Lionel Blaxland
Encyclopedia
Lionel Bruce Blaxland was an English
First World War flying ace
, cricket
er, 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 Oxford University 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.
Blaxland made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1925 season
, in August in a match against Northamptonshire
. He played two more matches in 1925 and did not return to Derbyshire until the 1932 season
. He was primarily a club cricketer and played mostly for The Friars and other club sides. He played for Derbyshire only in the month of August, during school holidays, between 1932 and 1935. His best score was 64 against Warwickshire
in the 1933 season
.
After the Second World War in the 1947 season
, Blaxland reappeared for Derbyshire in his final first-class match, against the South Africans
, when he led the side and kept wicket. His career finished when he lost an eye playing for The Cryptics in Portugal.
Blaxland was a right-hand batsman and played 31 innings in 19 first class matches with an average of 16.10 and a top score of 64. He was a right-arm fast-medium bowler and bowled 11 overs in the first class game without taking a wicket. 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 Derbyshire player James Graham-Brown
.
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...
First World War flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
, 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, schoolmaster and clergyman. He played first-class cricket intermittently for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
between 1925 and 1947.
Blaxland was born in Lilleshall
Lilleshall
Lilleshall is a village in Shropshire, England.It lies between the towns of Telford and Newport, on the A518, in the Telford and Wrekin borough and the Wrekin constituency....
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
and was educated at Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
where he was in the cricket XI from 1914 to 1916. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was a lieutenant flying with 40 Squadron RFC. After the war he attended Oxford University 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
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
in 1922 where he was in charge of cricket for eleven years.
Blaxland made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1925 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1925
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1925 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty four years. It was their twenty seventh season in the County Championship and they won five matches to finish fourteenth in the County Championship.-1925 season:Guy Jackson was...
, in August in a match against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
. He played two more matches in 1925 and did not return to Derbyshire until the 1932 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1932
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1932 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixty one years. It was their thirty-fourth season in the County Championship and they won six matches to finish tenth-1932 season:...
. He was primarily a club cricketer and played mostly for The Friars and other club sides. He played for Derbyshire only in the month of August, during school holidays, between 1932 and 1935. His best score was 64 against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
in the 1933 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1933
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1933 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for sixty two years. It was their thirty-fifth season in the County Championship and they won eleven matches to finish sixth.-1933 season:...
.
After the Second World War in the 1947 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1947
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1947 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for seventy-six years. It was their forty-third season in the County Championship and they won twelve matches and lost ten to finish fifth in the County Championship.-1947...
, Blaxland reappeared for Derbyshire in his final first-class match, against the South Africans
South African cricket team in England in 1947
The South African cricket team toured England in the 1947 season to play a five-match Test series against England.England won the series 3-0 with 2 matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at Trent Bridge – match drawn...
, when he led the side and kept wicket. His career finished when he lost an eye playing for The Cryptics in Portugal.
Blaxland was a right-hand batsman and played 31 innings in 19 first class matches with an average of 16.10 and a top score of 64. He was a right-arm fast-medium bowler and bowled 11 overs in the first class game without taking a wicket. 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
Tansley
Tansley is a village on the southern edge of the Derbyshire Peak District, two miles east of Matlock.-History:Tansley is recorded in the Domesday Book as Tanslege, and its name comes from the combination of the Old English words lega, meaning "wood or glade" and tan meaning "a branch of a...
and then vicar of Doveridge
Doveridge
Doveridge is a village and Civil parish in Derbyshire, United Kingdom, near the border with Staffordshire and about east of Uttoxeter. Its name comes from its bridge over the river Dove , a tributary of the River Trent....
.
Blaxland died at Temple Ewell
Temple Ewell
Temple Ewell is a civil parish and historic village in the county of Kent, England. The village is part of the Dover district of Kent, and forms part of the Dover urban area, it is situated three miles North West of the town of Dover....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
at the age of 78. He is the great-uncle of former Derbyshire player James Graham-Brown
James Graham-Brown
James Martin Hilary Graham-Brown is an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler who played for Kent, Derbyshire, and Dorset between 1974 and 1991....
.