{{short description|English cricketer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Tom Longfield | image = | fullname = Thomas Cuthbert Longfield | birth_date = {{birth date|1906|5|12|df=yes}} | birth_place = High Halstow, Kent, England | death_date = {{death date and age|1981|12|21|1906|5|12|df=yes}} | death_place = Ealing, Middlesex, England | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm medium | role = | club1 = Cambridge University | year1 = {{nowrap|1927–1928}} | club2 = Kent | year2 = 1927–1939 | club3 = Europeans | year3 = {{nowrap|1929/30–1936/37}} | club4 = Bengal | year4 = {{nowrap|1936/37–1938/39}}

| type1 = FC | debutdate1 = 4 May | debutyear1 = 1927 | debutfor1 = Cambridge University | debutagainst1 = Yorkshire | lastdate1 = 2 June | lastyear1 = 1951 | lastfor1 = Free Foresters | lastagainst1 = Oxford University | columns = 1 | column1 = First-class | matches1 = 82 | runs1 = 2,446 | bat avg1 = 22.44 | 100s/50s1 = 2/7 | top score1 = 120 | deliveries1 = 6,416 | wickets1 = 195 | bowl avg1 = 32.90 | fivefor1 = 7 | tenfor1 = 0 | best bowling1 = 6/12 | catches/stumpings1 = 49/– | date = 28 March 2016 | source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/16418.html CricInfo }} '''Thomas Cuthbert Longfield''' (12 May 1906 &ndash; 21 December 1981) was an English cricketer. He played first-class cricket for several teams including Cambridge University, Kent County Cricket Club and Bengal.<ref name=ci>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/16418.html |title=Thomas Longfield |access-date=28 March 2016 |publisher=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://wbsportsandyouth.gov.in/chronology|title=Chronology of Important Sports Events — West Bengal|website=wbsportsandyouth.gov.in|publisher=Government of West Bengal – Department of youth services and sports|date=2017|access-date=25 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013092944/https://wbsportsandyouth.gov.in/chronology|archive-date=13 October 2022|location=Kolkata}}</ref>

Longfield was born at High Halstow in Kent and educated at Aldenham School where he played in the cricket XI.<ref name=wis82>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228582.html Longfield, Thomas Cuthbert], Obituaries in 1981, ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', 1982. Retrieved 25 October 2018.</ref> He went to Cambridge University and won cricket Blues in 1927 and 1928,<ref name=wis82 /> making a total of 25 first-class appearances for the University side. He made his Kent debut in the 1927 University vacation and went on to play a total of 40 times for the county First XI, playing his last county match in 1939.<ref name=ca>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/13/13959/13959.html Tom Longfield], CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 October 2018.</ref>

After leaving Cambridge, Longfield worked for Andrew Yule and Company in Calcutta in India, the city where his father had worked for Royal Insurance.<ref name=tele3jan09>[https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/return-to-roots/cid/1261454?ref=search-page Return to roots], ''The Telegraph (Calcutta)'', 3 January 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2018.</ref><ref name=tele5dec12>Basu R (2012) [https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/ted-loses-toss-on-test-eve/cid/1280411?ref=search-page Ted loses toss on Test-eve], ''The Telegraph (Calcutta)'', 5 December 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2018.</ref> He was able to play for Kent only when he returned to England on leave.<ref name=wis82 /> He played for a variety of teams whilst in India, including the Europeans and Bengal.<ref name=ca /> He captained Bengal to their first Ranji Trophy win in 1938/39,<ref name=tele30dec08>Dutta RP (2008) [https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/half-century-hurrah-at-home-ted-dexter-and-wife-return-to-roots-for-50-year-marriage-celebrations/cid/1255642 Half-century hurrah at home - Ted Dexter and wife return to roots for 50-year marriage celebrations], ''The Telegraph (Calcutta)'', 30 December 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2018.</ref><ref name=eden106>Mukherji R (2015) ''Eden Gardens Legend & Romance'', pp.106–107. Kolkata Today. ([https://books.google.com/books?id=dqPDBgAAQBAJ&dq=thomas%20longfield%20calcutta%20cricket&pg=PA27 Available online]. Retrieved 25 October 2018.)</ref><ref name=ie4dec12>Chakrabaty S (2012) [http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/kolkata-s-favourite-soninlaw-returns/1040049/ Kolkata’s favourite son-in-law returns], ''Indian Express'', 4 December 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2018.</ref> and took a hat-trick for the side in 1936/37 against Bihar.<ref name=ht>[https://stats.acscricket.com/Records/First_Class/Overall/Bowling/Hat_Trick_in_India_by_Player.html First-Class Hat-Trick in India by Player], Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 25 October 2018.</ref> He was involved with the Calcutta Cricket Club and went on to become president whilst living in India,<ref name=tele30dec08 /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ccfc1792.com/past-president|title=Calcutta Cricket and Football Club — Past Presidents|website=ccfc1792.com|access-date=26 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326155807/https://www.ccfc1792.com/past-president|archive-date=26 March 2023}}</ref> captaining the team for a time<ref name=tele20jun11>Mitra A (2011) [https://www.telegraphindia.com/opinion/a-death-in-london-the-distinct-flavour-of-calcutta-s-fading-colonial-phase/cid/386198?ref=search-page A death in London - The distinct flavour of Calcutta's fading colonial phase], ''The Telegraph (Calcutta)'', 20 June 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2018.</ref> and was President of the club three times.<ref name=ccfchistory>[https://ccfc1792.com/history.html History], Calcutta Cricket and Football Club. Retrieved 25 October 2018.</ref><ref name=ccfcpres>[https://ccfc1792.com/past_presidents.html Past Presidents], Calcutta Cricket and Football Club. Retrieved 25 October 2018.</ref> He was a major influence in the Cricket Association of Bengal.<ref name=eden27>Mukherji ''op. cit.'', pp.27–28.</ref>

In his ''Wisden'' obituary, Longfield was described as having been "an orthodox, old-fashioned medium-pace bowler" who "possessed a beautiful action, kept a good length, and could move the ball both ways".<ref name=wis82 /> He was third in the Cambridge bowling averages in 1927 taking 46 wickets, followed by 44 in 1928, although for Kent he was "curiously ineffective" as a bowler.<ref name=wis82 /> As a batsman he scored two centuries for Cambridge, the only first-class hundreds he scored, and was described as "a good stroke-player who could score quickly, mostly in front of the wicket" who went on to play "some useful innings" for Kent. He was second in the Cambridge batting averages in 1927.<ref name=wis82 />

Longfield's daughter Susan, who was born in Calcutta whilst Longfield worked in India and was a successful model, married Ted Dexter in 1959. He later captained the England cricket team.<ref name=tele30dec08 /> His brother, Geoffrey Longfield, played two first-class matches for the RAF. Longfield died at Ealing in Middlesex in 1981 aged 75.<ref name=ci />

==See also== * List of hat-tricks in the Ranji Trophy

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{cricinfo|id=16418|name=Thomas Longfield}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Longfield, Tom}} Category:1906 births Category:1981 deaths Category:English cricketers Category:Bengal cricketers Category:Cambridge University cricketers Category:Europeans cricketers Category:Kent cricketers Category:Gentlemen cricketers Category:Free Foresters cricketers Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Category:H. D. G. Leveson Gower's XI cricketers Category:People from Medway Category:Viceroy's XI cricketers Category:Cricketers from Kent Category:British people in British India Category:20th-century English sportsmen