Percy Heath (cricketer)

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Percy Heath
Personal information
Full name
Percy Macclesfield Heath
Born16 June 1877
Poona, Bombay Presidency, British India
Died14 July 1917(1917-07-14) (aged 40)
Baghdad, Mesopotamia
BattingUnknown
BowlingUnknown
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1901/02–1909/10Europeans
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 7
Runs scored 162
Batting average 14.72
100s/50s –/–
Top score 46
Balls bowled 12
Wickets 0
Bowling average –
5 wickets in innings –
10 wickets in match –
Best bowling –
Catches/stumpings 7/–
Source: Cricinfo, 26 March 2021

Percy Macclesfield Heath (16 June 1877 – 14 July 1917) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

Heath was born at Poona in British India in December 1878 to Percy Charles Heath, a captain in the Indian Staff Corps who was killed in 1880 at the Battle of Maiwand,[1] and his wife, Isabella. He was educated in England at Wellington College, before attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[2] He graduated from Sandhurst in August 1897 and was commissioned into the British Indian Army as an unattached second lieutenant.[3] He was promoted to lieutenant in October 1901, at which point he was serving with the Indian Staff Corps.[4] He was promoted to captain in August 1906, at which point he was serving with the 110th Mahratta Light Infantry.[2][5] While serving in India, Heath played first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team. He debuted for the team in a 1901 Bombay Presidency Match against the Parsees and would go onto play in a further six first-class matches for the Europeans, playing his final match in the Bombay Triangular in 1909. All but one of his appearances came against the Parsees, with the other against the Hindus in 1908.[6] Playing as a batsman, Heath scored 162 runs across his seven matches, with a highest score of 46. An able fieldsman, he also took seven catches.[7]

Heath served in the First World War with the 110th Mahratta's, seeing action in the Mesopotamian campaign. He spent two and a half years in Mesopotamia, where he was twice wounded and invalidated with heat stroke in August 1915, and prior Siege of Kut he had been appointed governor of Qurna.[1] He was promoted to major in August 1915,[8] and was decorated by the Kingdom of Serbia in 1916 with the Order of Karađorđe's Star, 4th Class (with swords).[1][9] In June 1917, he was made a temporary lieutenant colonel while commanding a battalion.[10] Heath died in July 1917 at Baghdad from the effects of heat.[1] He was survived by his wife, Pear St John Richardson, who he had married at Poona in 1906, having one son.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Obituary". The Near East. Vol. 13, no. 313. Cairo. 4 May 1917. p. 269. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c McCrery, Nigel (30 July 2015). Final Wicket: Test and First Class Cricketers Killed in the Great War. Pen and Sword. p. 334. ISBN 978-1473864191.
  3. ^ "No. 26879". The London Gazette. 3 August 1897. p. 4347.
  4. ^ "No. 27419". The London Gazette. 25 March 1902. p. 2085.
  5. ^ "No. 27967". The London Gazette. 13 November 1906. p. 7633.
  6. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Percy Heath". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  7. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Percy Heath". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  8. ^ "No. 29316". The London Gazette. 5 October 1915. p. 9773.
  9. ^ "No. 29945". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 February 1917. p. 1616.
  10. ^ "No. 30138". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 June 1917. p. 6061.

External links[edit]

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