Reg Ellis
Personal information
Full name
Reginald Sidney Ellis
Born(1917-11-26)26 November 1917
Light Pass, South Australia[1]
Died21 June 2015(2015-06-21) (aged 97)
Adelaide, South Australia
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 21
Runs scored 47
Batting average 2.93
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 10 not out
Balls bowled 4776
Wickets 78
Bowling average 26.53
5 wickets in innings 6
10 wickets in match 1
Best bowling 6/144
Catches/stumpings 6/–
Source: Cricinfo, 8 April 2022
Military career
AllegianceAustralia
Service/branchRoyal Australian Air Force
Years of service1940–1945
RankFlight lieutenant
UnitNo. 463 Squadron RAAF

Reginald Sidney Ellis (26 November 1917 – 21 June 2015) was an Australian pilot, flying instructor and cricketer.[2]

Ellis was a pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, flying Lancaster bombers. He flew 11 sorties over occupied Europe.[3] He ranked as a flight lieutenant and was part of No. 463 Squadron RAAF.[2] He also served as a flying instructor in the UK during the war, and continued after the war as a flying instructor with the Royal Aero Club of South Australia.[4]

Ellis played in the Victory Tests in England between ex-servicemen of Australia and England immediately after World War II, and then toured India and Australia with the Australian Services XI.[3] He also played one first-class match for South Australia in 1945/46.[5]

A left-arm orthodox spin bowler, Ellis was the most successful of the Services' bowlers in the matches in England, taking 23 wickets at an average of 19.13,[6] with a best performance of 5 for 43 and 5 for 24 in the final match in Scarborough.[7] Later, he took 5 for 25 and 3 for 32 when the Services XI beat Ceylon by an innings.[8] His best figures were 6 for 144 for the Services XI against New South Wales in January 1946.[9]

The last surviving member of the Services XI, Ellis was guest of honour at Sachin Tendulkar's Bradman Oration in Canberra in 2011. He died in June 2015, aged 97.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Argent, Peter (25 February 2015). "Cricket collector". Barossa and Light Herald. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Reginald Sidney Ellis". Virtual War Memorial Australia. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  3. 1 2 Hilfery, Tim (17 December 2011). "WWII pilot's invite from Tendulkar". Sunday Mail. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  4. 1 2 Wisden 2016, pp. 208–9.
  5. ↑ "Reg Ellis". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  6. ↑ "First-Class Bowling for Australian Services". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  7. ↑ "HDG Leveson-Gower's XI v Australian Services 1945". Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  8. ↑ "All Ceylon v Australian Services 1945-46". Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  9. ↑ "New South Wales v Australian Services 1945-46". Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
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