Born at Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 1880, the father of L.B. (Australians in India) and nephew of W.A. (Victoria), Frank Tarrant was a right-handed middle order batsman, left-arm slow medium bowler and an excellent slip fieldsman. He represented his native Victoria 13 times between 1898/99 to 1925/26 and he played 206 times for Middlesex between 1904 and 1914. For the county he accumulated 12,169 runs (av. 38.03) with 26 centuries including a highest score of 250 n.o. versus Essex at Leyton in 1914, he bagged 1,005 wickets (av. 17.43) with a best performance of 9 for 41 versus Gloucestershire at Bristol in 1907 and he held 193 catches. He hit 1,000 runs in a season nine times, going on to 2,000 once in 1911, when he hit 2,030 (av. 46.13). He exceeded 100 wickets in a season eight times with a best of 183 (av. 15.70) in 1907. Regarded as the best all-rounder of his time he achieved the coveted double eight times. He toured India with an Australian XI but never played Test cricket. He played matches for the Europeans between 1915/16 to 1936/37 and Patiala's XI between 1926/27 and 1933/34. In 1918/19 whilst playing for the Maharaja of Cooch Behar's XI at Poona in India he took 10 for 90 and hit 182 n.o. in the same match. He umpired a single Test in 1933/34 and died at Upper Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 1951.
