Born in Trinidad in 1873, 'Plum' Warner captained Rugby School before making his first-class debut for Oxford University in 1894, where he gained a blue in 1895 and 1896. A right-handed batsman, he played for Middlesex from 1894 to 1920 and he acted as captain from 1908 to 1920. Playing 519 first-class matches, he scored 29,028 runs with 60 centuries and recorded a top score of 244 for the Rest of England versus Warwickshire at the Oval in 1911. For England he played 15 Tests from 1898/99 to 1912 and he scored 622 runs with a best of 132 n.o. versus South Africa at Johannesburg in 1898/99. Few cricketers have dedicated so much of their life to the game as 'Plum' in his capacity as player, manager, Test selector, writer and founder of The Cricketer magazine in 1921. He was knighted for his services to cricket in 1937. He acted as deputy secretary of M.C.C. during the Second World War and became President in 1950/51 and he had a stand named after him at Lord's in 1958. He died at West Lavington, Sussex in 1953 and his ashes were scattered at Lord's near the spot where he hit his first four.
