Godfrey Bryan facts for kids

Godfrey James Bryan (born December 29, 1902 – died March 24, 1991) was an English army officer and a talented cricketer. He was a left-handed batsman who played professional cricket from 1920 to 1935. He played for the Kent team and the Army cricket team. Godfrey's brothers, Jack and Ronnie, also played cricket for Kent. Many people thought Godfrey was the most skilled of the three brothers.

Bryan became a Brigadier in the British Army. He served with the Royal Engineers. He was part of World War II and was stationed in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency.

Early Life and Cricket Start

Godfrey Bryan was born in Beckenham, Kent. His father, Lindsay Bryan, worked as a solicitor. Godfrey showed a great talent for cricket from a young age. He played at Wellington College. He scored many centuries for his school team.

Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, a famous cricket book, called him the best public school batsman of the year. They said he "did wonders in school matches." He made his professional cricket debut for Kent County Cricket Club when he was just 17. This was in a County Championship match against Nottinghamshire in 1920. He immediately made a big impression by scoring a century in his very first professional game.

Cricket Career Highlights

Bryan attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich from 1921 to 1922. During these years, he played cricket against Sandhurst. Since the academy was in Kent, Bryan became a regular player for the Kent county team in the 1921 season. He played nine County Championship matches that year. He also played a match against the touring Australians.

His highest score that year was 179 runs against Hampshire. He and Lionel Hedges scored 208 runs together in just two hours. He played 13 times for Kent the next year. After that, his Army duties meant he could not play for the county team as often.

In 1922, Bryan played his first game for the Royal Engineers Cricket Club. This was in the yearly Sappers vs Gunners match against the Royal Artillery. Bryan also played his first game for the British Army cricket team that same year. The Army cricket team was considered a professional team between the two World Wars. This allowed Bryan to play for both the Army and Kent most years until 1929. He kept playing for the Army team and the Royal Engineers until 1951. He took part in 14 Gunners vs Sappers matches.

Bryan played only three more professional matches after 1929. His last game for Kent was in 1933 against Derbyshire. His final professional appearance was in 1935 for the Army against Cambridge University. Overall, he played in 70 professional matches. He scored 3,192 runs in total. He also played for Beckenham Cricket Club. In 1925, he played alongside both of his brothers for Kent against Lancashire. This was the only time all three brothers played in the same team.

Military Service

After studying at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in 1921 and 1922, Bryan joined the Royal Engineers. In the early 1930s, he was stationed in the Far East. While there, he played cricket for the Straits Settlements, United Services, and Malaya Command. This was between 1930 and 1932. He was stationed in Malaya again in the late 1930s. During this time, he played for the Malaya and Straits Settlements teams.

He rose to the rank of Brigadier. He was stationed in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency.

Family Life and Later Years

Godfrey Bryan had two brothers, Jack and Ronnie. Both of them also played professional cricket for Kent. Godfrey Bryan passed away in Canterbury in 1991. He was 88 years old.