Legh Winser

Born at High Legh, Cheshire, Winser was educated at Oundle School.[1] He made his debut in minor counties cricket for Staffordshire against the Lancashire Second XI in the 1906 Minor Counties Championship, playing a total of 21 Minor Counties Championship matches from 1906 to 1909.[2] He was a part of the Staffordshire team which won the Minor Counties Championship in 1908. In his capacity as wicket-keeper, Winser would have kept wicket to one of the best bowlers in the world at the time, Sydney Barnes, who played much of his domestic career at minor counties level.[1]

Winser emigrated to Australia in 1909, becoming an orchardist at Blackwood, South Australia.[3] He soon began playing cricket for South Australia, making his debut in first-class cricket in the 1913/14 Sheffield Shield against New South Wales.[4] He played in three Shield matches that season and was a strong candidate to be a part of the Australia team to tour South Africa, which was cancelled due to the onset of World War I.[1][5] He became the Private Secretary to Sir Henry Galway, the Governor of South Australia, in 1915. He would serve in his capacity as Private Secretary to a succession of governors.[3]

He made his final appearances in first-class cricket in 1920, playing two matches for South Australia in the 1920–21 Sheffield Shield.[4] He was the Australian Amateur golf champion in 1921.[6] By the time of the infamous bodyline tour of 1932-33, Wisner was serving as the Private Secretary to Alexander Hore-Ruthven, who was in England at the time.[1] Following the third Test match at Adelaide and the controversy that arose from it, Winser arranged for an urgent cable to be sent to Hore-Ruthven in England, urging him to make contact with the Dominions Office in order to avoid a full-scale diplomatic incident.[7] He later retired to Barwon Heads, Victoria, where he died on 20 December 1983.[1] At the time of his death he was the oldest living Sheffield Shield cricketer.[1]

• Legh Winser at ESPNcricinfo