Harry Altham

Harry Altham
Personal information
Full name
Harry Surtees Altham
Born(1888-11-30)30 November 1888
Camberley, Surrey, England
Died11 March 1965(1965-03-11) (aged 76)
Fulwood, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
RelationsRichard Altham (son)
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 55
Runs scored 1,537
Batting average 19.70
100s/50s 1/4
Top score 141
Balls bowled 72
Wickets 0
Bowling average
5 wickets in innings
10 wickets in match
Best bowling
Catches/stumpings 26/–
Source: Cricinfo, 26 July 2020

Harry Surtees Altham CBE DSO MC (30 November 1888 – 11 March 1965) was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His Wisden obituary described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket". He died of a heart attack just after he had given an address to a cricket society.

Altham was educated at Repton School and Trinity College, Oxford, and served in the British Army during World War I as a major with the 60th Rifles. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)[1] and the Military Cross (MC),[2] and was mentioned in despatches on three occasions. He was a schoolmaster and a cricket coach at Winchester College, a position that he held for thirty years, and was also the housemaster of Chernocke House.

Altham's son, Richard, played in two first-class matches for Oxford University in 1947.

  1. ^ "No. 30716". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 May 1918. p. 6457.
  2. ^ "No. 13033". The Edinburgh Gazette. 1 January 1917. p. 29.