Leonard Slater
Encyclopedia
Leonard Slater was an English
cricket
er and British Army
officer. He was born in Instow
, Devon
, the son of Rev. Francis Slater and Mrs. Harriet Slater.
Slater spent some part of this life in the British Raj
, where he played cricket for Peshawar
and Northern Punjab
, at a time when neither team had first-class status
. He played for both teams in the 1902/03 season. Returning to England
, he played a single Minor Counties Championship match for Devon
against Glamorgan
.
Five years later, he played his only first-class match when he represented the Gentlemen of the South against the Players of the South at the Central Recreation Ground, Hastings
. In his only first-class match he scored 15 runs. In the Gentlemen's first-innings he scored 15 runs before being bowled by Albert Relf
. In their second-innings he was dismissed for a duck
by George Dennett
. This left him with a first-class batting average
of 7.50.
In 1909, Slater's wife, Constance Durnford-Slater, gave birth to a son, John Durnford-Slater
. His son would later lead a distinguished military career and would be credited with forming the first Army commando
unit during the Second World War and who during the course of the war was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
. Slater later served in the First World War in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment and held the rank of Captain
. On September 14, 1914, he was killed in action during the First Battle of the Aisne
. His body was laid to rest at the Vendresse British Cemetery
.
His name was etched on several memorials following his death, including the War Memorial at Instow and having the south side of nave of St. John the Baptist Church in Instow dedicated to him. His name is also etched on the Godalming War Memorial in Godalming
, Surrey
.
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. He was born in Instow
Instow
Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore....
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, the son of Rev. Francis Slater and Mrs. Harriet Slater.
Slater spent some part of this life in the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, where he played cricket for Peshawar
Peshawar cricket team
The Peshawar cricket team is a Pakistani first-class cricket team from Peshawar, also known as the Panthers.It plays in first-class domestic competitions...
and Northern Punjab
Northern Punjab cricket team
The Northern Punjab cricket team was an Indian domestic cricket team representing the northern part of the Indian state of Punjab during the time of the British Raj and later the northern part of its Indian successor, following the partition of India. The team first played first-class cricket in...
, at a time when neither team had first-class status
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...
. He played for both teams in the 1902/03 season. Returning to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he played a single Minor Counties Championship match for Devon
Devon County Cricket Club
Devon 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 Devon and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
.
Five years later, he played his only first-class match when he represented the Gentlemen of the South against the Players of the South at the Central Recreation Ground, Hastings
Central Recreation Ground, Hastings
The Central Recreation Ground, Hastings was a cricket ground in Hastings, Sussex. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1864 and the last in 1996, following which Priory Meadow Shopping Centre was built on the site...
. In his only first-class match he scored 15 runs. In the Gentlemen's first-innings he scored 15 runs before being bowled by Albert Relf
Albert Relf
Albert Edward Relf, born at Burwash, East Sussex on 26 June 1874, and died at Wellington College, Berkshire on 26 March 1937, was a cricketer who played for Sussex and England....
. In their second-innings he was dismissed for a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
by George Dennett
George Dennett
George Dennett was a left arm spinner for Gloucestershire between 1903 and 1926, and from his figures could be considered one of the best bowlers never to play Test cricket...
. This left him with a first-class batting 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 7.50.
In 1909, Slater's wife, Constance Durnford-Slater, gave birth to a son, John Durnford-Slater
John Durnford-Slater
John Frederick Durnford-Slater, DSO & Bar was a British Army officer who was credited with raising the first Army commando unit during the Second World War....
. His son would later lead a distinguished military career and would be credited with forming the first Army commando
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
unit during the Second World War and who during the course of the war was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
. Slater later served in the First World War in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment and held the rank of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
. On September 14, 1914, he was killed in action during the First Battle of the Aisne
First Battle of the Aisne
The First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army & Second Army as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September 1914...
. His body was laid to rest at the Vendresse British Cemetery
Vendresse
Vendresse is a commune in the Ardennes département in northern France.-Population:The inhabitants of Vendresse are Vendressois....
.
His name was etched on several memorials following his death, including the War Memorial at Instow and having the south side of nave of St. John the Baptist Church in Instow dedicated to him. His name is also etched on the Godalming War Memorial in Godalming
Godalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
External links
- Leonard Slater at ESPNcricinfo
- Leonard Slater 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...