Troughton Lionel Image 1 Kent 1921

Seaford, East Sussex born amateur cricketer Lionel Troughton first played for Kent’s Second XI in 1900, but did not make his first class cricket debut until 1907 when he appeared against Essex at The County Ground, Leyton in a County Championship match in June. He played only occasionally for Kent until 1913, never making more than five appearances for the First XI in any season, but played regularly for the Second XI, captaining them for a number of years.

Troughton went on a Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C.) tour of Argentina led by Archie MacLaren in 1911-12. He played in all three first class matches on the tour, the first first class matches played by Argentina, and scored a century in another match against Combined Camps in Buenos Aires. In 1914 Troughton succeeded Ted Dillon as Kent captain (a post he held until 1923) making 30 first class appearances in 1914 scoring 776 runs that season, his best aggregate, however his cricket career was halted by the outbreak of the First World War.

Troughton was commissioned, initially as a second lieutenant, in the Rifle Brigade during the First World War. He served with the 10th Battalion on the Western Front from 1915, rising to command the battalion with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In September 1916, whilst a company commander, he was awarded the Military Cross for leading his men in an attack at Guillemont with “conspicuous gallantry”, as well as a Légion d’Honneur, Croix d’Officiers, the first to be awarded in XIV Corps. He was captured and made a prisoner of war during a German attack at Cambrai in 1917.

Having returned from his wartime duties Troughton played much more regularly for Kent as captain, making at least 18 appearances in each year he was captain. He scored 761 runs in 1921, his best post war season, although his Wisden obituary described him as “never a very prominent batsman”. Troughton did prove, however, to be a “capable captain”. His final first class season was in 1923 after which he became the club’s general manager, succeeding Tom Pawley in the post. He held this post until his death in 1933. He was succeeded as club captain by Stanley Cornwallis.

In 180 first class matches, Troughton scored 4,013 runs at an average of 17.14 with a highest score of 104, his only century in addition to which he made a dozen half centuries. He also took 80 catches in first class play.