David Laurence Acfield (born 24 July 1947) is an English former

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officia ...

er who was also a champion fencer.

Cricket career

He was part of the successful Essex County Cricket Club team of the late 1970s and early 1980s and formed a noted county spin partnership with Ray East. He was a right-arm off break bowler and right-handed tail-end batsman. He played for Cambridge University from 1966 to 1968 and Essex from 1966 to 1986. He also appeared for MCC in 1973–74 and 1974. He was awarded his Essex cap in 1970 and had his Essex benefit season in 1981. He took

10 wickets in a match In cricket, a ten-wicket haul occurs when a bowler takes ten wickets in either a single innings or across both innings of a two-innings match. The phrase ten wickets in a match is also used. Taking ten wickets in a match at Lord's earns the bow ...

4 times and

5 wickets in an innings In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five–for" or "fifer") occurs when a bowler takes five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded by critics as a notable achievement, equivalent to a century from a batsman. Taking ...

34 times. His best first-class figures, 8 for 55, came against Kent. Acfield was no batsman, failing to score a first-class fifty in 417 innings. His best score, 42, came against Leicestershire. His lack of batting ability, and strong competition from the likes of Fred Titmus and

John Emburey John Ernest Emburey (born 20 August 1952) is a former English first-class cricketer who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England. According to cricket writer Colin Bateman, Emburey's participation in two S ...

, tolled against his chances of Test selection, although he was on the 'long list' for inclusion in the English team that toured West Indies in 1973. After retiring he remained in the game and served on the ECB's management committee.

Fencing career

Acfield was also an Olympic fencer, taking part in the 1968 and 1972 Games. He represented England and won a gold medal in the team sabre at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. Acfield was a four times British fencing champion, winning the sabre title at the

British Fencing Championships The British Fencing Championships are held annually to determine the British champion. The Championships are currently held at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield. The championships were not held during World War I, World War II and in 20 ...

for four years in a row, 1969–1972, during which period he was the leading sabre fencer in the country. He retired from fencing after the 1972 Olympics, preferring to devote himself to cricket as a professional, having previously retained his amateur status to protect his Olympic qualification.

Personal life

Acfield attended Brentwood School, and graduated in history from Christ's College, Cambridge. For many years, during his cricket career, he taught history and took nets in winter at Rainsford Comprehensive School, later renamed St Peter's College, Chelmsford. After his retirement from athletics, Acfield served as an administrator for the

England and Wales Cricket Board The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the national governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was formed on 1 January 1997 as a single governing body to combine the roles formerly fulfilled by the Test and County Cricket Board, ...

and later as the president of the Essex County Cricket Club.

References

1947 births Living people Essex cricketers English cricketers Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Cambridge University cricketers British male fencers People educated at Brentwood School, Essex Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge Olympic fencers of Great Britain Fencers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1972 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Chelmsford Fencers at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games medallists in fencing Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Young England cricketers Medallists at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games {{UK-fencing-bio-stub