David Fursdon

The son of Major General Francis William Edward Fursdon and his wife, Jean Rosemary Worrsam, David Fursdon was born in December 1952 at Bitchet Green, Kent.[1] He was educated at Sherborne School. After leaving Sherborne, Fursdon was commissioned into the 6th Gurkha Rifles in as a second lieutenant in February 1972,[2] where he served in Brunei and British Hong Kong. The following year he won a scholarship to the University of Oxford, where he studied at St John's College.[3]

While studying at Oxford, he made his debut in first-class cricket for Oxford University against Gloucestershire at Oxford in 1973. He played first-class cricket for Oxford until 1975, making sixteen appearances.[4] Playing as an all-rounder, he scored 479 runs for Oxford at an average of 22.80 and a high score of 112 not out,[5] which was his only first-class century and came against Cambridge University in The University Match of 1975.[6] With his right-arm medium-fast bowling, he took 37 wickets at a bowling average of 35.94, with best figures of 4 for 13.[7] He also made a single first-class appearance for a combined Oxford and Cambridge Universities cricket team against the touring Indians in 1974,[4] taking his career best bowling figures of 6 for 60 during the match.[8] In addition to playing first-class cricket while at Oxford, he also made four List A one-day appearances for the Combined Universities cricket team in the 1975 Benson & Hedges Cup.[9] He gained two cricket blues while at Oxford.[3]

After graduating from Oxford, Fursdon joined the Civil Service, working at the Ministry of Defence and part of a British delegation at a United Nations conference in Geneva. Fursdon left the civil service and transferred to Devon, where he became a teacher at Blundell's School, serving subsequently on the school's board of governors for ten years.[3] He played minor counties cricket for Devon in 1981, making four appearances in the Minor Counties Championship.[10]

After attending the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), he trained to become a rural surveyor and later became a fellow of the RAU. He has also worked for the Country Land and Business Association and was a member on the board of both the Crown Estate and English Heritage.[3] He was appointed to be the Lord Lieutenant of Devon in April 2015.[11] With his wife, Catriona, he has three sons.[1]

• David Fursdon at ESPNcricinfo