348:. A right-handed middle-order batsman and an occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Bennett was one of the more regular of Somerset's amateur batsmen in an era when the county could afford only half a dozen professional players. In 12 seasons, he played 109 matches for Somerset, turning out regularly in 1932 and 1934, and playing in around half the side's matches in three other seasons: 1933, 1937 and 1939. In no other season did he appear in more than three matches. Despite this regular cricket and the fact that he was played primarily as a batsman, Bennett was not a prolific scorer at any stage in his career: his career average was only 15 and his highest score was just 73. Only in 1934, when he made 735 runs at an average of 19.86, did he make more than two scores of more than 50 in any single season.
864:
391:, the second of these being his highest first-class score. Wisden noted that he "timed his driving specially well" in the first innings and "again displayed capital skill" in the second. In the season as a whole, he made 735 runs. His bowling remained very occasional, but in the last match of the season against
398:
In both 1935 and 1936, Bennett barely played at all, but he came back to the
Somerset side in 1937, playing in most of the matches in the first two-thirds of the season. He passed 50 twice, with the higher innings being 62 against Gloucestershire at Taunton, but his aggregate for the season was only
358:
In 1932, Bennett played in every
Somerset match, making 544 runs at an average of 15.54. He scarcely bowled at all, with just 7.3 overs in the season, and at times in a fairly mobile batting line-up he came in as low as No 10 in the batting order. Nonetheless,
382:
Bennett played less in 1933. His aggregate fell to just 233 runs and his batting average to 12.94. But he returned to regular county cricket in 1934 and, said Wisden, "made a number of useful scores". These included innings of 71 and 73 in the match against
355:, making 565 runs at an average of 40.35 and taking 58 wickets at 13.56 in his final school season, 1928. He played for Somerset in three late-season matches that year, and three more in 1929, without making much impact. He did not play in 1930 or 1931.
399:
292 runs and his average was just 13.90. He was absent for most of 1938, but came back for a final season in 1939, when he played in half of
Somerset's matches and captained the side in the temporary absence of the regular captain,
411:, an innings described by Wisden as "dashing" – though Somerset still lost the match easily inside two days. His final Somerset match, a month before the outbreak of the Second World War, was against the
363:, summarising the Somerset season, noted that he "accomplished enough as a batsman to keep his place in the side". His one score of more than 50 in the season came in the final home match of the season at
415:; Bennett scored 56 in Somerset's only innings as the county beat the touring side by an innings in less than two days. He did not appear in first-class cricket again.
899:
423:
Bennett went into the Army in the Second World War, emerging with the rank of lieutenant. He transferred from the army reserve to a short commission in the
412:
167:
403:, in games in early July. Mostly he batted a long way down the batting order and it was from No 9 that he made his highest of the season, 72 against
392:
384:
909:
427:
after the war. He was promoted to captain in 1947 and major in 1953. He left the army in 1961, later moving to Canada. He died at
838:
833:
690:
685:
597:
592:
552:
547:
507:
502:
486:
481:
360:
894:
334:
135:
904:
889:
209:
153:
404:
352:
456:
388:
395:, he took four wickets for 39 runs in 11 overs, and these remained the best bowling figures of his career.
364:
828:
884:
879:
330:
186:
161:
146:
235:
803:
778:
753:
728:
313:
705:
660:
636:
612:
567:
522:
266:
855:
372:
256:
863:
424:
400:
376:
873:
859:
368:
408:
367:: he made 69 batting at No 8, but his innings was upstaged by centuries for
345:
61:
428:
293:
84:
80:
341:
246:
57:
457:"First-class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Michael Bennett"
754:"Supplement to the London Gazette, 7 December 1948"
173:
159:
145:
129:
116:
108:
100:
92:
69:
43:
33:
28:
704:
659:
635:
611:
566:
521:
455:
779:"Supplement to the London Gazette, 28 April 1953"
804:"Supplement to the London Gazette, 14 July 1961"
729:"Supplement to the London Gazette, 27 June 1947"
329:(17 December 1909 – 26 July 1982) played
8:
351:Bennett was a good schoolboy all-rounder at
21:
862:
20:
637:"Scorecard: Somerset v Gloucestershire"
613:"Scorecard: Somerset v Nottinghamshire"
568:"Scorecard: Somerset v Gloucestershire"
440:
900:British Army personnel of World War II
450:
448:
446:
444:
7:
706:"Scorecard: Somerset v West Indians"
616:. cricketarchive.com. 25 August 1934
526:. cricketarchive.com. 27 August 1932
523:"Scorecard: Somerset v Warwickshire"
152:18 August 1928 Somerset v
709:. cricketarchive.com. 2 August 1939
166:3 August 1939 Somerset v
664:. cricketarchive.com. 12 July 1939
14:
640:. cricketarchive.com. 15 May 1937
571:. cricketarchive.com. 9 June 1934
1:
661:"Scorecard: Kent v Somerset"
834:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
686:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
593:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
548:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
503:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
482:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
361:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
926:
479:"Public School Averages".
