Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Reginald Sidney Ellis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1917-11-26)26 November 1917 Light Pass, South Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 21 June 2015(2015-06-21) (aged 97) Adelaide, South Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Slow left-arm orthodox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 8 April 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Military career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Allegiance | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | Royal Australian Air Force | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years of service | 1940–1945 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rank | Flight lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unit | No. 463 Squadron RAAF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reginald Sidney Ellis (26 November 1917 – 21 June 2015) was an Australian pilot, flying instructor and cricketer.
Ellis was a pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, flying Lancaster bombers. He flew 11 sorties over occupied Europe. He ranked as a flight lieutenant and was part of No. 463 Squadron RAAF. 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.
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. He also played one first-class match for South Australia in 1945/46.
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, with a best performance of 5 for 43 and 5 for 24 in the final match in Scarborough. Later, he took 5 for 25 and 3 for 32 when the Services XI beat Ceylon by an innings. His best figures were 6 for 144 for the Services XI against New South Wales in January 1946.
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.
See also
References
- Argent, Peter (25 February 2015). "Cricket collector". Barossa and Light Herald. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ "Reginald Sidney Ellis". Virtual War Memorial Australia. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ Hilfery, Tim (17 December 2011). "WWII pilot's invite from Tendulkar". Sunday Mail. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ Wisden 2016, pp. 208–9.
- "Reg Ellis". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
- "First-Class Bowling for Australian Services". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- "HDG Leveson-Gower's XI v Australian Services 1945". Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- "All Ceylon v Australian Services 1945-46". Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- "New South Wales v Australian Services 1945-46". Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
External links
- Reg Ellis at ESPNcricinfo
- "Reg Ellis - Victory Test Player". Cricket.com.au. 15 December 2011. - video interview by Mark Nicholas
- 1917 births
- 2015 deaths
- People from Nuriootpa, South Australia
- Australian cricketers
- South Australia cricketers
- Australian World War II pilots
- Royal Australian Air Force officers
- Australian Services cricketers
- Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II
- Dominions cricketers
- Australian flight instructors
- Military personnel from South Australia
- Cricketers from South Australia
- Australian World War II bomber pilots
- 20th-century Australian sportsmen