Dillon Ted Image 2 Kent 1908

Description

Penge, Kent born Ted Dillon was educated at Rugby School, where he topped the school batting averages in 1899 and 1900, with a highest score of 157, and was described by Wisden as the best school batsman of the year. He made 110 not out when 190 were required in two hours at Lord’s and Marlborough were beaten by nine wickets. He went on to Oxford University in 1900, earning his cricket Blue in his first year at Oxford University, appearing for both the University, whom he captained, and for Kent, although his first class debut was for London County in August 1900 with his Kent debut coming later the same month, and he represented Oxford University through to 1902, his highest career score of 143 coming for Oxford University against Somerset.

He was predominantly a batsman, often opening the batting. Wisden described him as “very free in style” and being powerful when driving the ball. He toured the West Indies with RA Bennett’s XI in 1902 and America with Kent in 1903. In both 1905 and 1906, Kent’s first Championship season, he averaged more than 40, making his highest County score of 141 against Gloucestershire in 1905.

Dillon captained Kent between 1909 and 1913 during which time the County won the County Championship in 1909, 1910 and 1913. He is the only Kent captain to have led the County to win the Championship more than once. As an amateur his playing time was at times restricted by his business commitments as a shipbroker, including in 1909 when former club captain Jack Mason captained the Kent side in the final month of the season in Dillon’s absence. The powerful Yorkshire attack suffered from Dillon’s onslaught at Dewsbury in 1910, a superb 138 starting Kent on the road to victory by nine wickets. In the return at Maidstone his vigorous 49 paved the way for a triumph by 178 runs; Colin Blythe and Woolley bowled unchanged in both Yorkshire innings. At The Oval in 1913 he scored 135 in a vain attempt to save Kent from defeat by Surrey.

After the outbreak of the First World War, Dillon enlisted in September 1914, being commissioned into the Royal West Kent Regiment, eventually reaching the rank of captain and serving as a company commander in the 2/4th Battalion. He served during the War at Gallipoli, in the Senussi Campaign in Egypt and in Palestine, where he took part in the First Battle of Gaza. Dillon was wounded during the stalemate in Southern Palestine and was involved in the Southern Palestine Offensive and the Battle of Jerusalem in late 1917. He was transferred to the Economic Division in Cairo in late December 1917, serving there in the Intelligence Corps for the remainder of the War.

After the War Dillon played in four first class matches, including two in the County Championship for Kent in 1919. He made his final appearance for Kent in 1923 in another Championship match.

Altogether in first class cricket Dillon scored 10,353 runs at an average of 28.29 in 260 matches, the majority for Kent, including 15 centuries and 51 half centuries through to 1923. He occasionally bowled right-arm leg-breaks, taking 74 first class wickets at 32.78 a piece, with a best performance of 4-11. He also took 213 catches in first class cricket.

After Dillon’s death in 1941, The Times Cricket Correspondent wrote:

“Dillon… was one of the most distinguished and reliable members of a great band of cricketers who early in this century made the Kent team not only one of the most successful but certainly the most attractive in the country.”

Dillon also played rugby union for both Rugby School and Oxford University, playing as a centre, and he went on to play for Blackheath, winning four international caps for England, playing against Wales, Scotland and Ireland in the 1904 Home Nations Championship and against Wales in the 1905 Championship. He also represented Harlequins, The Barbarians and Kent.