Hampshire’s Naval Cricketers

Martin Chandler | 9:15am GMT 02 February 2025

Published: 2025
Pages: 36
Author: Saunders, Stephen
Publisher: Hampshire Cricket Heritage
Rating: 3.5 stars

After last year’s look at Hampshire’s ordained cricketers Stephen Saunders has turned his attention to the county’s former players with naval connections for this, the eighth of Hampshire Cricket Heritage’s publications.

As with its predecessor the booklet, inevitably, looks at men who played their First Class cricket many years ago when, unlike now, it was possible for those whose primary calling was other than as a professional cricketer to appear in the County Championship.

Altogether Stephen Saunders has researched the lives of 23 men, only four of whom made double figures in terms of Hampshire appearances. By far the most were the 75 appearances of Francis Bacon, the next most prolific being a mere 22. As many as ten appeared just once for the county.

It is slightly surprising that all of the 23 come from the officer class, as I had expected that perhaps one or two might have emerged from below decks, but National Servicemen not being eligible there are none.

All but one of the men featured made their appearance(s) before the Second World War. Only one played for Hampshire after the war and I initially assumed that was the only reason that I recognised his name. It turned out however that in addition to his post war appearances John Manners was also, probably, the best cricketer among the 23 and he certainly had a most remarkable life being. Manners was 105 when he passed away in 2020, and is the longest lived First Class cricketer of them all.

Manners, a Lieutenant-Commander, also had a notable naval career that is described in some detail. Indeed for all these men, given that their cricket careers were almost all short, the game is largely incidental to accounts of their service to their country and their backgrounds.

I will resist the temptation to mention all of the booklet’s highlights but will reference just one of the stories, that of Oswald Cornwallis who, in his sole appearance for the county did not even take the field. Hampshire batted first against Kent in 1921 and the entry against Cornwallis’s name in both innings is ‘absent injured’. By remarkable coincidence his brother Stanley, a rather more accomplished cricketer who made more than a hundred appearances for Kent is similarly described. In fact neither was injured, but both withdrew from the game following the murder of their brother in Ireland, the story of which is also told.

Author Saunders hails from Portsmouth, and has a lifelong interest in both the Royal Navy and Hampshire cricket and the pleasure he derived from putting the booklet together is evident in his writing. The subject matter won’t interest every cricket lover, but if it does appeal this well written and nicely produced booklet is a credit to both author and publisher. It is available to visitors to the club shop at the Ageas Bowl for £5, or for £7.50 inclusive of UK postage via the publisher. Copies are also on their way to Melbourne where they will be available from Roger Page.