Role Cricket Player Name Harold Bache | National side English Died February 15, 1916 | |
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Batting style Left-handed batsman Bowling style Slow left arm orthodox | ||
Harold Godfrey Bache (20 April 1889 – 15 February 1916) was an English cricketer. He played 20 first-class matches between 1907 and 1910, 17 of them for Worcestershire. He also played three times for Cambridge University, but was not awarded a Blue. He was also a fine footballer, playing for Corinthian F.C. and West Bromwich Albion and winning an England Amateur cap.
Born in Churchill, Worcestershire, Bache was educated at King Edward VI School, Birmingham, and Caius College, Cambridge. He made his first-class debut for Worcestershire against Surrey at Worcester late in the 1907 season, scoring 9 in his only innings and holding three catches. The following season, he played twice for the county, but he made nine appearances in 1909 and eight in 1910. Mostly he played for Worcestershire but he turned out three times for Cambridge University.
His top score of 36 was made against Middlesex at Lord's in 1910. Later in the same season against the same opposition, but this time at Worcester, he took two of his three career wickets: those of Patsy Hendren and Jack Hearne. His other wicket had been that of Sussex's Robert Relf in 1909.
Bache joined the Lancashire Fusiliers and reached the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was killed in action at Ypres, Belgium at the age of just 26. Having no known grave, he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.
Corinthian F.C.
Bache played for the elite Corinthian F.C. just 43 times and yet scored 95 goals. The Corinthians were the first icons of world football and provided Bache the perfect platform to showcase his talents. He scored 7 in the 13-0 victory over Ipswich on New Year's Eve, 1910 for example.
He excelled whilst on the clubs famous tours and in 1911, took little mercy on his Canadian and American hosts, netting 34 goals in just 18 matches.