David Townsend (cricketer, born 1912)

David Townsend

Personal information
Full name	David Charles Humphery Townsend
Born	(1912-04-20)20 April 1912 Norton, County Durham, England
Died	27 January 1997(1997-01-27) (aged 84) Norton, County Durham, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
Role	Batsman
Relations	Grandfather - F Townsend, Father - CL Townsend, Uncle - FN Townsend, Uncle - AFM Townsend, Brother - PN Townsend, Son - JCD Townsend, Son - JRA Townsend
International information
National side	England (1935)
Test debut (cap 282)	24 January 1935 v West Indies
Last Test	14 March 1935 v West Indies
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1933–1934	Oxford University
1935–1950	Durham
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 3 37 Runs scored 77 1,801 Batting average 12.83 29.04 100s/50s 0/0 4/6 Top score 36 195 Balls bowled 6 1142 Wickets 0 6 Bowling average – 83.50 5 wickets in innings – – 10 wickets in match – – Best bowling – 2/31 Catches/stumpings 1/– 16/–
Source: Cricinfo, 19 August 2019

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.

References

• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1934, 1935 and 1936 editions.
• Who's Who of Cricketers, by Philip Bailey, Philip Thorn and Peter Wynne-Thomas

External links

• David Townsend at ESPNcricinfo
• Gene genie
• Bodyline's final fling