About David Townsend
Lived 1912 – 1997 (aged 84). David Townsend was a British cricketer.
David Charles Humphrey Townsend (20 April 1912 – 27 January 1997) was an English cricketer who played in three Test matches in 1935.
Born in Norton, County Durham, David Townsend was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford. He was a right-handed batsman, sometimes used as an opener, who holds the record of being the last cricketer to have played Test cricket for England without playing for one of the first-class English counties. Townsend's first-class cricket was principally for Oxford University and he won his Blue in the University match in 1933 and 1934. But his other cricket was mainly for Durham, which was at that time one of the Minor Counties.
After two good university seasons, Townsend was picked for a rather makeshift Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) side that toured the West Indies in 1934–35 under Bob Wyatt. He opened in three of the four Tests but was not a success, and the series as a whole was won by the West Indian cricket team, the side's first series victory. Townsend played little first-class cricket after this tour, though his final match was not until 1948.
Townsend was the son of Charles Townsend, also an England Test player, and his own son, Jonathan, played first-class cricket for Oxford University in the 1960s. David Townsend died at age 84 in Norton, County Durham.
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Important facts
People in David Townsend's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped David Townsend's
Frequently asked questions
Who was David Townsend?
English cricketer (1912-1997)
When was David Townsend born?
David Townsend was born on 20 April 1912 in Norton.
When did David Townsend die?
David Townsend died on 27 January 1997 in Norton.
What was David Townsend's occupation?
David Townsend was a cricketer.
What nationality was David Townsend?
David Townsend was British.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: David Townsend (cricketer, born 1912)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Townsend. https://biography.guide/david-townsend-cricketer/
MLA: "David Townsend." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-townsend-cricketer/.
Chicago: "David Townsend." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-townsend-cricketer/.
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