Anthony Gifford (cricketer)

Anthony Aubrey Kenward Gifford OAM (19 January 1921 – 11 February 2016) was an English-born Australian first-class cricketer, British Indian Army officer and educator.

Gifford was born in Paddington in January 1921 and was educated at Blundell's School,[1] with Gifford, who was a talented slow left-arm orthodox bowler playing cricket for the Kent Second XI in 1939.[2] He served in the Second World War as an officer in the Garhwal Rifles, part of the British Indian Army. He played first-class cricket while in British India, making a single appearance for the Europeans cricket team against the Parsees cricket team in the semi-final of the 1941/42 Bombay Pentangular played at Bombay.[3] Gifford had little success in the match, scoring a single run and going wicketless from 39 overs bowled.[4] He was seriously injured during the war when he was involved in a traffic accident while stationed in Cyprus, with his injuries invalidating him out of the army.[1] On advice of doctors, he emigrated to Australia in 1948, with it being suggested that the warmer climate would better suit his long-term recovery from his accident.[5]

Soon after arriving in Australia, he found employment at Launceston Church Grammar School, before taking up a teaching post at St Peter's College in Adelaide, where one of his students was Don Bradman's son.[1] From there he moved to Knox Grammar School in Sydney, where he was to teach for the next 32 years.[5] While teaching at Knox, he started youth cricket in Australia by founding the Australian School Cricket Council in 1966, serving as its secretary until 1981.[1] Gifford was also active in Australian rugby union and was a member of New South Wales Rugby Union, serving as a delegate from 1974 to 1989, in addition to being appointed treasurer of the Australian Schools' Rugby Union in 1978, which was a role he held until 1991.[5] He was awarded the Certificate of Distinguished Services to Australian Cricket by Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke in 2010 for his service to cricket,[1] in addition to being awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours.[6] Away from sport, Gifford was an active member of the Liberal Party of Australia and served as secretary of the Palm Beach branch of the party for ten years.[1] His wife, Bunny, predeceased him in 2014, with Gifford passing away in February 2016 following a short illness.[5]