117:Domestic team information
310:
306:
178:
141:
124:
121:
910:Cricketers from Somerset
375:and a very fast 50 from
327:Geoffrey Michael Bennett
38:Geoffrey Michael Bennett
337:between 1928 and 1939.
353:King's School, Bruton
590:"Somerset Matches".
545:"Somerset Matches".
500:"Somerset Matches".
460:. cricketarchive.com
340:Bennett was born at
267:5 wickets in innings
29:Personal information
895:Somerset cricketers
331:first-class cricket
276:10 wickets in match
25:
905:People from Bruton
890:English cricketers
808:The London Gazette
783:The London Gazette
758:The London Gazette
733:The London Gazette
837:(1983 ed.).
689:(1940 ed.).
596:(1935 ed.).
551:(1935 ed.).
506:(1933 ed.).
485:(1929 ed.).
324:
323:
302:
301:
174:Career statistics
16:English cricketer
917:
866:
843:
842:
825:
819:
818:
816:
814:
800:
794:
793:
791:
789:
775:
769:
768:
766:
764:
750:
744:
743:
741:
739:
725:
719:
718:
716:
714:
708:
701:
695:
694:
683:"Kent in 1939".
680:
674:
673:
671:
669:
663:
656:
650:
649:
647:
645:
639:
632:
626:
625:
623:
621:
615:
608:
602:
601:
587:
581:
580:
578:
576:
570:
563:
557:
556:
542:
536:
535:
533:
531:
525:
518:
512:
511:
497:
491:
490:
476:
470:
469:
467:
465:
459:
452:
429:Toronto, Ontario
319:
318:25 November 2009
180:
179:
132:
104:Right-arm medium
88:
76:
65:
54:17 December 1909
53:
51:
26:
925:
924:
920:
919:
918:
916:
915:
914:
870:
869:
856:Michael Bennett
852:
847:
846:
841:. p. 1240.
827:
826:
822:
812:
810:
802:
801:
797:
787:
785:
777:
776:
772:
762:
760:
752:
751:
747:
737:
735:
727:
726:
722:
712:
710:
703:
702:
698:
682:
681:
677:
667:
665:
658:
657:
653:
643:
641:
634:
633:
629:
619:
617:
610:
609:
605:
589:
588:
584:
574:
572:
565:
564:
560:
544:
543:
539:
529:
527:
520:
519:
515:
499:
498:
494:
478:
477:
473:
463:
461:
454:
453:
442:
437:
421:
393:Nottinghamshire
385:Gloucestershire
373:Dickie Burrough
320:
317:
257:Bowling average
210:Batting average
130:
79:
78:
74:
56:
55:
49:
47:
39:
24:
23:Michael Bennett
17:
12:
11:
5:
923:
921:
913:
912:
907:
902:
897:
892:
887:
882:
872:
871:
868:
867:
851:
850:External links
848:
845:
844:
820:
795:
770:
745:
720:
696:
693:. p. 344.
675:
651:
627:
603:
600:. p. 418.
582:
558:
555:. p. 412.
537:
513:
510:. p. 230.
492:
489:. p. 618.
