Hamer Bagnall

Wisden obituary
Hamer Fraser Bagnall, who died in London on September 2 at the age of 70, was a talented cricketer who, it might (with justice) be said, `missed the boat'. He played for Harrow in 1920-21-22 but he never came off against Eton at Lord's. The Harrow eleven of '22 is often quoted as among the best ever to represent the school and is sometimes compared with the great Repton side of 1908. At any rate the Harrow side of '22 made its reputation, and as a boy batsman Bagnall was the outstanding performer. Hubert Ashton (now Sir Hubert), then captain of Cambridge, brought nine of his celebrated Cambridge eleven of that year to play for the Quidnuncs against the school-admittedly during May Week-and time alone saved them, with Bagnall 130 not out. After term he went to play for Northamptonshire in his first county match against Sussex with Arthur Gilligan and Maurice Tate at the zenith of their powers. His side did not do very well but the boy batsman was 103 not out at the end of the innings. He was an automatic choice for Claude Ashton's Cambridge side the following year and played a number of notable innings on bad wickets. He was left out in 1924, in an off year when four brilliant Australians had to be given a place, and again in 1925, when through the ignorance of his captain, himself a poor cricketer, another who batted No.10 and did not bowl in the University match was preferred. Meanwhile Hamar was making runs for his county.
The Cricketer, November 1974