Geoffrey Bell

Who was Geoffrey Bell?

Geoffrey Foxall Bell, MC was an English cricketer and educationalist. He was a right-handed batsman who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire and Oxford University. He won the Military Cross during World War I and became headmaster of two schools.

Bell was born in Stapenhill, Derbyshire and was related to the Evershed brewing family. He made his first County Championship appearance in 1914, though his cricketing career was summarily halted by the First World War, during which he served with the Royal Field Artillery and won the Military Cross.

After the war he went to study at Oxford University, and returned to the arena of first-class cricket playing for the University in 1919. He played his first of seven games, most of which were against assembled elevens such as the Gentlemen of England and HDG Leveson-Gower's XI.

Bell made his return appearance for Derbyshire towards the back end of the 1919 season, their ninth place in the season's table something of a false hope for times to come. Bell made his final three appearances for Derbyshire during the 1920 season, finishing with a duck in his first appearance, though his form improved in the first innings of his next game and, although the final game of his season saw him achieve an innings of 11, before getting out, he found himself dropped from the team, never to make another first-class appearance.