Reginald Butterworth
Reginald Edmund Compton Butterworth (16 August 1906 – 21 May 1940) was an English cricketer who played at first-class level for Oxford University and Middlesex.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Reginald Edmund Compton Butterworth |
| Born | 16 August 1906 Semarang, Dutch East Indies |
| Died | 21 May 1940 (aged 33) near Saint-Martin-au-Laërt, France |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium |
| Role | All-rounder |
| Relations | John Butterworth (brother) |
| Domestic team information | |
| Years | Team |
| 1926–1927 | Oxford University |
| 1930–1939 | Marylebone Cricket Club |
| 1935–1937 | Middlesex |
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 2 February 2016 | |
Early life
Butterworth was born in Semarang, Java (then part of the Dutch East Indies), and was educated at Harrow School before going on to Christ Church, Oxford.[1] He made his first-class debut for Oxford in May 1926.[2] Butterworth's maiden first-class century came the following season, when he made 101 against the Free Foresters.[3] He also scored 110 against Surrey a few games later, which was to be his highest first-class score.[4] Butterworth made his County Championship debut for Middlesex in 1935, against Warwickshire, and played two further seasons at the county. In 1937, he toured Ceylon and Malaya with a team organised by Sir Julien Cahn, which was his only overseas tour. Butterworth's final first-class appearance came in May 1939, when he played for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Yorkshire.[2]
Military service and death
In the Second World War, Butterworth enlisted with the Royal Air Force (RAF). In May 1940, while serving as an air gunner with the rank of pilot officer on a Westland Lysander captained by Flight Lieutenant Richard Graham as part No. 13 Squadron, Butterworth was shot down over Saint-Omer and crashed near Saint-Martin-au-Laërt, killing him and Graham. His older brother, John Compton Butterworth, who was also a first-class cricketer, was killed in action less than a year later.[5]
References
- Reginald Butterworth – CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- First-class matches played by Reginald Butterworth – CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- Oxford University v Free Foresters, University Match 1927 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- Surrey v Oxford University, University Match 1927 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- Pilot Officer Reginald Edmund Compton Butterworth – Christ Church, Oxford. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
External links
- Reginald Butterworth at ESPNcricinfo
- Reginald Butterworth at CricketArchive (subscription required)