Charles Leslie (cricketer)

Charles Frederick Henry Leslie (8 December 1861 in Mayfair, Westminster, London, England – 12 February 1921 in Mayfair, Westminster, London, England) was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for eight years between 1881 and 1888. Leslie played his cricket for Oxford University, Middlesex and England.

Leslie was a hard-hitting batsman with a solid defence, a useful right-arm fast bowler and an athletic cover-point. Cricket captain at Rugby School in his last three years, he was an outstanding public schoolboy cricketer. He won blues in cricket in each of his three seasons at Oxford (1881–83) and also at racquets and football.

His performances won him selection for the Honourable Ivo Bligh's tour side to Australia in 1882/3 where he was part of the team that regained the Ashes. His Test career comprised all four matches for Bligh's team when he scored 106 runs at 15.14 and took four wickets at 11.00. The first three matches were played against Billy Murdoch's 1882 touring team and counted for the Ashes; Leslie did not take a wicket in the last two of those Tests. The urn was not at stake for the fourth match played against a combined Australian side when Leslie took one first innings wicket.

He represented Middlesex from 1881 to 1886 and in 48 first-class matches in total scored 1860 runs at 22.96 with his 144 for Bligh's XI against New South Wales the highest of his four hundreds He took eight wickets at 20.62 and held 18 catches.

Away from cricket he became managing director of William France, Fenwick &. Co. Ltd., Fenchurch Street, London, coal merchants and ship owners.

His great-grandson is the former Kent and England cricketer Matthew Fleming. His great-great-grandson is actor Jack Huston.

References

• Cricinfo page on Charles Leslie
• Brief profile of C.F.H.Leslie by Don Ambrose
• CricketArchive page on Charles Leslie