471:
439:
438:
436:
433:
425:Devon Regiment
420:
417:
401:Bunty Longrigg
377:Arthur Wellard
322:
321:
311:
308:
307:
304:
303:
300:
299:
296:
289:
288:
285:
281:
280:
277:
273:
272:
269:
263:
262:
259:
253:
252:
249:
243:
242:
239:
232:
231:
228:
224:
223:
220:
216:
215:
212:
206:
205:
202:
198:
197:
194:
190:
189:
184:
176:
175:
171:
170:
164:
157:
156:
150:
143:
142:
139:
138:
133:
127:
126:
123:
119:
118:
114:
113:
110:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
94:
90:
89:
77:(aged 72)
71:
67:
66:
45:
41:
40:
37:
35:
34:Full name
31:
30:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
922:
911:
908:
906:
903:
901:
898:
896:
893:
891:
888:
886:
883:
881:
878:
877:
875:
865:
861:
857:
854:
853:
849:
840:
836:
835:
830:
824:
821:
809:
805:
799:
796:
784:
780:
774:
771:
759:
755:
749:
746:
734:
730:
724:
721:
707:
700:
697:
692:
688:
687:
679:
676:
662:
655:
652:
638:
631:
628:
614:
607:
604:
599:
595:
594:
586:
583:
569:
562:
559:
554:
550:
549:
541:
538:
524:
517:
514:
509:
505:
504:
496:
493:
488:
484:
483:
475:
472:
458:
451:
449:
447:
445:
441:
434:
432:
430:
426:
418:
416:
414:
410:
406:
402:
396:
394:
390:
386:
380:
378:
374:
370:
366:
362:
356:
354:
349:
347:
343:
338:
336:
332:
328:
315:
309:
305:
297:
295:
291:
290:
286:
283:
282:
278:
275:
274:
270:
268:
265:
264:
260:
258:
255:
254:
250:
248:
245:
244:
240:
237:
234:
233:
229:
226:
225:
221:
218:
217:
213:
211:
208:
207:
203:
200:
199:
195:
192:
191:
188:
185:
182:
181:
177:
172:
169:
165:
163:
158:
155:
151:
148:
144:
140:
137:
134:
128:
120:
115:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
86:
82:
72:
68:
63:
59:
46:
42:
36:
32:
27:
19:
860:ESPNcricinfo
832:
829:"Obituaries"
823:
811:. Retrieved
807:
798:
786:. Retrieved
782:
773:
761:. Retrieved
757:
748:
736:. Retrieved
732:
723:
711:. Retrieved
699:
684:
678:
666:. Retrieved
654:
642:. Retrieved
630:
618:. Retrieved
606:
591:
585:
573:. Retrieved
561:
546:
540:
528:. Retrieved
516:
501:
495:
480:
474:
462:. Retrieved
422:
413:West Indians
397:
381:
369:Reggie Ingle
357:
350:
339:
326:
325:
314:ESPNCricinfo
284:Best bowling
168:West Indians
96:Right-handed
75:(1982-07-26)
73:26 July 1982
18:
885:1982 deaths
880:1909 births
813:25 November
788:25 November
763:25 November
738:25 November
713:25 November
668:25 November
644:25 November
620:25 November
575:25 November
530:25 November
464:24 November
201:Runs scored
187:First-class
183:Competition
874:Categories
435:References
431:, Canada.
419:Later life
50:1909-12-17
858: at
409:Maidstone
294:stumpings
227:Top score
131:1928–1939
64:, England
346:Somerset
335:Somerset
312:Source:
292:Catches/
219:100s/50s
136:Somerset
87:, Canada
62:Somerset
365:Taunton
247:Wickets
193:Matches
112:Batsman
101:Bowling
93:Batting
85:Ontario
81:Toronto
839:Wisden
691:Wisden
598:Wisden
553:Wisden
508:Wisden
487:Wisden
342:Bruton
238:bowled
58:Bruton
261:32.00
236:Balls
214:15.32
204:2,330
160:Last
154:Essex
149:debut
122:Years
815:2009
790:2009
765:2009
740:2009
715:2009
670:2009
646:2009
622:2009
577:2009
532:2009
466:2009
405:Kent
389:Bath
371:and
333:for
298:53/–
287:4/39
222:0/12
125:Team
109:Role
70:Died
44:Born
407:at
387:at
241:753
196:109
876::
831:.
806:.
781:.
756:.
731:.
443:^
379:.
344:,
316:,
251:14
230:73
162:FC
147:FC
83:,
60:,
817:.
792:.
767:.
742:.
717:.
672:.
648:.
624:.
579:.
534:.
468:.
279:0
271:0
52:)
48:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.