Lionel Deas

English cricketer

Lionel Deas

Personal information

Full name|

Lionel Maury Ross Deas

Born| 8 February 1872
Macclesfield, Derbyshire, England
Died| 8 January 1913(1913-01-08) (aged 40)
Budleigh Salterton, Devon, England
Batting| Unknown
Bowling| Unknown
Domestic team information
Years| Team
1895/96-1906/07| Europeans
Career statistics
| Competition | First-class

|

Matches | 9
Runs scored | 86
Batting average | 6.61
100s/50s | –/–
Top score | 31
Balls bowled | 1,978
Wickets | 46
Bowling average | 14.45
5 wickets in innings | 4
10 wickets in match | 1
Best bowling | 8/91
Catches/stumpings | 15/–

Source: Cricinfo, 20 November 2021

Lionel Maury Ross Deas (8 February 1872 – 8 January 1913) was an English first-class cricketer and an officer in both the British Army and the British Indian Army.

The son of Peter Maury Deas, a doctor, he was born at Macclesfield in February 1872.[1] He attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, graduating into the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as a second lieutenant in May 1892.[2] Promotion to lieutenant followed in October 1893,[3] Soon after he served in British India and was seconded to the Indian Staff Corps in September 1896.[4] While in British India he played first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team between 1895 and 1906, making nine appearances.[5] A skilled bowler, he took 46 wickets in his nine first-class matches at an average of 14.45. He took a five wicket haul on four occasions and took ten wickets in a match once, with his best innings bowling figures being 8 for 91.[6] He notably dismissed the Test cricketer Ranjitsinhji for ducks in both innings in a minor match while playing for Pune Gymkhana on a pitch described as "soaked by heavy rain".[7][8]

Deas saw action during the Boxer Rebellion with the Indian Supply and Transport Corps, during which he was mentioned in dispatches in May 1901 for his command of a Commissariat Depot at Tungchou.[9] He participated in the American–led China Relief Expedition during the conflict, for which he was made a member of the Military Order of the Dragon.[10] Holding the rank of captain by 1902, he was appointed a special service officer in the British Indian Army in October of that year.[11] He was made a brevet major in September 1904 in recognition of his service in the Somaliland campaign against the Dervishes led by  Diiriye Guure.[12] later gaining the rank in full in May 1910.[13] Deas later returned to England, where he died in Devon at Budleigh Salterton in January 1913.[14]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Lodge, Edmund (1907). The Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage & Companionage of the British Empire. Paul Barbey Press. p. 1522.
2. ^ "No. 26288". The London Gazette. 17 May 1892. p. 2906.
3. ^ "No. 26462". The London Gazette. 28 November 1893. p. 6988.
4. ^ "No. 26815". The London Gazette. 19 January 1897. p. 341.
5. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Lionel Deas". CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
6. ^ "First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Lionel Deas". CricketArchive. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
7. ^ Sen, Ronojoy (2015). Nation at Play: A History of Sport in India. Columbia University Press. p. 84\. ISBN 9780231539937.
8. ^ Rodrigues, Mario (2015). Batting for the Empire: A Political Biography of Ranjitsinhji. Penguin Books. p. 231\. ISBN 9780143029519.
9. ^ "No. 27313". The London Gazette. 14 May 1901. p. 3280.
10. ^ Military Order of the Dragon, 1900-1911. Press of B. S. Adams. 1912. p. 61\. ISBN 9780143029519.
11. ^ "No. 27603". The London Gazette. 6 October 1903. p. 6091.
12. ^ "No. 27711". The London Gazette. 6 September 1904. p. 5776.
13. ^ "No. 28392". The London Gazette. 5 July 1910. p. 4781.
14. ^ Obituaries. Army and Navy Gazette. 18 January 1913. p. 21

## External links[edit]

* Lionel Deas at ESPNcricinfo