Jack Richards (cricketer, born 1918)

John Lawson Richards (6 October 1918 – 2 November 1944) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

Jack Richards

Personal information
Full name	John Lawson Richards
Born	(1918-10-06)6 October 1918 Williton, Somerset, England
Died	2 November 1944(1944-11-02) (aged 26) Gelderland, German-occupied Netherlands
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1939	Cambridge University
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 1 Runs scored 0 Batting average 0 100s/50s –/– Top score 0 Balls bowled 50 Wickets – Bowling average – 5 wickets in innings – 10 wickets in match – Best bowling 0/18 Catches/stumpings 0/0
Source: Cricinfo, 6 August 2020

Born in Williton in October 1918, Richards was educated at Monmouth School and Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he played several sports, including cricket.^[1] He entered Selwyn College in 1938, where he read mathematics.^[1] Between 24 and 26 May 1939, Richards made his only first-class appearance for Cambridge against Yorkshire, in which he was bowled twice for a duck and did not gain any runs.^[2][3]

On 8 June 1940, seven months after the outbreak of the Second World War, Richards was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, in which he was involved in bomb disposal.^[1][4] During leave periods in 1941 and 1942, he appeared for Cambridge in six wartime cricket matches.^[5] Richards was killed in the Netherlands on 2 November 1944 and is buried at Jonkerbos War Cemetery.^[1][6]