Sydney Fairbairn
Encyclopedia
Sydney George Fairbairn MC
(13 October 1892 – 19 January 1943) was an English
cricket
er and British Army
officer. The son of victorian rower Steve Fairbairn
and Eleanor Sharwood, he was born in Cape Colony
, South Africa
.
Fairbairn made his first-class
debut for the Marylebone Cricket Club
against Barbados
, during the MCC tour of the West Indies in early 1913. The remainder of his 7 first-class matches came on this tour, with his final appearance coming against British Guiana. In his 8 first-class appearances on tour, he scored 241 runs at an average
of 20.08, which included a single half century score against British Guiana, in which he made an unbeaten
62. As an all-rounder
, he took 12 wickets at a bowling average
of 31.08, with best figures of 3/55. In that years English cricket season
, Fairbairn made his Minor Counties Championship for Buckinghamshire
against Wiltshire
. He made 6 further Minor Counties Championship matches for Buckinghamshire, the last coming against Wiltshire in 1914.
During the course of the First World War he had a short-lived marriage to Nancy Cunard
, a writer, heiress and political activist. Their marriage lasted less than two years before they separated. In 1926 Fairbairn married Angela Fane who survived him.
Fairbairn joined the Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars
before the start of the First World War and was later wounded at Gallipoli. He joined up again in 1916 this time with the Grenadier Guards
and was awarded the Military Cross
in 1919. He re-joined the Guards in the Second World War and died on active service in London on 19 January 1943.
He was buried at St Nicholas Church, Steventon, Hampshire
.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(13 October 1892 – 19 January 1943) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer. The son of victorian rower Steve Fairbairn
Steve Fairbairn
Steve Fairbairn was a rower and an influential rowing coach, notably at Jesus College Boat Club, Cambridge University, Thames Rowing Club and London Rowing Club in the early decades of the 20th century.-Early life:...
and Eleanor Sharwood, he was born in Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Fairbairn made his first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debut for the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
against Barbados
Barbados national cricket team
The Barbadian cricket team is the representative first class cricket team of Barbados.It does not take part in any international competitions , but rather in inter-regional competitions in the Caribbean, such as the Regional Four Day Competition and the WICB Cup, and the best players may be...
, during the MCC tour of the West Indies in early 1913. The remainder of his 7 first-class matches came on this tour, with his final appearance coming against British Guiana. In his 8 first-class appearances on tour, he scored 241 runs at an average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 20.08, which included a single half century score against British Guiana, in which he made an unbeaten
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
62. As an all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, he took 12 wickets at a bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 31.08, with best figures of 3/55. In that years English cricket season
1913 English cricket season
The 1913 English cricket season saw Kent take the title for the fourth time in eight seasons.-Honours:*County Championship - Kent*Minor Counties Championship - Norfolk...
, Fairbairn made his Minor Counties Championship for Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Buckinghamshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play...
against Wiltshire
Wiltshire County Cricket Club
Wiltshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Wiltshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
. He made 6 further Minor Counties Championship matches for Buckinghamshire, the last coming against Wiltshire in 1914.
During the course of the First World War he had a short-lived marriage to Nancy Cunard
Nancy Cunard
Nancy Clara Cunard was a writer, heiress and political activist. She was born into the British upper class but strongly rejected her family's values, devoting much of her life to fighting racism and fascism...
, a writer, heiress and political activist. Their marriage lasted less than two years before they separated. In 1926 Fairbairn married Angela Fane who survived him.
Fairbairn joined the Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars
Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry
The Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry was formed in 1794, when King George III was on the throne and William Pitt the Younger was the Prime Minister, of Great Britain. Across the English Channel, Britain was faced by a French nation which had recently guillotined its King and which possessed a...
before the start of the First World War and was later wounded at Gallipoli. He joined up again in 1916 this time with the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
and was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1919. He re-joined the Guards in the Second World War and died on active service in London on 19 January 1943.
He was buried at St Nicholas Church, Steventon, Hampshire
Steventon, Hampshire
Steventon is a rural village with a population of about 250 in north Hampshire, England. Situated 7 miles south-west of the town of Basingstoke, between the villages of Overton, Oakley and North Waltham, it is close to Junction 7 of the M3....
.
Honours and awards
- 10 December 1919 Lt Sydney George Fairbairn of the Grenadier Guards (Special Reserve) and attached to the 3rd Batallion is awarded the Military CrossMilitary CrossThe Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
:
External links
- Sydney Fairbairn at ESPNcricinfo
- Sydney Fairbairn at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...