A pupil of Ilford County High School (1929-1933) Harold Faragher played football and cricket for the school and ran in the county cross-country championship. In 1935 he played for Lancashire 2nd XI and in 1936 joined Ilford Cricket Club and, until 1939, he also played soccer for Ilford FC. From 1940 to 1946 he served in the RAF, playing cricket for them in England and Germany.

Resuming cricket with Ilford in 1947, whom he captained for several seasons, he was continuously active in cricket not only with Ilford but also with Essex, representing the 1st XI in 1949 and in 1950, when he topped the batting averages, and playing for the 2nd XI between 1949 and 1964 when, on occasions, he captained the side. In 1957 he founded the Ilford Cricket School, coaching hundreds of youngsters - and those not so young - in all aspects of the game. During that time the school produced many players who progressed through to county and international level, including Graham Gooch, John Lever, Nasser Hussain, David East, Alan Lilley, Keith and Ian Pont. Faragher also served on the Essex committee member between 1948 and 1990.

He was employed in education in Ilford and when he retired was Head of Business and Management Studies at Barking College of Technology.
Greg Lansdowne