Spencer Austen-Leigh

{{short description|English cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2016}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name =

| country = England

| fullname = Spencer Austen-Leigh

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1834|2|2|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Speen, Berkshire, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1913|12|9|1834|2|2|df=yes}}

| death_place = Firle, Sussex, England

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| heightm =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Unknown

| role =

| family = Arthur Austen-Leigh (brother)
Cholmeley Austen-Leigh (brother)
Charles Austen-Leigh (brother)

| club1 = Sussex

| year1 = 1862–1866

| clubnumber1 =

| club2 = Marylebone Cricket Club

| year2 = 1858

| clubnumber2 =

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 13

| runs1 = 209

| bat avg1 = 11.00

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 42

| deliveries1 = 40

| wickets1 = 1

| bowl avg1 = 14.00

| fivefor1 = –

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = 1/9

| catches/stumpings1 = 1/–

| date = 23 June

| year = 2012

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/16546.html Cricinfo

}}

Spencer Austen-Leigh (17 February 1834 – 9 December 1913) was an English cricketer. Austen-Leigh was a right-handed batsman, although his bowling style is not known. He was born at Speen, Berkshire, and was educated at Harrow School. His name changed from Spencer Austen to Spencer Austen-Leigh in 1837. He was the great-nephew of the author Jane Austen.{{cite news| title = Obituary: Mr Spencer Austen Leigh | newspaper = The Times |issue = 40404 | page = 9 | location = London | date = 26 December 1913 }}

Austen-Leigh made his first-class debut for the Gentlemen of England against the Gentlemen of Sussex and Kent at Lord's in 1857. The following season he made a single first-class appearance for the Marylebone Cricket Club against Oxford University at the Magdalen Ground, Oxford.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/30/30964/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Spencer Austen-Leigh|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=23 June 2012}} Two years later, he made a first-class appearance for the Gentlemen of the Marylebone Cricket Club against the Gentlemen of Kent at the St Lawrence Ground. In 1862, Austen-Leigh made his debut for Sussex against Kent at the Royal Brunswick Ground. He made nine further first-class appearances for Sussex, the last of which came against the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1866. In his ten first-class matches for the county, he scored 155 runs at an average of 11.07, with a high score of 42.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/30/30964/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Spencer Austen-Leigh|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=23 June 2012}}

He died at Firle, Sussex, on 9 December 1913. His brothers, Arthur, Cholmeley and Charles, all played first-class cricket. Another brother, Augustus, was a Provost of King's College, Cambridge.