# Charles Benstead
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{{Short description|English cricketer, Royal Navy officer, and author}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name =
| image =
| country = England
| fullname = Charles Richard Benstead
| birth_date = 21 April 1896
| birth_place = [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge), [Cambridgeshire](/source/Cambridgeshire), England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1980|7|3|1896|4|21}}
| death_place = [Solihull](/source/Solihull), [Warwickshire](/source/Warwickshire), England
| heightft =
| heightinch =
| nickname =
| family =
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm [medium](/source/Seam_bowling)
| role =
| club1 = [Cambridge University](/source/Cambridge_University_Cricket_Club)
| year1 = 1920–1921
| club2 = [Cambridgeshire](/source/Cambridgeshire_County_Cricket_Club)
| year2 = 1921–1923
| columns = 1
| column1 = [First-class](/source/First-class_cricket)
| matches1 = 3
| runs1 = 28
| bat avg1 = 9.33
| 100s/50s1 = –/–
| top score1 = 16
| deliveries1 = 470
| wickets1 = 11
| bowl avg1 = 23.54
| fivefor1 = 1
| tenfor1 = –
| best bowling1 = 5/37
| catches/stumpings1 = 2/–
| date = 19 July
| year = 2019
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/9701.html Cricinfo
}}
'''Charles Richard Benstead''' {{postnominal|MC}} (21 April 1896 – 3 July 1980) was an [English](/source/English_people) first-class [cricket](/source/cricket)er, [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) officer and author. Benstead served in the [Royal Garrison Artillery](/source/Royal_Garrison_Artillery) during the [First World War](/source/First_World_War), during which he was awarded with the [Military Cross](/source/Military_Cross). Following the war he played [first-class cricket](/source/first-class_cricket) while studying at the [University of Cambridge](/source/University_of_Cambridge), before joining the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) after his graduation. He served in the navy from 1922–46, playing first-class cricket for the [Royal Navy Cricket Club](/source/Royal_Navy_Cricket_Club). Following his retirement, he wrote several books and became associated in the running of [St Catharine's College, Cambridge](/source/St_Catharine's_College%2C_Cambridge).
==Early life and First World War service==
Benstead was born at [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge) in April 1896, where he was educated at the [Cambridge and County High School](/source/Cambridgeshire_High_School_for_Boys). From there he went up to study mathematics at [St Catharine's College, Cambridge](/source/St_Catharine's_College%2C_Cambridge) in 1914.[{{cite web|url=https://www.society.caths.cam.ac.uk/Public_Magazines/1980r.pdf |title=St Catharine's Society Magazine |publisher=St Catharine's Society |year=1980 |access-date=2019-07-20}}] From 1916 he served in the [First World War](/source/First_World_War), being commissioned as a [second lieutenant](/source/Second_lieutenant) with the [Royal Garrison Artillery](/source/Royal_Garrison_Artillery).[{{London Gazette|issue=29766|date=26 September 1916|page=9456|supp=y}}] He was the subject of a famous propaganda poster during the war, where Benstead was stood silhouetted against firing guns.[{{London Gazette|issue=30915|date=20 September 1918|page=11288|supp=y}}]
He returned to study at Cambridge following the war, playing two [first-class matches](/source/first-class_cricket) for [Cambridge University](/source/Cambridge_University_Cricket_Club) against the [Marylebone Cricket Club](/source/Marylebone_Cricket_Club) (MCC) in 1920 and [Somerset](/source/Somerset_County_Cricket_Club) in 1921.[{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/27/27846/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by Charles Benstead |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=2019-07-20 |url-access=subscription}}] Against the MCC he took figures of 5 for 37 in the MCC second-innings, his only first-class [five wicket haul](/source/five_wicket_haul).[{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/9/9862.html |title=Marylebone Cricket Club v Cambridge University, 1920 |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=2019-07-20 |url-access=subscription}}] While at Cambridge he did not gain a [blue](/source/Blue_(university_sport)).[{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/27/27846/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html |title=Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Charles Benstead |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=2019-07-20 |url-access=subscription}}]
==Naval career and later life==
After graduating from Cambridge, Benstead joined the Instructor Branch of the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) as a temporary instructor [lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant_(navy)) in September 1922.[{{London Gazette|issue=32816|date=20 April 1923|page=2886}}] He made a single appearance in first-class cricket for the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy_Cricket_Club) against the [British Army cricket team](/source/British_Army_cricket_team) at [Lord's](/source/Lord's) in 1923.[{{London Gazette|issue=33165|date=25 May 1926|page=3372}}] with promotion to the rank of instructor [lieutenant commander](/source/Lieutenant_commander) in September 1928.[{{London Gazette|issue=33424|date=25 September 1928|page=6216}}] He was promoted to the rank of instructor [commander](/source/Commander_(Royal_Navy)) in September 1936.[{{London Gazette|issue=34328|date=2 October 1936|page=6273}}] Benstead retired from active service in April 1946.[{{London Gazette|issue=37557|date=7 May 1946|page=2174}}]
Upon his retirement he moved back to Cambridge, where he renewed his association with St Catharine's College. He was nominated by the college to be [pro-proctor](/source/Proctor) in 1947–48 and served as senior proctor in 1948–49. He also served as domestic [bursar](/source/bursar) in 1948–49, before serving as [steward](/source/High_Steward_(academia)) from 1948–55.