Yates was born at
Trimulgherry in
British India to Major Henry Townley Scott Yates and his wife, Sophia Yates. He was educated in England at
Reading School. He played
minor counties cricket for
Berkshire in 1900, playing in three matches in the
Minor Counties Championship. Yates enlisted in the
British Army, where he served in the
Royal Leicestershire Regiment. In June 1906 he was a
lieutenant and held the duty of Superintendent of Gymnasia in the regiment. He transferred from the
Royal Leicestershire Regiment to the
British Indian Army shortly after, at which point he returned the rank of
second lieutenant at his own request. By October 1907 he was serving in the
Maratha Light Infantry, at which point he was promoted to back to the rank of lieutenant. He was promoted to
captain in December 1910. While serving in British India he made his debut in
first-class cricket for
Europeans at
Poona in the 1911/12
Bombay Presidency. He made a further first-class appearance for the Europeans in 1912, before making two further appearances in 1915. ==World War I and later life==