Jack Durston
English cricketer and footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frederick John Durston (11 July 1893 – 8 April 1965) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Middlesex and England.[2] He is a member of the Middlesex Hall of Fame.[4]
Clophill, England
Norwood Green, England[2]
Durston in 1920. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Frederick John Durston[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 July 1893 Clophill, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 8 April 1965 (aged 71)[2] Norwood Green, England[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast, off-break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Only Test | 11 June 1921 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 1 July 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cricket career
A tall fast bowler with the ability to make the ball "break back" after pitching,[5] Durston came to the fore in Middlesex's County Championship-winning seasons of 1920 and 1921,[2] having played only a handful of matches before then. In both years, he took more than 100 wickets and after taking 11 wickets for MCC against the all-conquering 1921 Australian team led by Warwick Armstrong,[2][6] he was picked for the second Test match on his home ground, Lord's.[7] But though he took five wickets for 136 runs in the match,[8] he was dropped and never played for England again.[2]
Durston played for Middlesex until 1933,[9] turning increasingly to off-spin as he got older and stouter. In all, he took 1,314 wickets. His batting improved with age and in 1927 he shared an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 160 – scored in only 80 minutes – with Patsy Hendren against Essex at Leyton that remained as a Middlesex record until 2011.[10][11]
Durston ran an indoor cricket school at Acton in London from 1924 to 1958.[11]
Football career
Durston also played football as a goalkeeper for Royal Engineers, Queens Park Rangers, Brentford,[12] Northfleet United and Bedford Town.[7][13]
The Hackney Gazette Newspaper reported that the Brentford registered goalkeeper Corporal Jack Durston made 2 appearances for Clapton Orient during the December holiday period of 1917 both against Chelsea. On Christmas Day at Chelsea in a 4–1 defeat and on Boxing Day a 2–1 defeat at Millfields, Homerton. Source: Neilson N. Kaufman, honorary historian of nearly fifty years to Leyton Orient FC.
Personal life
Durston served with the Royal Engineers during the First World War.[2]