David Laurence Acfield (born 24 July 1947) is an English former first-class cricketer who was also a champion fencer.

Cricket career

He was part of the successful

Essex County Cricket Club Essex County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Essex. Founded in 1876, the club had minor county status until 1894 when ...

team of the late 1970s and early 1980s and formed a noted county spin partnership with

Ray East Raymond Eric East (born 20 June 1947, in Manningtree) is an English former cricketer who played for Essex County Cricket Club. One of the most popular characters to play county cricket in recent times, East is remembered as much for his on fie ...

. He was a right-arm off break bowler and right-handed tail-end batsman. He played for Cambridge University from 1966 to 1968 and Essex from 1966 to 1986. He also appeared for MCC in 1973–74 and 1974. He was awarded his Essex cap in 1970 and had his Essex benefit season in 1981. He took

10 wickets in a match In cricket, a ten-wicket haul occurs when a bowler takes ten wickets in either a single innings or across both innings of a two-innings match. The phrase ten wickets in a match is also used. Taking ten wickets in a match at Lord's earns the bow ...

4 times and

5 wickets in an innings In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five–for" or "fifer") occurs when a bowler takes five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded by critics as a notable achievement, equivalent to a century from a batsman. Taking ...

34 times. His best first-class figures, 8 for 55, came against Kent. Acfield was no batsman, failing to score a first-class fifty in 417 innings. His best score, 42, came against Leicestershire. His lack of batting ability, and strong competition from the likes of

Fred Titmus Frederick John Titmus (24 November 1932 – 23 March 2011) was an English cricketer, whose first-class career, mostly for Middlesex with a shortish stint for Surrey, spanned five decades. He was the fourth man after W.G. Grace, Wilfred Rhod ...

and John Emburey, tolled against his chances of Test selection, although he was on the 'long list' for inclusion in the English team that toured West Indies in 1973. After retiring he remained in the game and served on the ECB's management committee.

Fencing career

Acfield was also an Olympic fencer, taking part in the 1968 and 1972 Games. He represented England and won a gold medal in the team sabre at the

1970 British Commonwealth Games The 1970 British Commonwealth Games (Scottish Gaelic: Geamannan a 'Cho-fhlaitheis Bhreatainn 1970) were held in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 16 to 25 July 1970. This was the first time the name British Commonwealth Games was adopted, the first tim ...

in Edinburgh. Acfield was a four times British fencing champion, winning the sabre title at the British Fencing Championships for four years in a row, 1969–1972, during which period he was the leading sabre fencer in the country. He retired from fencing after the 1972 Olympics, preferring to devote himself to cricket as a professional, having previously retained his amateur status to protect his Olympic qualification.

Personal life

Acfield attended Brentwood School, and graduated in history from

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...

. For many years, during his cricket career, he taught history and took nets in winter at Rainsford Comprehensive School, later renamed

St Peter's College, Chelmsford St. Peters College was a Church of England Voluntary Aided School in Chelmsford, Essex. The school was a specialist arts college. History The school began as Rainsford Secondary Modern School in 1939, a C of E school. The school closed in Augus ...

. After his retirement from athletics, Acfield served as an administrator for the England and Wales Cricket Board and later as the president of the

References

1947 births Living people Essex cricketers English cricketers Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Cambridge University cricketers British male fencers People educated at Brentwood School, Essex Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge Olympic fencers of Great Britain Fencers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1972 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Chelmsford Fencers at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games medallists in fencing Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Young England cricketers Medallists at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games {{UK-fencing-bio-stub