Archibald Fargus

Rev. Archibald Hugh Conway Fargus MA (15 December 1878 – 6 October 1963) was an English cricketer who was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast. He was also a scholar and clergyman and served in the Royal Navy.

Born in Clifton, Bristol, Fargus was the son of novelist Frederick John Fargus and Amy Spark. He was later educated at Clifton College and Haileybury before attending Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Fargus made his first-class debut for Gloucestershire in the 1900 County Championship against Middlesex. In that same season he also made his first-class debut for Cambridge University against Surrey. Fargus played first-class cricket for both teams in 1900 and 1901, typically playing for Cambridge University in the months of June and July and for Gloucestershire in August. He played 12 matches for the University, from whom he won a Cambridge Blue in 1900 and 1901, and 15 for Gloucestershire, plus one match for the Gentlemen in 1900.

Overall, Fargus was a superior batsman while playing for Cambridge University, scoring 292 runs at a batting average of 16.22, plus scoring his only half century in first-class cricket, a score of 61. For Gloucestershire he batted in 27 innings, scoring 210 runs at an average of 9.13. With the ball, the reverse was true; his bowling with Gloucestershire was more successful. For the county he took 33 wickets at a bowling average of 26.54, with best figures of 7/55, one of two five wicket hauls he took. His best figures came in his debut match against Middlesex, with the 7/55 coming in the Middlesex second-innings and following on from the 5/32 in their first-innings. These figures were the best by any player on debut in the County Championship at that time, it would be a record which would stand for 14 years, until it was beaten by Cec Parkin who took match figures of 14/99 on his Lancashire County Cricket Club debut in 1914 In contrast, for the University he took 27 wickets at an average of 41.66, with best figures of 4/35.