Rony Stanyforth – England’s Least Known Captain?

Martin Chandler | 10:17am BST 06 October 2024

A few years ago I used to regularly write profiles of great players and, sometimes, the not so great. It isn’t something I’ve done much of for a while as, albeit not consciously, I seem to have made the decision to read other people’s work rather than create my own. Or perhaps I just ran out of subjects that interested me?

One name that always appealed to me was that of Rony Stanyforth. I did know that Stanyforth had captained England in South Africa in 1927/28 despite never having been a regular with his county, Yorkshire, but knew little more about him than that. That appeal arose out of a discussion with a fellow tragic as to just who was the least known England captain.

In truth I think that title has to go to Monty Bowden who, at the age of 23, led England against South Africa at Newlands in the second of the two Tests of 1888/89. A modest batsman and occasional wicketkeeper Bowden remained in South Africa at the end of the tour and was dead three years later, but unlike Stanyforth he is the subject of a biography, albeit not one that you see very often*.

But I doubt anyone would argue with the proposition that Stanyforth is England’s most obscure twentieth century captain, so I decided to look into his story. Given the relative paucity of First Class cricket that featured Stanyforth whilst I certainly uncovered an interesting story it ended up as nowhere near the 3,000 words in length that, for some reason that now escapes me, I had always regarded as the ideal length for a profile, so I shelved the idea and the story remained on my hard drive.

Then last year, without my having specifically intended to acquire it, a signed photograph of Stanyforth was part of a small cache of memorabilia that I acquired from a UK book dealer. At that point I  discovered that Stanyforth’s signature is a rare item, so I decided that the time was right to go into the loft, retrieve and fire up my old laptop and give the Stanyforth story a quick buffing and share it with anyone interested.

The first curious thing I discovered about Stanyforth was that, prior to his being appointed to lead England (or more accurately MCC) in South Africa he had in fact never played for Yorkshire. Moving forward from there his Yorkshire career turned out to be limited to three appearances in 1928, in consecutive matches in May and June. That looked odd, and the more so because, flying in the face of the tradition of which Yorkshireman are so proud, Stanyforth had been born outside the county, in London on 30 May 1892. So that Yorkshire debut came as late as his 36th birthday.

In time, 1941, Stanyforth did marry, but the marriage was not blessed with children and the man christened Ronald Thomas Stanyforth was therefore the last of his line. That in itself may account, at least in part, for why cricket writers have shown so little interest in him. 

In terms of his background Stanyforth’s was a privileged one and, hence his being regarded as a Yorkshireman, the family seat was at Kirk Hammerton Hall near York. Stanyforth’s forebears had made a great deal of money in business and a part of it, sadly, seemingly from the slave trade.  

Stanyforth was the younger of two children**, but the only son, so he ultimately inherited the family fortune. He was educated at Eton and his interest in cricket and many other sports was fostered there. Always a wicketkeeper it is worth noting that whilst Stanyforth did play for the Eton’s first XI he was never selected for the matches against the other leading schools. The story was similar when he went up to Oxford, for whom he made his First Class debut against MCC in 1914. That occasion was however the only time he appeared for the University at that level.

After University Stanyforth had no need to work, but he chose to join the Army. With the Great War just weeks away and given the life expectancy of young officers Stanyforth was fortunate to survive the conflict. He was wounded in 1915, mentioned in dispatches in 1917 and awarded the Military Cross, so was clearly a brave man.

Remaining with the Army as peace returned Stanyforth found himself in Ireland during the period of martial law imposed in 1919 and 1920. After that the by now Captain Stanyforth did take up a more congenial position, that of equerry to the Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V.

His background in the military and with the royal family doubtless afforded Stanyforth increased opportunities to play the game and he was involved also with the MCC. Through the early 1920s he played at First Class level for both the Army and the MCC and in the winter of 1926/27 he was able to leave his military duties to tour South America with a strong MCC side led by ‘Plum’ Warner, then 53. 

The all amateur side was a pretty good one, all involved having First Class experience and ‘Gubby’ Allen and Jack ‘Farmer’ White went on to enjoy successful Test careers. In those days the game in Argentina in particular was strong, and four matches against the national side were given First Class status. The series was a competitive one as well, but the MCC won 2-1 in the end. Warner rated Stanyforth as a ‘keeper, and wrote effusively of his skills in The Cricketer. Stanyforth also did well with the bat, being the highest MCC run scorer in the First Class matches and recording what would remain his highest innings, 91, in the last and deciding match against Argentina.

South Africa, an established Test nation, were however a rather different proposition. Warner was doubtless the driving force behind the invitation issued to Stanyforth. The other amateurs who accepted invitations were Guy Jackson of Derbyshire, Bob Wyatt of Warwickshire, Geoffrey Legge of Kent, Eddie Dawson of Leicestershire and the young Middlesex leg spinners Ian Peebles and Greville Stevens. Douglas Jardine was amongst those who was unable to accept an invitation.

