Eric Morris (cricketer)

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Eric Morris

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Eric Wells Morris

| birth_date = 8 December 1890

| birth_place = Bandra, Bombay Presidency,
British India

| death_date = {{death date and age|1966|5|22|1890|12|8|df=yes}}

| death_place = Kensington, London, England

| nickname =

| family =

| batting = Unknown

| bowling = Unknown

| role =

| club1 = Europeans

| year1 = 1928/29

| club2 = Bihar

| year2 = 1936/37

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 2

| runs1 = 46

| bat avg1 = 11.50

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 20

| deliveries1 = 150

| wickets1 = 1

| bowl avg1 = 75.00

| fivefor1 = –

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = 1/75

| catches/stumpings1 = 1/–

| date = 18 November

| year = 2023

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/eric-morris-31171 ESPNcricinfo

}}

Eric Wells Morris {{postnominal|DSO}} (8 December 1890 – 22 May 1966) was an English first-class cricketer and an officer in both the British Army and the British Indian Army.

The son of the Irishman Dermot Morris,{{cite book|title=Great Britain and the East|date=1918|page=908|publisher=Great Britain and the East, Limited|volume=14|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PMFCAQAAMAAJ|language=en}} he was born in British India at Bandara in December 1890. He was educated at Felsted School, before proceeding to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.{{cite book |title=Debrett's Illustrated Baronetage, with the Knightage, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|date=1931|page=1923|publisher=Dean & Son|location=London|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cTcaAQAAMAAJ|language=en}} He was commissioned into the Connaught Rangers as a second lieutenant in March 1911.{{London Gazette|issue=28471|date=3 March 1911|page=1637}} He served in the First World War, being promoted to lieutenant a month and a half into the conflict,{{London Gazette|issue=28894|date=8 September 1914|page=7094}} with promotion to captain following in October 1915.{{London Gazette|issue=29441|date=14 January 1916|page=721|supp=y}} Following the war, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the 1919 Birthday Honours, at which point he was seconded to the Cheshire Regiment.{{London Gazette|issue=31370|date=30 May 1919|page=6819}} Morris later joined the British Indian Army in March 1928.{{cite book|title=The Indian Army List|date=1932|page=170|publisher=Government of India Central Publication Branch|location=Calcutta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZDQppNKcfzIC|language=en}}

A year later, in March 1929, he made his debut in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team against the Muslims at Lahore in the 1928–29 Lahore Tournament.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14159/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Eric Morris|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=21 November 2023|url-access=subscription}} In September 1929, he was confirmed in the rank of captain in the British Indian Army.{{London Gazette|issue=33536|date=20 September 1929|page=6036}} He vacated his appointment in India as an instructor at the Indian Army Service Corps (IASC) Training Establishment in June 1932, at which point he held the rank of major.{{London Gazette|issue=33862|date=9 September 1932|page=5767}} He was reappointed an instructor at IASC Training Establishment at Chaklala in September 1933,{{London Gazette|issue=34014|date=12 January 1934|page=318}} with promotion to lieutenant colonel following in September 1935.{{London Gazette|issue=34215|date=1 November 1935|page=6905}} In December 1936, he made a second appearance in first-class cricket, this time for Bihar against Bengal at Calcutta in the 1936–37 Ranji Trophy. In his two first-class matches, he scored 46 runs with a highest score of 20, in addition to taking a single wicket.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/eric-morris-31171|title=Player profile: Eric Morris|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=21 November 2023}} After a number of appointments as an instructor, Morris retired from active service in August 1939.{{London Gazette|issue=34662|date=1 September 1939|page=5989}} He later died in England at Kensington in May 1966.