Cecil Herbert Bodington (20 January 1880 – 11 April 1917) was an English cricketer and educator.

Cecil Bodington
Personal information
Full name
Cecil Herbert Bodington
Born20 January 1880
Suffield, Norfolk, England
Died11 April 1917(1917-04-11) (aged 37)
Near Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France
BattingRight-handed
BowlingUnknown
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1901–1902Hampshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 10
Runs scored 154
Batting average 11.00
100s/50s –/–
Top score 36
Balls bowled 375
Wickets 9
Bowling average 31.88
5 wickets in innings
10 wickets in match
Best bowling 3/19
Catches/stumpings 4/–
Source: Cricinfo, 19 January 2010

The son of The Reverend Herbert James Bodington, he was born in January 1880 at Suffield, Norfolk. He was educated firstly at a national school in Overstrand, before going to Charterhouse School on a junior scholarship in 1893. Three years later he went up to The King's School, Canterbury on a senior scholarship, where he played both rugby union and cricket for the school.[1] From there, he matriculated to Peterhouse, Cambridge.[2] At Cambridge, he was a member of Cambridge University Cricket Club but did not play at first-class level for the university. However, he did play first-class cricket during his studies in 1901 and 1902 for Hampshire on ten occasions, making nine appearances in the County Championship and a further appearance against the touring Australians.[3] In these matches, he scored 154 runs at an average of exactly 11, with a highest score of 36.[4] With the ball, he took 9 wickets at a bowling average of 31.88, with best figures of 3 for 19.[5]

After graduating from Cambridge, he went to The Cape. From there, he went to British India, where he was tutor to three sons of the Maharaja of Kapurthala.[2] He later returned to England, where he became an assistant master at Elstree School and Stanmore Park Preparatory School.[1] Bodington served in the British Army during the First World War, being commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in November 1914,[6] the same month in which he was appointed to the Household Battalion.[7] He was made a temporary lieutenant in April 1916,[8] before being appointed a temporary captain in September of the same year.[9] Bodington was killed in action on 11 April 1917 during the Battle of Arras.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ a b McCrery, Nigel (30 July 2015). Final Wicket: Test and First Class Cricketers Killed in the Great War. Pen and Sword. p. 418. ISBN 978-1473864191.
  2. ^ a b Venn, John (1944). Alumni Cantabrigienses. Vol. 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 307.
  3. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Cecil Bodington". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  4. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Cecil Bodington". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  5. ^ "First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Cecil Bodington". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  6. ^ "No. 28976". The London Gazette. 13 November 1914. p. 9376.
  7. ^ "No. 29075". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 February 1915. p. 1711.
  8. ^ "No. 29567". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 May 1916. p. 4442.
  9. ^ "No. 29772". The London Gazette. 3 October 1916. p. 9560.
  10. ^ "Wisden - Obituaries during the war, 1917". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 December 2022.

External links edit