Fargus Archibald Image 1 Cambridge University 1901

Description

Clifton, Bristol born Archibald Fargus was educated at Clifton College and Haileybury before attending Pembroke College, Cambridge. Fargus made his first class debut for Gloucestershire in the 1900 County Championship against Middlesex. In that same season he also made his first class debut for Cambridge University against Surrey. Fargus played first class cricket for both teams in 1900 and 1901, typically playing for Cambridge University in the months of June and July and for Gloucestershire in August. He played 12 matches for the University, from whom he won a Blue in 1900 and 1901, and 15 for Gloucestershire, plus one match for the Gentlemen against the Players in 1900. He appeared for Cambridge University in the drawn games with Oxford University in 1900 and 1901, in which he made 8 and 17 not out, and took six wickets for 260 runs.

Overall, Fargus was a superior batsman while playing for Cambridge University, scoring 292 runs at a batting average of 16.22, plus scoring his only half century in first class cricket, a score of 61. For Gloucestershire he batted in 27 innings, scoring 210 runs at an average of 9.13. With the ball, the reverse was true; his bowling with Gloucestershire was more successful. For the County he took 33 wickets at a bowling average of 26.54, with best figures of 7-55, one of two five wicket hauls he took. His best figures came in his debut match against Middlesex in their second innings, following on from his 5-32 in their first innings. These figures were the best by any player on debut in the County Championship at that time, it would be a record which would stand for 14 years, until it was beaten by Cec Parkin who took match figures of 14-99 on his Lancashire County debut in 1914  In contrast, for the University he took 27 wickets at an average of 41.66, with best figures of 4-35.

His first class career ended at the end of the 1901 season. However, in 1904 he represented Devon in that season’s Minor Counties Championship, playing a single match against Glamorgan. Outside of cricket, Fargus also played rugby for Devon.

In all, in 28 first class matches, he averaged 12.07 with the bat, scoring 507 runs with a single half century. He also managed to claim 60 wickets at an average of 34.13 a piece, with two five wicket hauls and a single ten wicket match. In addition he held 19 catches.

Wisden published an obituary for Fargus in their 1915 Almanack on the assumption that he’d gone down with the sinking of HMS Monmouth, where he was due to be acting as Chaplain, having taken the cloth in 1906. In the 1916 edition they wrote the following retraction: “The Rev. A. H. C. Fargus was not lost, as stated in the Press, in Admiral Cradock’s flagship, the Monmouth, on November 1, 1914. Missing a train, he was prevented from re-joining the ship just before it left for the Pacific and was appointed to another.”

NB in the photograph he leaves the field with Dick Blaker after their 10th wicket partnership in the 1901 Varsity match at Lord’s.