20 Facts About Maurice Turnbull

Maurice Joseph Lawson Turnbull was a Welsh cricketer who played in nine Test matches for the England cricket team between 1930 and 1936.

Maurice Turnbull represented Wales at field hockey and was squash champion for South Wales.

Maurice Turnbull is the only person to have played cricket for England and rugby for Wales.

Maurice Turnbull was born in Cardiff in 1906 into a large sporting family.

Maurice Turnbull's father, Philip, was a Welsh international hockey player, winning a bronze medal with the Welsh team at the 1908 Olympics, and six of his eight sons, including Maurice, played for Cardiff Rugby Club.

Maurice Turnbull was educated at Downside School near Bath; and the school still has a bar named after him for the use of sixth formers.

Maurice Turnbull's body was recovered from the battlefield by one of his men, Sergeant Fred Llewellyn, and his personal possessions were sent home to his family.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins wrote that to Maurice Turnbull batting was an adventure.

Maurice Turnbull was a gifted right-hander who made runs when they were wanted and whose value could not always be assessed on figures.

Maurice Turnbull captained Cambridge in 1929 and Glamorgan from 1930 until 1939.

Maurice Turnbull passed 1000 runs in a season ten times and three times hit double-centuries, the highest being 233 against Worcestershire at Swansea in 1937, a season in which Glamorgan finished higher than ever before thanks to his bold leadership and devoted example.

Not the least of Maurice Turnbull's achievements was that he was the first man to justify Glamorgan's elevation to first-class status in 1921.

When Maurice Turnbull took over [in 1930, as captain and club secretary] they were indeed a bedraggled flock without a shepherd.

Maurice Turnbull linked Monmouthshire with Glamorgan, ran a Minor Counties side, improved the membership and by 1937 the improvement had advanced to a point where Glamorgan won 13 matches and finished seventh, in the top half of the Championship for the first time.

Maurice Turnbull was an eager sportsman as a youth, and played rugby for Downside School.

Maurice Turnbull matriculated to Cambridge, and at university joined not only the cricket team, but Cambridge University Rugby Club.

Maurice Turnbull was first selected to play for Wales in the opening match of the 1933 Home Nations Championship, played away to England.

Maurice Turnbull was one of seven new caps brought into the Welsh team, under the captaincy of Watcyn Thomas, and was paired at half-back with Cardiff and London Welsh regular Harry Bowcott.

Maurice Turnbull himself was forced to withdraw because of injury, which saw Bowcott stand down to allow the introduction of the Swansea half-back pairing of Morris and Evans to take their place.

Maurice Turnbull was one of the players who never played international rugby for Wales again.