Geoffrey Cook (cricketer, born 1936)

Geoffrey William Cook (born 9 February 1936) is a former English cricketer who played mainly for Cambridge University. He was born in Beckenham in Kent[1] and attended Dulwich College before going up to Queens' College, Cambridge in 1955.[2][3] He later became an Honorary Life Patron of the Queens' College Cricket Club.[3]

Cook played Second XI cricket for Kent from 1954 to 1959, appearing in both the Minor Counties Championship and the Second XI Championship for the team.[4] He made his first-class cricket debut for Cambridge against Sussex at Fenner's in May 1956 before going on to play 37 times for the University between 1956 and 1958, winning a cricket Blue and playing in two University matches.[4][5]

In the 1957 University Match he batted in a partnership with Gamini Goonesena worth 289 runs for the seventh wicket with Cook scoring 111 runs. This set a record for the highest partnership for any wicket by either side in University Matches and the record partnership in first-class cricket for the seventh wicket at Lord's, both records which still stand as of April 2017.[5][6]

Cook made four First XI appearances for Kent in the 1957 County Championship and, after he had completed his degree, also turned out in first-class cricket for Free Foresters and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).His final first-class appearance was in 1961, playing for LC Stevens XI against his old University having appeared in a total of 47 first-class matches.[1][4] Between 1967 and 1970 he made seven appearances for Berkshire in the Minor Counties Championship.[4]