Billy Griffith

Stewart Cathie Griffith, (16 June 1914 – 7 April 1993), known as Billy Griffith, was an English cricketer and cricket administrator. He played in three Test matches for England in 1948 and 1949.

He played first-class cricket for Cambridge University (1934–1936), Surrey (1934), Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) (1935–1953), Sussex (1937–1954) and England (1948–1949).

Life and career Griffith was born in Wandsworth, London, and educated at Dulwich College and Pembroke College, Cambridge. He scored over 1,200 runs during four years in the 1st XI at Dulwich, despite being in the shadow of Hugh Bartlett, and he became a capable wicket-keeper. He won his blue in his second year at Cambridge. He toured Australia and New Zealand with the MCC under Errol Holmes's captaincy in 1935–36. He lost his Cambridge place to Paul Gibb in 1937.

After graduating from Cambridge, he returned to Dulwich as cricket master and he became the first choice wicket-keeper for Sussex in 1939.

He was commissioned into the Officers' Training Corps in 1938, and transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps in 1939. He later served in the Glider Pilot Regiment with Hugh Bartlett. As second-in-command he carried the commander of the 6th Airborne Division, Major-General Richard "Windy" Gale (coincidentally, he was also from Wandsworth), into Normandy during Operation Overlord, crash landing after being caught in a storm. He took part in the Battle of Arnhem and won the Distinguished Flying Cross. He remained in the Territorial Army (TA) after the war, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He was appointed captain-secretary of Sussex in 1946. Although he relinquished the captaincy after one year, his wicket-keeping form earned him selection for the MCC tour of the West Indies in 1947–48. On his Test debut he was used as a makeshift opener as three senior batsmen were ill, and made 140 in six hours. It made him the only England player to make his maiden first-class century on his Test debut.

He retired in 1974, and he later served as Chairman of the Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Club. His son, Mike Griffith, also captained Sussex.

Billy Griffith died in Felpham, West Sussex, following a long illness in 1993, aged 78.