Harold Austin

H.B.G. Austin

Personal information
Full name	Harold Bruce Gardiner Austin
Born	(1877-07-15)15 July 1877 Enmore, St Michael, Barbados
Died	27 July 1943(1943-07-27) (aged 66) Collymore Rock, St Michael, Barbados
Batting	Right-handed
Role	Batsman
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1894/95–1925/26	Barbados
1909–1926	MCC
FC debut	19 January 1895 Barbados v RS Lucas' XI
Last FC	7 January 1928 Barbados Born v The Rest
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 65 Runs scored 2,643 Batting average 28.41 100s/50s 1/17 Top score 129 Balls bowled 538 Wickets 15 Bowling average 20.13 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 3/7 Catches/stumpings 46/3
Source: CricketArchive, 8 July 2011

Sir Harold Bruce Gardiner Austin OBE (15 July 1877 – 27 July 1943) was a Barbadian politician and cricketer. He was known as H.B.G..

Austin was the son of John Gardiner Austin, a shipper connected with the sugar trade, and his wife Dorothy and was educated at Harrison College, Barbados. He married Lillian Marie Dennehy in St. Lucia in 1904 and had two daughters.

Austin was awarded the OBE in 1927, was knighted in 1935. He lost his seat to Charles Duncan O'Neal in 1932 by one vote. Austin was Speaker of the House of Assembly of Barbados 1934-1937, 1938-1942.^[1]

Austin captained the West Indian cricket teams that toured England in 1906 and 1923. He was a right hand batsman and occasional wicket-keeper. He was one of a family of cricketers which included his brothers John ("Ruff"), Arthur ("A.P.G."), Malcolm ("M.P.G.") and Francis. H.B.G.'s younger daughter Clodagh married Gilbert White who played cricket for the Army in 1938.

In June 1988 Austin was celebrated on a 75c Barbadian stamp alongside the Barbados Cricket Buckle.