Ronald Lagden

Ronald Owen Lagden (21 November 1889 – 1 March 1915) was an English sportsman who played first-class cricket for Oxford University and represented England at rugby union.

Ronald Lagden
Personal information
Full name
Ronald Owen Lagden
Born(1889-11-21)21 November 1889
Maseru, Basutoland
Died1 March 1915(1915-03-01) (aged 25)
St. Eloi, Belgium
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast
RoleAll-rounder
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1909–1912Oxford University
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 31
Runs scored 1,197
Batting average 25.46
100s/50s 0/8
Top score 99*
Balls bowled 2,729
Wickets 56
Bowling average 25.10
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 6/57
Catches/stumpings 18/–
Source: CricketArchive, 16 November 2022

Early life and family

Lagden was born in Maseru in what was then the British colony of Basutoland (now Lesotho). He is one of only a handful of first-class cricketers to be born in that country.[lower-alpha 1] Lagden had a younger brother, Reginald, who was a first-class cricketer for Oxford's rivals, Cambridge University, as well as playing with Surrey.[1] Their father, Godfrey, later appeared in a single first-class match for the Marylebone Cricket Club at the age of 54.[2] Ronald Lagden was educated at Marlborough College and Oriel College, Oxford.[3]

Cricket

A right arm fast bowler, Lagden batted in the lower order but often contributed valuable runs. His best innings was 99 not out, which he made in 1912 against H. D. G. Leveson-Gower's XI, missing out on a century when Australian Neville Fraser was adjudged leg before wicket to Ernest Smith for a duck.[4]

Apart from University Matches, Lagden also played against touring international sides, Australia in 1909, India in 1911 and South Africa in 1912.[5] One of his two victims in the match against India was captain Bhupinder Singh of Patiala.[6]

The final time Lagden played with Oxford was at Lord's in July 1912, another University Match. He scored 68 in his final innings and dismissed his brother Reginald as his 56th and last first-class wicket.[7]

Rugby

While at Oxford University, Lagden took part in three Varsity matches. He was capped once for England, in the final match of their 1911 Five Nations Championship campaign, a Calcutta Cup match against Scotland at Twickenham. Lagden, a number eight, kicked two conversions in the 13 to 8 win.[8]

War

In 1914, Lagden joined the King's Royal Rifle Corps and was then attached to the 4th Battalion which were to fight in the Western Front. Just before the Second Battle of Ypres, Captain Lagden was one of 300 soldiers that ventured over the trench walls in an attack on the Germans, but was killed.[3]

See also

Notes
  1. Others include his brother (Reginald Lagden), Alan Barr, George Boyes, Harry Boyes, Arthur Lewis, and Dennis Piers.

References
  1. Reginald Lagden – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  2. Godfrey Lagden – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  3. "Ronald Lagden". The Rugby History Society.
  4. "HDG Leveson-Gower's XI v Oxford University 1912". CricketArchive.
  5. "First-Class Matches played by Ronald Lagden". CricketArchive.
  6. "Oxford University v Indians 1911". CricketArchive.
  7. "Oxford University v Cambridge University 1912". CricketArchive.
  8. "Five Nations – Twickenham, 18 March 1911". Scrum.com.

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