Cecil Bodington

Cecil Herbert Bodington (20 January 1880 – 11 April 1917) was an English cricketer and educator.

The son of The Reverend Herbert James Bodington, he was born in January 1880 at Suffield, Norfolk. He was educated firstly at a national school in Overstrand, before going to Charterhouse School on a junior scholarship in 1893. Three years later he went up to The King's School, Canterbury on a senior scholarship, where he played both rugby union and cricket for the school.[1] From there, he matriculated to Peterhouse, Cambridge.[2] At Cambridge, he was a member of Cambridge University Cricket Club but did not play at first-class level for the university. However, he did play first-class cricket during his studies in 1901 and 1902 for Hampshire on ten occasions, making nine appearances in the County Championship and a further appearance against the touring Australians.[3] In these matches, he scored 154 runs at an average of exactly 11, with a highest score of 36.[4] With the ball, he took 9 wickets at a bowling average of 31.88, with best figures of 3 for 19.[5]

After graduating from Cambridge, he went to The Cape. From there, he went to British India, where he was tutor to three sons of the Maharaja of Kapurthala.[2] He later returned to England, where he became an assistant master at Elstree School and Stanmore Park Preparatory School.[1] Bodington served in the British Army during the First World War, being commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in November 1914,[6] the same month in which he was appointed to the Household Battalion.[7] He was made a temporary lieutenant in April 1916,[8] before being appointed a temporary captain in September of the same year.[9] Bodington was killed in action on 11 April 1917 during the Battle of Arras.[10]