Eric Morris (cricketer)

Eric Wells Morris DSO (8 December 1890 – 22 May 1966) was an English first-class cricketer and an officer in both the British Army and the British Indian Army.

The son of the Irishman Dermot Morris,^[1] he was born in British India at Bandara in December 1890. He was educated at Felsted School, before proceeding to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.^[2] He was commissioned into the Connaught Rangers as a second lieutenant in March 1911.^[3] He served in the First World War, being promoted to lieutenant a month and a half into the conflict,^[4] with promotion to captain following in October 1915.^[5] Following the war, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the 1919 Birthday Honours, at which point he was seconded to the Cheshire Regiment.^[6] Morris later joined the British Indian Army in March 1928.^[7]

A year later, in March 1929, he made his debut in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team against the Muslims at Lahore in the 1928–29 Lahore Tournament.^[8] In September 1929, he was confirmed in the rank of captain in the British Indian Army.^[9] He vacated his appointment in India as an instructor at the Indian Army Service Corps (IASC) Training Establishment in June 1932, at which point he held the rank of major.^[10] He was reappointed an instructor at IASC Training Establishment at Chaklala in September 1933,^[11] with promotion to lieutenant colonel following in September 1935.^[12] In December 1936, he made a second appearance in first-class cricket, this time for Bihar against Bengal at Calcutta in the 1936–37 Ranji Trophy.^[8] In his two first-class matches, he scored 46 runs with a highest score of 20, in addition to taking a single wicket.^[13] After a number of appointments as an instructor, Morris retired from active service in August 1939.^[14] He later died in England at Kensington in May 1966.