Richard Bennett

Richard Alexander Bennett (12 December 1872 — 16 July 1953) was an English first-class cricketer, who made 37 appearances in first-class cricket from 1896 to 1903. He led his own personal cricket team on a tour of the West Indies in early 1902, as well as playing county cricket for Hampshire. Militarily active, he served in the First World War with the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars.

Early life and first-class cricket The son of The Reverend Alexander Sykes Bennett, he was born in December 1892 at Holdenhurst, Hampshire. He was educated at Eton College, but did not feature in the college cricket team. From there, he matriculated in 1891 to Christ Church, Oxford. During his first year at Oxford, he was commissioned into the 4th Volunteer Battalion, Royal Hampshire Regiment as a second lieutenant in February 1892. Bennett, second from right in back row, on the North American tour in 1897. Playing his club cricket in Hampshire for the Hampshire Hogs, Described by Wisden as a "steady bat and excellent wicket-keeper", he scored 468 runs for Hampshire at an average of 12.31, with a highest score of 47, which was to be his top score in first-class cricket; as a wicket-keeper, he took 22 catches and made six stumpings. In his final season with Hampshire, Bennett also made a single appearance for the Marylebone Cricket Club against Oxford University at Lord's. He was made a temporary captain in November 1915. Following the war, he returned to club cricket as chairman of Thornbury Cricket Club and later served as its president from 1948 until his death, at Thornbury in July 1953. He was the brother-in-law of the cricketers Arthur Stafford Crawley and Charles Webb.