played first-class cricket for Warwickshire in 1978, making his debut against Surrey. Flower played 9 first-class matches that season,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29444/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Russell Flower|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=20 June 2011}}</ref> although without success. He took just 10 wickets at an expensive average of 55.40, with best figures of 3/45.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29444/f_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=First-class Bowling For Each Team by Russell Flower|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=20 June 2011}}</ref> Dropped midway through the season, Flower never appeared again for Warwickshire.
Continuing his Minor counties career with Staffordshire, he proceeded to make his List A debut for the Minor Counties cricket team against Yorkshire in the 1982 Benson & Hedges Cup. He made a further appearance for the team in that season's competition against Leicestershire.<ref name="LAM">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29444/List_A_Matches.html|title=List A Matches played by Russell Flower|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=20 June 2011}}</ref> He played his first limited overs match for Staffordshire against Gloucestershire in the NatWest Trophy. He made 3 further List A appearances for the county, the last coming against Surrey in the 1988 NatWest Trophy.<ref name="LAM"/> Like in his first-class career, Russell struggled against first-class opposition. He took just 2 wickets in List A cricket, at an expensive average of 93.00 runs per wicket.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29444/29444.html|title=Player profile: Russell Flower|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=20 June 2011}}</ref> It was only in one of his six matches that he took wickets, taking 2/34 against Glamorgan in the 1986 NatWest Trophy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/47/47444.html|title=Staffordshire v Glamorgan, 1986 NatWest Trophy|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=20 June 2011}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/13099.html Russell Flower] at ESPNcricinfo *[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29444/29444.html Russell Flower] at CricketArchive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flower, Russell}} Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Stone, Staffordshire Category:English cricketers Category:Staffordshire cricketers Category:Warwickshire cricketers Category:Minor Counties cricketers Category:Cricketers from Staffordshire Category:20th-century English sportsmen