Neil Durden-Smith

Neil Durden-Smith
OBE
Durden-Smith (left) with Lord Cobham in 1958
Personal information
Born (1933-08-18) 18 August 1933 (age 91)
Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey, England
BattingRight-handed
RoleBatsman
RelationsJudith Chalmers (m. 1964)
Mark Durden-Smith (son)
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 4
Runs scored 111
Batting average 22.20
100s/50s 0/1
Top score 50
Catches/stumpings 0/–
Source: Cricket Archive, 27 November 2014

Neil Durden-Smith OBE (born 18 August 1933) is an English former sports commentator. He was previously a naval officer and played a small number of first-class cricket matches.

Life and career

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Durden-Smith was educated at Aldenham School and the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, Devon. His service as an officer in the Royal Navy from 1952 to 1963 included a period as aide-de-camp to the Governor-General of New Zealand, Lord Cobham, from 1957 to 1959.[1] He worked as a radio and television sports commentator and producer in England from the 1960s to the 1990s, often covering hockey.

He played four matches of first-class cricket in the 1960s. His highest scores were 33 and 50 in his first match, for Combined Services against Nottinghamshire in 1961.[2]

Durden-Smith was appointed OBE in 1997.[3] He has been married to Judith Chalmers, a television presenter, since 1964. They have a son, Mark, who is also a television presenter, and a daughter.

References

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