| Richard Utley | |
| Country: | England |
| Fullname: | Richard Peter Hugh Utley |
| Birth Date: | 11 February 1906 |
| Birth Place: | Havant, Hampshire, England |
| Death Place: | Ampleforth, Yorkshire, England |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Bowling: | Right-arm fast |
| Club1: | Hampshire |
| Year1: | 1927 - 1928 |
| Columns: | 1 |
| Column1: | First-class |
| Matches1: | 31 |
| Runs1: | 210 |
| Bat Avg1: | 7.24 |
| 100S/50S1: | –/– |
| Top Score1: | 30 |
| Deliveries1: | 4,450 |
| Wickets1: | 90 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 26.33 |
| Fivefor1: | 4 |
| Tenfor1: | 1 |
| Best Bowling1: | 6/43 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 12/– |
| Date: | 14 December |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Source: | http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/22153.html Cricinfo |
Richard Peter Hugh Utley (11 February 1906 — 11 February 1968) was an English first-class cricketer, Royal Air Force officer, Benedictine monk, and educator.
The son of Henry James Utley,[1] he was born in Havant and was educated firstly in Portsmouth at St John's College,[2] before attending Ampleforth College. There he played for the college cricket team and led the batting averages in his final year.[3] From there, he attended the Royal Air Force College Cranwell and graduated into the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a pilot officer,[1] with promotion to flying officer following in January 1928. Utley made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Kent at Southampton in the 1927 County Championship. He made 27 first-class appearances for Hampshire in 1927 and 1928,[4] and had begun to build a reputation as a fast bowler.[5] He took 79 wickets for Hampshire at an average of 26.32; he took four five wicket hauls and once took ten wickets in a match.[6] His best innings bowling figures were 6 for 43 against Warwickshire.[7] In addition to playing first-class cricket for Hampshire in 1927 and 1928, he also made three first-class appearances for the Royal Air Force cricket team (playing twice against the Royal Navy and once against the British Army) and once for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture of 1927 at The Oval.[4] For the RAF, he took 11 wickets at an average of 21.18, with best figures of 3 for 18.[6]
In September 1928, Utley resigned his commission in the RAF and ended his first-class career in order to become a Benedictine monk.[8] Having undertook holy orders, he became a master at Ampleforth School, where he was in charge of cricket from 1936 to 1955 and commanded the college's Combined Cadet Force for thirty years.[3] Utley was made an OBE in the 1951 Birthday Honours. He died suddenly from a coronary thrombosis at Ampleforth on 11 February 1968.[3] [9]