Lionel Blaxland

Lionel Bruce Blaxland (25 March 1898 – 29 April 1976) was an English First World War flying ace, cricketer, schoolmaster and clergyman. He played first-class cricket intermittently for Derbyshire between 1925 and 1947.

Blaxland was born in Lilleshall, Shropshire and was educated at Shrewsbury School where he was in the cricket XI from 1914 to 1916. During World War I, he was a lieutenant flying with 40 Squadron RFC. After the war he attended the University of Oxford, where he played at wing half for Oxford University in 1920-21 and also played for The Corinthians. He became a master at Repton School in 1922 where he was in charge of cricket for eleven years. He was described as "a fine club cricketer who hit hard and often, hooking anything short of a length with great power. As a bowler he was tireless, and always alert and sharp in the field."

Blaxland retired from Repton in 1958 and took holy orders. He became rector of Tansley and then vicar of Doveridge.

Blaxland died at Temple Ewell, Kent, at the age of 78. He is the great-uncle of former Kent and Derbyshire player James Graham-Brown, who writes plays under the nom de plume "Dougie Blaxland".