Leonard Moon was born at 45,
Portsdown Road, London (his parents' home) on 9 February 1878. He was the son of William Moon, a
Lincoln's Inn Fields solicitor. Moon was educated at
Westminster School where he was a member of the school
cricket XI for three seasons from 1894 to 1896. In his final year, he averaged 46.69 as a
batsman and scored 57 against
Charterhouse. He progressed to the
University of Cambridge where he was admitted to
Pembroke College in October 1896. He played cricket and football there and was awarded
blues for both sports: in 1889 and 1890 for cricket; in 1888, 1889 and 1890 for football. When he left Cambridge, Moon became a
teacher at
Wellesley House School in
Broadstairs. Moon became a member of
Marylebone Cricket Club in 1898 and made his debut for
Middlesex County Cricket Club in 1899. He toured North America with MCC in the autumn of 1905 and
South Africa in 1905–06, where he played for
England in four
Tests. ==First World War==