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David Fasken (cricketer)

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David Fasken
Personal information
Full name
David Kenneth Fasken
Born23 March 1932
Batu Gajah, Perak,
Federated Malay States
Died24 May 2006(2006-05-24) (aged 74)
London, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium-fast
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1950–1955Oxfordshire
1953–1955Oxford University
1956–1959Marylebone Cricket Club
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 36
Runs scored 559
Batting average 12.42
100s/50s –/1
Top score 61
Balls bowled 5,715
Wickets 71
Bowling average 40.30
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match
Best bowling 5/108
Catches/stumpings 21/–
Source: Cricinfo, 3 June 2019

David Kenneth Fasken (23 March 1932 – 24 May 2006) was an English first-class cricketer and businessman. Fasken played first-class cricket for several teams between 1953–1962, though he played predominantly for Oxford University. After graduating from the University of Oxford, he became a director for the Earls Court and Olympia exhibition centres, helping them become world leading exhibition venues.

Life, cricket and business career

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Fasken was born into a military family at Batu Gajah in British Malaya in March 1932.[1] His family moved back to England in 1937, where he attended the Dragon School at Oxford, before attending Wellington College.[1] From Wellington he went up to Trinity College, Oxford, where he studied languages.[1] He had debuted for Oxfordshire in minor counties cricket in the 1950 Minor Counties Championship.[2] While studying at Oxford he made his debut in first-class cricket for Oxford University against Lancashire at Oxford in 1953.[3] He played first-class cricket for Oxford until 1955, making 27 appearances and gaining a blue.[3][1] Playing as a right-arm medium-fast bowler, he took 58 wickets for the university at an average of 35.94, with best figures of 5 for 108 against the touring Australians in 1953.[4][5] With the bat he scored 403 runs with a high score of 61.[6] In addition to playing first-class cricket for Oxford University, Fasken also played three matches apiece for the Marylebone Cricket Club from 1956–59, and for the Free Foresters from 1959–62. He also played at first-class level for D. R. Jardine's XI and L. C. Stevens' XI.[3] He played his final minor counties match for Oxfordshire in 1955.[2]

After graduating from Oxford, Fasken decided not to take up a career as a cricketer, stating that "the life" never appealed to him.[1] Instead he took up a career managing exhibition centres, including Earls Court and Olympia, both of which he was vice-president until his retirement in 1993.[1] During his tenure he helped Olympia to become one of the world's leading exhibition venues. He was also a major factor in the development of Earls Court Two in the late 1980s.[1] When he was 69 he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which required several shunts to slow the progression of the condition.[1] He spent four months in hospital with a kidney infection shortly before his death. He returned home for a month, but died on 24 May 2006, following a fall down the stairs at his home.[1] He was survived by his wife Susan of 38 years and their two children Joanna and Hugh and three grandchildren.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fasken, Hugh (15 August 2006). "Obituary: David Fasken". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by David Fasken". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "First-Class Matches played by David Fasken". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  4. ^ "First-class Bowling For Each Team by David Fasken". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Oxford University v Australians, 1953". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  6. ^ "First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by David Fasken". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
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