As far as the professionals were concerned Jack Hobbs, Patsy Hendren, Frank Woolley, Harold Larwood and Maurice Tate all declined to make themselves available, but with Walter Hammond, Herbert Sutcliffe, ‘Tich’ Freeman, George Geary, Ewart Astill, Sam Staples, Harry Elliott (reserve ‘keeper) and Ernest Tyldesley all doing so the side was still a strong one.

The first choice as captain was Jackson, but he had a nervous breakdown and withdrew. It was only then that Stanyforth was appointed to lead the side, and Sutcliffe’s opening partner at Yorkshire, Percy Holmes, took Jackson’s place in the party.

The Test series was an interesting one. Stanyforth’s men won the first two Tests, then drew the third before the home side squared the series by winning the fourth and fifth Tests. Due to an eye injury Stanyforth missed the final day of the fourth Test and the fifth when, at just 19, Stevens assumed the captaincy, an odd looking decision given that Wyatt also played in the match.

What was the verdict on Stanyforth’s four Tests? His batting was certainly no great shakes, his six innings bringing just 13 runs at 2.60. Behind the stumps he held seven catches and made two stumpings. He conceded 50 byes in the seven innings for which he was behind the stumps – tellingly his deputy, Derbyshire’s Elliott, conceded just one in the final Test.

So why, given that he had never played for Yorkshire before, did Stanyforth suddenly turn out for the county in those three matches in 1928? There is no definitive answer, but a couple of factors have been suggested. First Yorkshire’s long serving ‘keeper, Arthur Dolphin, had retired at the end of the 1927 season, so there was a vacancy. 

Arthur Wood, who had played a solitary match the previous summer, played in the first few matches of the 1928 campaign, and then Stanyforth had his three opportunities before Wood returned for the rest of the season, and indeed for the rest of the inter-war years. In his three matches Stanyforth conceded 61 byes, and whilst he was marginally better with the bat than he had been in the Tests the previous winter he still only had 26 runs to show for three completed innings.

Did Yorkshire see the 36 year old as a future captain? The previous winter had seen the county looking around for a new appointee on the retirement of Major Arthur Lupton and, in the absence of any obvious amateur candidate Sutcliffe was eventually offered the job, only for him to politely decline. In the event the 38 year old William Worsley, who in time inherited his father’s Baronetcy, became skipper, but perhaps Stanyforth was seen as a future candidate?

Despite his age and limited success in South Africa Stanyforth had one more overseas tour with England, to the Caribbean in 1929/30. No doubt expecting an easy ride after their 3-0 hammering of the same opposition in 1928 the selectors picked two 50 year olds, George Gunn and Wilfred Rhodes amongst a generally aging squad and were duly held to a 1-1 draw. Stanyforth played in four matches on the tour managing just four runs and three catches before a hand injury forced him to travel home. Realistically he was never likely to add to his four caps, a young Les Ames appeared in all the Tests and was presumably always going to do so, injury permitting. 

The Caribbean trip was, effectively, the end of Stanyforth’s career in major cricket. There were a few more First Class matches for MCC and Free Foresters the last of which was in 1933, and after that it was club cricket only for the man who, as a Major, had left the Army in 1930. From there he had returned to duty with the Duke of Gloucester in which role he must have had some sort of involvement in the abdication crisis in 1936.

Also in the 1930s Stanyforth contributed a few articles on wicketkeeping to The Cricketer at the request of the editor, his old friend Warner. There was even a book in 1935, a modest instructional text, which sadly gives no real flavour of Stanyforth the man.

The Second World War saw Stanyforth serve his country once more. In his late forties he did not see active service as such, but was one of the last officers to be evacuated from Dunkirk. After that his role was as a staff officer, and he ended his service, by then a Lieutenant Colonel, in 1946.

His military career at an end Stanyforth, by then a married man, did return for a time to the Royal Household, and he was involved with the MCC and, to a lesser extent, Yorkshire. A wealthy man in his own right after his father’s death the Stanyforths divided their time between Kirk Hammerton Hall and London, and they also had a home in Kenya that they would visit in the winter months. 

Sadly for Stanyforth his retirement was not destined to be a lengthy one. In his final years he was dogged by ill health and died at the age of 71 in 1964. His widow survived him for another twenty years, but she did not stay in Yorkshire, Kirk Hammerton Hall and all its contents being sold in the months following Stanyforth’s passing.

*England’s Youngest Captain: The Life and Times of Monty Bowden and Two South African Journalists by Jonty Winch, published in 2003

**In fact I am pretty sure there are three, plenty of evidence supporting the contention that there was a second and older sister who was brought up in and spent her life in France.