In Memory of Lieutenant KENNETH LOTHERINGTON HUTCHINGS 4th Bn. attd. 12th Bn., The King's (Liverpool Regiment) who died on 03 September 1916 Amateur Cricketer, played for Kent and England. Remembered with honour THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Lieutenant Kenneth Hutchings of the King's Liverpool Regiment, attached to the Welsh Regiment, was killed in action by an exploding shell in September 1916. The Kent and England batsman had scored 21 first-class centuries, won 7 caps for his country, and been a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1907. Remembered as one of the most graceful batsmen of the Edwardian age, he helped Kent win the County Championship 3 times and scored 126 at Melbourne on England's 1907/08 Ashes tour. He was born in Southborough on 7 December 1882 and died with the rank of Lieutenant on 3 September 1916 He served with the 4th Battalion of the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) and was attached to the 12th Battalion. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. He was educated at Tonbridge School where he excelled at cricket, scoring several centuries and a double century in school matches. He played his first game for the Kent county side in the same year that he left school. He played a full county season in 1903 and had his best year in 1906, when he averaged over 60, scored four centuries and led Kent to the county championship. He played seven times for England and made his debut at Sydney in the 1907/08 series against Australia. The highlight was an innings of 126 in the second test of that series. His last test match came at The Oval in 1909 where he signed off with an innings of 59, once again against Australia. He rather lost form after the 1910 season in which Kent won the championship again, suffered some ill health, and dropped out of first-class cricket in 1912, having amassed 10,054 runs at an average 33.62, and with a top score of 176. He took 179 catches and with his occasional bowling managed 24 wickets.
