Bacon Francis Image 2 Hampshire 1896

Description

Colombo, British Ceylon born Francis Bacon was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm slow bowler who first played  on the strength of three centuries for Basingstoke, for Hampshire in 1894, the season before which the County re-gained its first class status, against Warwickshire at Edgbaston and scored a chanceless 114 in 130 minutes on his debut. The following season Bacon made his first class debut against Somerset.

Bacon played 75 first class matches for Hampshire, with the 1903 season being his most successful, scoring 357 runs at a batting average of 18.78, with a high score of 39 not out. In terms of batting average, the 1906 season was Bacon’s best with 308 runs at a batting average of 23.69, with three fifties and a high score of 60.

Bacon’s final match for Hampshire came in the 1911 County Championship against Lancashire at Old Trafford. In Bacon’s 75 first class matches for the County he scored 1,909 runs at a batting average of 15.77, with five half centuries and a single century when Bacon made his highest score of 110 against Leicestershire in 1907. Bacon also took 6 wickets at a bowling average of 31.66, with best figures of 2-23. He was one of the comparatively few cricketers who played first as a professional and afterwards as an amateur.

From 1903 until his death he was Secretary of Hampshire CCC and, said Wisden, “giving every satisfaction whilst in that position and making many friends by his geniality”. Bacon was also a scorer in four Hampshire v Warwickshire matches in 1911, 1912, 1913 and 1914.

Bacon died at sea aboard the Royal Yacht Squadron’s steam yacht Aries, in which he was serving as an Assistant-Paymaster in the Royal Naval Reserves, off the coast of Belgium, aged 46. The ship was hit by a sea mine while on an Auxiliary Patrol near the South Goodwin Lightship on 31st October 1915.