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Starting on the Bs now; three more here with a reminder that for now I am not offering full biographies of currently contracted players (eg Bailey)
Bacon, Francis Hugh (1 – professional/amateur) Born 24.6.1869, Sri Lanka, died at sea off the Kent coast 31.10.1915. Bacon, a small man, was principally a right-handed batsman and fine cover fielder and he is Number One in the list of Hampshire cricketers by virtue of being alphabetically the first of the 11 players who appeared at Taunton in the first Championship match in 1895. His record in 75 first-class matches was modest with just under 2,000 runs at an average 0f 15.77 with one century and five half centuries, but he was one of a number of Hampshire cricketers who also served the county well off-the-field.
Bacon enjoyed some success for Basingstoke CC where he was managing a brewery, and he was invited to Hampshire for a trial, playing regularly in 1894 when Hampshire’s results earned them a return to first-class status and the properly organised Championship. In his first appearance in that year he scored a rapid 114 v Warwickshire, but perhaps his finest match at the higher level was that first Championship game v Somerset, one of just three in the county’s history that they won after following-on. He held two catches as Somerset posted 221, and his 15 runs was third best as Hampshire were dismissed for 94. In 1895 a lead of 127 permitted Somerset to enforce the recent follow-on rule, so when Bacon arrived at 84-4 Hampshire faced defeat. But Bacon and HF Ward shared a partnership of 131 and Bacon top-scored with 92. Somerset’s eventual target was 188 and having reached 166-5 seemed favourites, but Soar bowled Hampshire to a famous victory by just 11 runs.
Bacon did not sustain that fine form, never averaging better than 23.69 in 1906, although in the following year he scored 110 v Leicestershire at Southampton, and in 1909, he captained Hampshire on a brief trip to Ireland. By the time of his final first-class match at Old Trafford in 1911 he was a tail-ender but in desperation his captain asked him to bowl and he took 2-23 in a huge total of 676-7 declared. Lancashire won by an innings & 455 runs – just 13 runs short of Hampshire’s largest ever defeat.
Some years before that, in 1903, Bacon had become the first paid secretary of the club, and unusually turning amateur as a cricketer. He played a significant part in improving the fixture list and in recruiting the professionals who formed the nucleus of a fine Hampshire side for decades to come. When war was declared he was 45, but nonetheless volunteered for the Royal Naval Reserve. In October 1915 his patrol ship The Aries was mined and he drowned.
Badcock, John: (128) born 4.10.1883 Christchurch near Bournemouth, died 24.8.1940, London. John Badcock was a right-arm fast bowler who had a brief, enigmatic yet often impressive career. In terms of career record, his nearest recent equivalent is probably Kevin Emery.
Although he was born in Hampshire he was living in Kent, and played for their 2nd XI before, in 1906 (22), he made his first-class debut for Hampshire. Badcock was a big man who bowled quickly for a side recovering from a number of disastrous seasons and as that first season progressed he impressed regularly, taking 96 wickets (24.81) In 1907 his record fell away significantly. Despite playing in the same number of matches, he bowled far less, took just 49 wickets, bowled too many no balls and doubts were expressed about his fitness – although he did score over 500 runs with a career best of 74 v Middlesex at Southampton.
His form returned to some extent in 1908 with 67 wickets including a career best of 8-44 v Sussex at Portsmouth. The county offered him a new contract and engaged a trainer to work on his fitness but he declined the contract. He moved to London where he managed a cinema but nothing more is known about his cricket career. In his three first-class seasons he took 212 wickets at 25.53 – fully fit alongside Kennedy and Newman he might have enabled Hampshire to challenge for the Championship.
Bailey, George John: (514) born 7.9. 1982, Tasmania, Australia. George Bailey is a right-handed batsman who played for Hampshire as their overseas professional for part of the 2013 season and returned in 2017 on a two-year contract as captain in first-class matches.
3 Comments
Hampshire Cricket History 
A very generous description of our current captain Dave.
I’d have added “when he couldn’t earn more money elsewhere” to the end of your text.
But then you are far more charitable person than me!
Comment by James October 19, 2017 @ 1:42 pmHah! There’s a better Bailey on his way!
Comment by pompeypop October 19, 2017 @ 2:05 pmJust read about him. Very interesting. Maybe one of Hampshire’s forgotten players bearing in mind his achievement in being the last Hampshire player to do the double?
Comment by James October 20, 2017 @ 11:55 am