David John Mordaunt 1937-2020

 _. David Mordaunt, the former Sussex cricketer, teacher and expeditioner, scion of the Mordaunt baronets, died 28 November, 2020. He was 83.

David John Mordaunt was born 24 August, 1937, son of Eustace John Mordaunt [1901-88], and his wife the former Anne Frances Gilmour [1916-76].

He was a great-great grandson of Sir John Mordaunt, 9th Baronet [1808-45].

Mordaunt was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium-fast. He made his first-class debut in 1958 for Sussex in the game against Oxford University, scoring 96 in the second innings, when he was caught trying to hit his fourth six, which would have given him a century on debut. From 1958 to 1960, Mordaunt played 19 first-class matches for Sussex as an amateur, his final match for the county coming against Gloucestershire in the 1960 County Championship. He scored 586 runs for Sussex at a batting average of 24.41, with five half-centuries and highest score of 96. With the ball he took 19 wickets at a bowling average of 28.89, with a single five wicket haul of 5 for 42.

Mordaunt left Sussex at the end of the 1960 season. He played his final first-class match in 1964 for Marylebone Cricket Club against Ireland. With the MCC he also toured North America in 1959, South America in 1964-65, and North America again in 1967.

In 1964 Mordaunt joined the minor county Berkshire, and made his Minor Counties Championship debut against Devon. From 1964 to 1974, he played 40 Minor Counties Championship matches for Berkshire. He made his List A debut for Berkshire against Somerset in the 1st round of the 1965 Gillette Cup, scoring 60, including four sixes off the bowling of Bill Alley, and winning the man of the match award. He played three further one-day matches for the county, against Hertfordshire in the 1st round of the 1966 Gillette Cup, against Gloucestershire in the 2nd round of the same tournament, and finally against Hertfordshire in the 1976 Gillette Cup. In his four one-day matches he scored 144 runs at an average of 36.00, with two half-centuries and a highest score of 60. With the ball he took three wickets at an average of 44.00, with best figures of 3/24.

His grandfather, Gerald Mordaunt [1873-1959], played first class cricket for Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the Gentlemen and other amateur sides between 1893 and 1904, and his great-grandfather, John Mordaunt [1837-1923], was also a cricketer.

Mordaunt taught mathematics at Wellington College, and was also a noted expeditioner, leading three Royal Geographical Schools Expeditions to the Arctic and, in 1983, a Royal Geographical Society expedition through Nepal to the base of Annapurna.

He married in 1990 [divorced 2002], Dr Catharine Hilary Mayne, daughter of John Fraser Mayne, CB.

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