Thomas Francis

Who was Thomas Francis?

Thomas Egerton Seymour Francis played first-class cricket for Somerset, Cambridge University and Eastern Province between 1921 and 1928. He also played four rugby union international matches for England in 1925/26. He was born at Uitenhage, Cape Province, South Africa and died at Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Educated at Tonbridge School, Francis was a right-handed opening or middle-order batsman as a cricketer and a stand-off half or centre three-quarter as a rugby player. He first played cricket for Somerset in 1921, the year he left school, making 36 in his third match against Leicestershire, but otherwise making little impact. He reappeared in two games in the 1922 season, with similar results.

In autumn 1922 Francis went to Cambridge University and won the first of four blues for rugby union that winter, playing in The Varsity Match against Oxford University as stand-off half in partnership with the scrum-half Arthur Young; the partnership was maintained across the next two seasons and Francis won a fourth blue as a centre in 1925. Young was capped by England in 1924 and Francis joined him in the England team for four internationals in the 1925/26 season.