Geoffrey Adams (cricketer)

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Geoffrey Adams

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Geoffrey Coker Arding Adams

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|5|24|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Hampstead, London, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|2|10|1909|5|24|df=yes}}

| death_place = Geelong, Victoria, Australia

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm medium-pace

| club1 = Hampshire

| year1 = 1928–1930

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 18

| runs1 = 421

| bat avg1 = 13.58

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 42

| deliveries1 = 283

| wickets1 = 4

| bowl avg1 = 40.50

| fivefor1 = –

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = 1/0

| catches/stumpings1 = 3/–

| date = 21 September

| year = 2009

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/geoffrey-adams-8489 Cricinfo

}}

Geoffrey Coker Arding Adams {{postnominal|country=GBR|MBE}} (24 May 1909 — 10 February 1998) was an English first-class cricketer and newspaper proprietor.

The son of Hugh Geoffrey Coker Adams, he was born at Hampstead in May 1909. He was educated at Radley College,{{cite book|title=Register, 1847-1923|date=1923|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=411|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P1U4AAAAMAAJ|language=en}} before matriculating to Pembroke College, Cambridge. Although a member of the Cambridge University Cricket Club, he did not feature for the first eleven. However, he did gain a blue playing rugby union for Cambridge University R.U.F.C.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228770.html|title=Wisden - Obituaries in 1998|date=6 December 2005 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo|accessdate=18 August 2023}} During his summer holiday from Cambridge, Adams played first-class cricket for Hampshire, making his debut against Worcestershire in the 1928 County Championship. Having played once in 1928, he made a further twelve appearances in 1929 and five in 1930.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6443/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Geoffrey Adams|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=18 August 2023|url-access=subscription}} In eighteen first-class matches for Hampshire, Adams had modest success as a middle-order batsman. He scored 421 runs at an average of 13.58, with a highest score of 42.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6443/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Geoffrey Adams|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=18 August 2023|url-access=subscription}}

Adams married Betty Clover in June 1935 at Whitegate, Cheshire.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17202725|title=Social and Personal|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=9|date=22 June 1935|access-date=18 August 2023|via=Trove}} He later served in the Second World War with the British Army, being commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers as a second lieutenant in March 1940.{{London Gazette|issue=34813|date=15 March 1940|page=1620|supp=y}} Following the war, he resigned his commission in January 1946 having reached the war substantive rank of major and was granted the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel.{{London Gazette|issue=37451|date=29 January 1946|page=757|supp=y}} He followed in his fathers footsteps by emigrating to Australia, where he built a newspaper group in rural Victoria. He was instrumental in preserving papers concerning the 1932–33 Bodyline tour.{{cite book|title=Bodyline Autopsy|first=David|last=Frith|date=24 June 2013 |author-link=David Frith|publisher=Aurum|location=London|page=303|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ijnLAgAAQBAJ|isbn=9781781311936|language=en}} For his services to publishing in Victoria, Adams was made an MBE in the 1969 Birthday Honours.{{London Gazette|issue=44863|date=6 June 1969|page=5983|supp=y}} He died at Geelong in February 1998.