Harry Altham

The son of the British Army officer Edward Altham Altham and his Scottish wife, Georgina Emily Nicol, Altham was born on 30 November 1888 in Yorktown in Camberley. He was educated at Repton School, where he captained the cricket eleven. A member of what was considered the best English school eleven of all time, A month after completing his final year at Repton, Altham made his debut in first-class cricket for Surrey, playing a single match against Leicestershire in the 1908 County Championship. From Repton, he matriculated to Trinity College, Oxford. Altham made six first-class appearances for Oxford in 1911, gaining a blue by playing in The University Match against Cambridge at Lord's, having missed out playing in the match in the preceding two seasons. He played his final season for Oxford in 1912, making a further six first-class appearances and gaining a second blue by making consecutive appearances in The University Match. After completing his studies at Oxford and graduating with a second class degree in literae humaniores, Altham played six matches for Surrey in the latter half of the 1912 County Championship. In May 1913, he was appointed a master and cricket coach at Winchester College. He made just one first-class appearance in 1913, playing for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Yorkshire in the season-ending Scarborough Festival. He did not play first-class cricket in 1914, a season that was curtailed due to the outbreak of the First World War. ==First World War service==

Altham enlisted in the British Army in August 1914, being commissioned as a second lieutenant on probation in the 5th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps. Serving on the Western Front, his probationary period finished in January 1915, with promotion to lieutenant following a fortnight later. He was seconded to the staff in March 1915, during which he was promoted to captain in May 1915. Altham was awarded the Military Cross in December 1916. He was made a temporary major in February 1918, before being appointed a Companion to the Distinguished Service Order in May 1918. He was mentioned in despatches on three occasions during the war. an appointment he relinquished the following month. He resigned his commission in January 1920, at which point he was granted the rank of major. ==Later playing career==

Altham resumed playing first-class cricket in August 1919, when he played as an amateur for Hampshire against Middlesex in the 1919 County Championship; making nine appearances in the latter half of the season. with him making eight appearances in the County Championship. Eight years later, Altham returned to first-class cricket when he played for the Gentlemen of England against the touring New Zealanders. For Hampshire, he made 24 appearances and scored 713 runs at an average of 22.28. ==Administration and coaching==

Alongside coaching at Winchester College, Altham was a prominent figure in nationwide youth coaching. He was a founding member of the English Schools Cricket Association, Altham served on the MCC Committee from 1941 until his death in 1965. he remained president until his death. Hubert Doggart would credit, in-part, Hampshire's maiden County Championship title in 1961 to his inspiration as president. Altham was also Chairman of the English Test selectors in 1954, and was a strong supporter of Len Hutton's captaincy. ==Historian==

Altham began his authoritative writing on cricket around the same time that he began playing County Championship cricket for Hampshire. Selected works • Altham, Harry; Arlott, John (1957). Hampshire County Cricket: The Official History of Hampshire County Cricket Club. London: Phoenix House. OCLC 958737412. • A History of Cricket (1 ed.). London: George Allen & Unwin. 1926. OCLC 1221577585. • Altham, Harry; Swanton, E. W. (1938). A History of Cricket (2 ed.). London: George Allen & Unwin. OCLC 557645553. • Altham, Harry; Swanton, E. W. (1947). A History of Cricket (3 ed.). London: George Allen & Unwin. OCLC 6168369. • Warner, Sir Pelham (1948). Introduction. A History of Cricket. By Altham, Harry; Swanton, E. W. (4 ed.). London: George Allen & Unwin. OCLC 1244779964. • Altham, Harry; Swanton, E. W. (1962). A History of Cricket. Vol. 1–2 (5 ed.). London: George Allen & Unwin. OCLC 894274808. • Altham, Harry; Arlott, John (1967). ''The Pictorial History of Lord's and the MCC''. London: Pitkins Pictorials. OCLC 255758048. ==Personal life and death==

Altham was a schoolmaster and a cricket coach at Winchester College for over thirty years, retiring from the post in 1947. From 1927, he was also the housemaster of Chernocke House until his retirement. He was a renowned after-dinner speaker, being invited to speak at both the centenary dinners for Hampshire and Yorkshire. Altham was buried at the Morn Hill Cemetery in Winchester. Wisden posthumously described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket". According to Swanton in his obituary for The Daily Telegraph: "He was a man of deep and abiding loyalties, with a wonderful facility, which his wife shared, of inspiring the friendship and affection of the young." He went on to ask: "Have MCC ever had so 'compleat' a cricketer in their seat of honour?" ==References==

• • • • (pieces originally published in The Daily Telegraph) • • • • ==External links==