| Howard Francis | |
| Fullname: | Howard Henry Francis |
| Birth Date: | 26 May 1868 |
| Birth Place: | Clifton, Bristol, England |
| Death Place: | Sea Point, Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Club1: | Gloucestershire |
| Year1: | 1890–1894 |
| Club2: | Western Province |
| Columns: | 2 |
| Column1: | Test |
| Matches1: | 2 |
| Runs1: | 39 |
| Bat Avg1: | 9.75 |
| 100S/50S1: | 0/0 |
| Top Score1: | 29 |
| Hidedeliveries: | true |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 1/– |
| Column2: | First-class |
| Matches2: | 25 |
| Runs2: | 529 |
| Bat Avg2: | 12.90 |
| 100S/50S2: | 0/1 |
| Top Score2: | 55 |
| Catches/Stumpings2: | 13/1 |
| International: | true |
| Country: | South Africa |
| Testdebutagainst: | England |
| Testdebutdate: | 14 February |
| Testdebutyear: | 1899 |
| Testcap: | 41 |
| Lasttestdate: | 1 April |
| Lasttestagainst: | England |
| Lasttestyear: | 1899 |
| Source: | http://www.espncricinfo.com/southafrica/content/player/45072.html Cricinfo |
| Date: | 16 February 2020 |
Howard Henry Francis (26 May 1868 – 7 January 1936) was a South African cricketer who played in two Test matches in 1899.
Francis was born in Clifton, Bristol, England. A batsman, he played for Gloucestershire from 1890 to 1894 before moving to South Africa in 1895. There he played for Western Province from 1895–96 to 1902–03. His highest first-class score was 55 for Gloucestershire against Middlesex at Clifton in 1894, when he and Jack Board added 137 for the ninth wicket out of a team total of 225.[1]
Francis was the top-scorer on either side when Lord Hawke's XI played the first match of their tour in 1898–99 against a Western Province XIII, scoring 45 in the first innings batting at number three.[2] Three weeks later he also top-scored, with 33, in the first innings for Cape Colony against Lord Hawke's XI in the first first-class match of the tour.[3] He played for South Africa in the two Test matches that followed, but was unsuccessful. However, he top-scored batting at number three in South Africa's second innings in the First Test, scoring 29 out of a team total of 99.[4]
Francis was also a footballer, playing for Clifton until he moved to South Africa.[5]