Martin James Evans (16 October 1904 – 17 December 1998) was an English first-class

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er and Royal Navy officer. Evans was born in October 1904 at Kingsclere, Hampshire. After enlisting in the Royal Navy, he was promoted from the rank of

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

in July 1925. He made a single appearance in first-class cricket for the Royal Navy against the

British Army cricket team The Army cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Army. The Army team played 51 first-class matches between 1912 and 1939, although a combined Army and Navy side had played two games against a combined Oxford and Cambridge team ...

Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...

in 1925. Batting twice in the match, he ended the Royal Navy first-innings not out on 7, while in their second-innings he was dismissed for a single run by Geoffrey Cooke. With the ball, he bowled a total of nine wicketless

overs Over may refer to: Places *Over, Cambridgeshire, England *Over, Cheshire, England *Over, South Gloucestershire, England *Over, Tewkesbury, near Gloucester, England **Over Bridge *Over, Seevetal, Germany Music Albums * ''Over'' (album), by Pete ...

in the Army first-innings, conceding 42 runs. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in February 1927, with promotion to the rank of lieutenant commander in February 1935. Evans served with the Royal Navy in the Second World War, during which he was promoted to the rank of

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

in December 1940. During the war he held commands aboard , and . He was made an

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in December 1942, before being made a CBE in August 1945. Following the war, he was awarded the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

by the United States in May 1946 and promoted to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

the following month. Evans died in December 1998 at Peasmarsh Place retirement home in the

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

village of Peasmarsh.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Martin 1904 births 1998 deaths Military personnel from Hampshire People from Kingsclere Royal Navy officers English cricketers Royal Navy cricketers Royal Navy personnel of World War II Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Legionnaires of the Legion of Merit People from Peasmarsh Cricketers from East Sussex Royal Navy captains