Geoffrey Adams (cricketer)

Geoffrey Coker Arding Adams MBE (24 May 1909 — 10 February 1998) was an English first-class cricketer and newspaper proprietor.

The son of Hugh Geoffrey Coker Adams, he was born at Hampstead in May 1909. He was educated at Radley College,[1] before matriculating to Pembroke College, Cambridge. Although a member of the Cambridge University Cricket Club, he did not feature for the first eleven. However, he did gain a blue playing rugby union for Cambridge University R.U.F.C..[2] During his summer holiday from Cambridge, Adams played first-class cricket for Hampshire, making his debut against Worcestershire in the 1928 County Championship. Having played once in 1928, he made a further twelve appearances in 1929 and five in 1930.[3] In eighteen first-class matches for Hampshire, Adams had modest success as a middle-order batsman.[2] He scored 421 runs at an average of 13.58, with a highest score of 42.[4]

Adams married Betty Clover in June 1935 at Whitegate, Cheshire.[5] He later served in the Second World War with the British Army, being commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers as a second lieutenant in March 1940.[6] Following the war, he resigned his commission in January 1946 having reached the war substantive rank of major and was granted the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel.[7] He followed in his fathers footsteps by emigrating to Australia,[5] where he built a newspaper group in rural Victoria.[2] He was instrumental in preserving papers concerning the 1932–33 Bodyline tour.[8] For his services to publishing in Victoria, Adams was made an MBE in the 1969 Birthday Honours.[9] He died at Geelong in February 1998.[2]