Jack Durston

Frederick John Durston (11 July 1893 – 8 April 1965) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Middlesex and England.^[2] He is a member of the Middlesex Hall of Fame.^[4]

Jack Durston

Durston in 1920.
Personal information
Full name	Frederick John Durston[1]
Born	11 July 1893 Clophill, England
Died	8 April 1965(1965-04-08) (aged 71)[2] Norwood Green, England[2]
Height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[3]
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast, off-break
International information
National side	England
Only Test	11 June 1921 v Australia
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 1 386 Runs scored 8 3,918 Batting average 8.00 11.90 100s/50s 0/0 0/6 Top score 6* 92* Balls bowled 202 72,124 Wickets 5 1,329 Bowling average 27.19 22.03 5 wickets in innings 0 72 10 wickets in match 0 11 Best bowling 4/102 8/27 Catches/stumpings 0/– 257/–
Source: Cricinfo, 1 July 2025
Association football career Position(s) Goalkeeper Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1912 Bedford Town 5 (0) Royal Engineers Queens Park Rangers 1919–1921 Brentford 44 (0) Northfleet United * Club domestic league appearances and goals

Cricket career

A tall fast bowler with the ability to make the ball "break back" after pitching,^[5] Durston came to the fore in Middlesex's County Championship-winning seasons of 1920 and 1921,^[2] having played only a handful of matches before then. In both years, he took more than 100 wickets and after taking 11 wickets for MCC against the all-conquering 1921 Australian team led by Warwick Armstrong,^[2][6] he was picked for the second Test match on his home ground, Lord's.^[7] But though he took five wickets for 136 runs in the match,^[8] he was dropped and never played for England again.^[2]

Durston played for Middlesex until 1933,^[9] turning increasingly to off-spin as he got older and stouter. In all, he took 1,314 wickets. His batting improved with age and in 1927 he shared an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 160 – scored in only 80 minutes – with Patsy Hendren against Essex at Leyton that remained as a Middlesex record until 2011.^[10][11]

Durston ran an indoor cricket school at Acton in London from 1924 to 1958.^[11]

Football career

Durston also played football as a goalkeeper for Royal Engineers, Queens Park Rangers, Brentford,^[12] Northfleet United and Bedford Town.^[7][13]

The Hackney Gazette Newspaper reported that the Brentford registered goalkeeper Corporal Jack Durston made 2 appearances for Clapton Orient during the December holiday period of 1917 both against Chelsea. On Christmas Day at Chelsea in a 4–1 defeat and on Boxing Day a 2–1 defeat at Millfields, Homerton. Source: Neilson N. Kaufman, honorary historian of nearly fifty years to Leyton Orient FC.

Personal life

Durston served with the Royal Engineers during the First World War.^[2]