Robert Drummond Balfour

Robert Drummond Balfour (1844-1915) was a cricketer who won four consecutive blues playing for Cambridge University between 1863 and 1866. Following University he continued his first-class career with a variety of invitational sides and represented Scotland against Surrey.[1][2]

Robert Drummond Balfour c.1872

Early career

Robert Drummond Balfour was born on 1 March 1844 in Putney, Surrey and was educated at Bradfield College, from 1857 to 1859 at Westminster School,[3] and then at Magdalene College, Cambridge.[4] He was a right-handed, middle or lower-order batsman and wicket-keeper. By the time he went up to Cambridge Balfour had already played a good standard of club cricket for I Zingari and for a XXII of Cirencester against the United All-England Eleven.[5] He made his first-class debut for Cambridge University against MCC in 1863, and remained a first choice in the eleven for five years.[3][6][7]

Later career

After completing his studies he continued to play regularly for the MCC and also once for the Gentlemen versus Players.[8] He represented Scotland in their first ever capped match, against Surrey.[1][9] His final appearance in first-class Cricket was for the MCC against Cambridge University in 1873.[10] In 59 first-class innings Balfour scored 685 runs at an average of 12.45. His highest score was 82. As a 'keeper he effected 33 dismissals, 22 of which were catches and 11 stumpings. There is no record of him bowling.[11] He is known to have batted alongside W. G. Grace, for example when he was first batsman in the MCC's match against Hertfordshire at Chorleywood, in May 1872.[12]

Share certificate showing Drummond as stock broker

Drummond Balfour became a stockbroker and a member of the Stock Exchange with the firm of Capel & Co.[13][4] He married Catherine Elizabeth Donaldson in 1876 and died on 7 May 1915 at Sherrards, a house located near The Frythe[12] in Welwyn, Hertfordshire.[4][14]

References
  1. "Scotland Cap Matches played by Robert Drummond Balfour at Cricket Archive".
  2. "The Home of CricketArchive". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  3. The Elizabethan, XIV, Westminster School, 1915
  4. "Robert Drummond Balfour at Holmes a Court Family History, retrieved July 2015".
  5. "Miscellaneous Matches played by Robert Drummond Balfour at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
  6. "First-Class matches played by Robert Drummond Balfour at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
  7. "Robert Drummond Balfour, Team Records at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
  8. "Gentlemen vs Players, Lord's 25th-27th June, 1866, retrieved July 2015".
  9. "Christopher Egerton Balfour". Ayot St Peter Parish Website. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  10. "MCC vs Cambridge University, 16th-17th June, 1873 at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
  11. Philip Bailey, Philip Thorn and Peter Wynne-Thomas, Who's Who of Cricketers (London, 1984), p. 61
  12. Richard J. Busby (1976). The Book of Welwyn: The Story of the Five Villages and the Garden City.
  13. The London Gazette 1895 Part 3 Page 4385
  14. "Alumni Cantabrigienses". google.co.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
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