Somerset Cricketer – Monty Hambling (1921-27)

Article and Photographs contributed by Edwin Morris

Between 1921 and 1927 Monty Hambling played for the Somerset County side, as a ‘holiday’ cricketer, it being the custom of the day that outstanding amateurs were picked by the County when available, usually annual holiday leave from their professional occupations.  

Playing for Somerset, Hambling took 24 wickets for an average of 20.54 and was a member of the team which dismissed Gloucestershire for 22 – only to lose the match.  His best figures were recorded at Worcestershire where he scored 58 and took 6-31. 

I became fascinated by the career of Monty Hambling, from his first games with his father, Fred, a cricketer of renown for Lodway CC through until his very varied retirement.  The scorecards, whilst not a complete record, allowed me to put together a summary of his performances in the 1928 season (see below).

Monty was undoubtedly the most distinguished and successful cricketer ever to play for Bristol United Banks Cricket Club. Born Croydon 1893, Monty soon moved to Bristol and joined the Lloyds Bank at Cheltenham Road in 1910.  He was appointed Branch Manager at Bedminster in 1920 and in 1945 Manager of Queens Road, Clifton, until his retirement in 1953. 

He played cricket for several clubs in the area, making his debut for Lodway at the age of 12 and for the Banks at 18.  His loyalty to the Banks was to continue after the War, throughout the Twenties, until an operation ended his cricketing career in 1935. 

Standing at over six feet tall, Monty was an extremely effective fast bowler and hard hitting batsman, his record for the Banks is unsurpassed.  On 14th August 1926 with 8-13 against Flax Bourton, he became the first local player to pass 100 wickets for the season, and the first Banks player we know of ever to achieve this feat, – all this in Saturday matches only.  

The following season he passed 100 wickets on 24th July, and in 1928 had achieved his “ton” by 23rd June!  His feat of taking all ten wickets for the Banks against Shirehampton in 1926 was twice repeated whilst also turning out for Optimists, taking 10-36 v Long Ashton (1924) and 10-13 v Warminster (1928).  Taking over as skipper of the Banks from Walter Giles in 1928, he also led Bristol and District Association’s teams for many years, and captained Lloyds Banks County XI against the Banks’ London team.

Pictured below is the Bank’s Team from 1934 / 1935.

Some measure of Monty’s comprehensive abilities can be gauged from his accomplishments both on and off the field of play.  He was a talented footballer, again for the Banks, a keen shot, and one of Bristol’s most accomplished golfers, playing off a four handicap.  He was associated with Long Ashton Golf Club for more than 30 years as a player, Club Captain, and Treasurer.

Indoor activities included billiards and snooker as a noted member of the Bristol Club.  He was equally well known throughout Bristol for his contributions as a light baritone in the Bristol Amateur Operatic Society, taking leading parts for many years, often accompanied by his wife, the former Miss Kitty Newton, a well-known pianist and broadcaster.  He was a long serving member of the Bristol Savages. 

Monty Hambling was clearly a talented amateur sportsman and a gentleman, who seemed to epitomise the Corinthian values held in such esteem during the era between the two Wars.  Upon his death in August 1960, the Bristol Evening Post carried his obituary on its front page. 

The 25th June 1928 saw the following Western Daily Press report on the game against Old Bristolians CC under the title of “ML Hambling’s 100 wickets”. This rate of wicket taking is exceptional even accepting that this was not just in games for the Banks. 


PLAYED FORBATTINGWICKETSRUNS
Saturday,14,April,1928



Saturday,21,April,1928BUBCC3818
Saturday,28,April,1928BUBCC40737
Saturday,05,May,1928BUBCC401
Saturday,12,May,1928BUBCC242
Saturday,19,May,1928



Saturday,26,May,1928BUBCC20735
Saturday,02,June,1928BUBCC6853
Saturday,09,June,1928BUBCC5625
Thursday,14,June,1928BUBCC30918
Wednesday,20,June,1928BUBCC24721
Saturday,23,June,1928BUBCC15558
Saturday,30,June,1928



Saturday,07,July,1928BUBCC10955
Saturday,14,July,1928BUBCC54
Saturday,21,July,1928BUBCC1739
Wednesday,25,July,1928BUBCC8837
Saturday,28,July,1928BUBCC7526
Sunday,29,July,1928



Saturday,04,August,1928BUBCC16638
Saturday,11,August,1928ABSENT


Saturday,18,August,1928ABSENT


Saturday,25,August,1928ABSENT


Saturday,01,September,1928ABSENT


Wednesday,05,September,1928OPTIMISTS05
Saturday,08,September,1928BUBCC22636
Saturday,15,September,1928



Saturday,22,September,1928BUBCC29326

TOTALS305113522
Totals of ML Hambling in the 1928 season 

The gap in August seemed to be his annual holiday and probably when he played for SCCC.  The following article did shed some light on what he was up to:

“In the past the champion all-rounder, ML Hambling, used to miss a good portion of the August as he was absent.  A Western Daily Press (23/08/1938) entitled SPORTING MEMORIES Test Match News on Holiday CRICKETER AND SHARK revealed his whereabouts: 

There has been good sport hunting sharks off the Cornish coast lately. Friends of Monty Hambling, the old Somerset and Bristol United Banks cricketer who is staying near us, had an exciting few minutes when out trawling. A 10ft. shark got mixed up in the net but eventually got clear with a couple of revolver bullets in its body. It is, by-the-by, the usual thing to take a gun or harpoon when going a-fishing off the coast. Bristol is well represented along the bit of Cornish coast where for some years past I have enjoyed delightful holidays. Reg Kemp and family with Tom Collins are at a farm at Portloe, Monty Hambling and his wife are Portscatho, Victor Topham and family are at Mullion, and various others one meets in Bristol sporting and other circles are scattered about, and we get more or less full teams with the mothers and fathers and boys and girls on the sand at Port Holland and Carhays.” 

Monty was certainly a man of his time.