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Richard Peter Hugh Utley OBE (11 February 1906 — 11 February 1968) was an English first-class cricketer, Royal Air Force officer, Benedictine monk, and educator.

The son of Henry James Utley, he was born in Havant and was educated firstly in Portsmouth at St John's College, before attending Ampleforth College. There he played for the college cricket team and led the batting averages in his final year. From there, he attended the Royal Air Force College Cranwell and graduated into the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a pilot officer, with promotion to flying officer following in January 1928. Utley made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Kent at Southampton in the 1927 County Championship. He made 27 first-class appearances for Hampshire in 1927 and 1928, and had begun to build a reputation as a fast bowler. He took 79 wickets for Hampshire at an average of 26.32; he took four five wicket hauls and once took ten wickets in a match. His best innings bowling figures were 6 for 43 against Warwickshire. In addition to playing first-class cricket for Hampshire in 1927 and 1928, he also made three first-class appearances for the Royal Air Force cricket team (playing twice against the Royal Navy and once against the British Army) and once for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture of 1927 at The Oval. For the RAF, he took 11 wickets at an average of 21.18, with best figures of 3 for 18.

In September 1928, Utley resigned his commission in the RAF and ended his first-class career in order to become a Benedictine monk. Having undertook holy orders, he became a master at Ampleforth School, where he was in charge of cricket from 1936 to 1955 and commanded the college's Combined Cadet Force for thirty years. Utley was made an OBE in the 1951 Birthday Honours. He died suddenly from a coronary thrombosis at Ampleforth on 11 February 1968.

References

1. ^ Burnand, Francis Cowley (1952). The Catholic Who's Who & Yearbook. Vol. 35. London: Burns & Oates. p. 454. ISBN 9789766400460.
2. Magan, Michael (1976). Cradled in History: St John's College, Southsea, 1908-1976. Portsmouth: St John's College. p. 62. ASIN B000ZOUT0C.
3. ^ "Wisden - Obituaries in 1968". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
4. "No. 33370". The London Gazette. 27 March 1928. p. 2243.
5. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Peter Utley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
6. "King George gives medal to Benedictine monk". The Catholic Standard & Times. Vol. 56 (39 ed.). Philadelphia. 29 June 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 29 June 2023 – via The Catholic News Archive.
7. ^ "First-Class Bowling and Fielding For Each Team by Richard Utley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
8. "First-Class Bowling Against Each Opponent Peter Utley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
9. "Cricketer's commission". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 8 September 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 29 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
10. "No. 39243". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1951. p. 3067.
11. "Obituary - Fr Peter Utley 1968". www.plantata.org.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2023.

External links

• Richard Utley at ESPNcricinfo

• 1906 births
• 1968 deaths
• People from Havant
• Cricketers from Hampshire
• People educated at St John's College, Portsmouth
• People educated at Ampleforth College
• Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell
• Royal Air Force officers
• English cricketers
• Hampshire cricketers
• Royal Air Force cricketers
• Gentlemen cricketers
• English Benedictines
• Schoolteachers from Hampshire
• Members of the Order of the British Empire
• Deaths from coronary thrombosis
• 20th-century English sportsmen