Dick Blaker

Richard Norman Rowsell Blaker, MC (24 October 1879 – 11 September 1950), known as Dick Blaker, was an amateur sportsman who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club during the Golden Age of cricket prior to the First World War. Blaker won the Military Cross whilst serving as a Lieutenant in the Rifle Regiment on the Western Front during the Great War.

Blaker was born in Bayswater in London and attended Westminster School where he was the captain of the cricket and football teams for four years. He played both sports for Cambridge University, where he attended Jesus College, between 1900 and 1902, gaining a cricket Blue and captaining the University football team in the 1901 varsity match.

Blaker made his first-class cricket debut in 1898, appearing for Kent against Middlesex at Lord's cricket ground. He played only twice in 1898 before appearing five times for both Cambridge University and for Kent in 1899. From 1900 he made more regular appearances.

Blaker toured the West Indies with RA Bennett's XI in 1901–02 playing in all thirteen first-class matches on the tour. He played in the Kent side which won the 1906 County Championship, the first title in the County's history, but 1907 was his final season playing regularly for the club. Blaker made a final appearance for Kent in the 1908 season, playing at the St Lawrence Ground against the touring Gentlemen of Philadelphia.

Wisden reports that he was an attacking batsman who scored quickly and a "fine slip fielder". Blaker captained Kent twice in 1905 and played once for Oxfordshire in the Minor Counties Championship and, after the First World War for the Civil service cricket team and for his local club Blackheath. He was President of Kent in 1950, serving in the office when he died after an illness.

Blaker was a centre forward who captained both his school team and Cambridge University. He played regularly for amateur side Corinthian F.C. in the early years of the 20th century during which time the team competed against top professional sides on a regular basis.

Blaker served in the Royal West Kents and the Rifle Brigade during World War I, first as a Lance Corporal and later as a Lieutenant. He won the Military Cross for his actions near Cambrai in taking a number of enemy prisoners in early November 1918.