Francis Worsley, who played twice for Glamorgan – once in 1922 and again in 1923 – won great acclaim as the producer of the BBC radio programme ITMA (It’s That Man Again) starring Tommy Handley, the well-known British comedian.
Born in the London area and raised in Cambridgeshire, Francis’ father had been a Canon at Llandaff Cathedral and with family still living in the Cardiff area, it was this link that allowed the former pupil of Brighton College to appear for the Welsh county whilst working as a motor tyre salesman in the Welsh capital. Some forthright innings for Cardiff CC led to his call-up initially for the away match with Northamptonshire during 1922, followed in September 1923, by the match against Hampshire at the Arms Park after Francis had enjoyed another decent summer in club cricket.
It proved to his final foray in county cricket as he left South Wales the following year and moved to Nigeria to work in the West African Colonial Service. He continued his rather nomadic and varied cricketing career by playing for the Gold Coast Europeans in 1926/27, before returning to Cardiff during 1927 and securing a post as a junior producer for BBC Wales. He subsequently worked for the BBC in Bristol before being promoted in 1938 to a post in London as a writer and producer of comedy programmes for network radio.
His younger brother Cuthbert had also been a decent cricketer, also playing for Cardiff CC and Glamorgan Colts besides keeping wicket for Cambridge University against Yorkshire at Fenner’s in 1928.
WORSLEY, Francis Frederick
Born – South Kensington, 2nd June 1902.
Died – Mile End, Stepney, 15th September 1949.
Best performance for Glamorgan:
In first-class cricket – 21 v Northamptonshire at Northampton, 1922.
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 100 | 50 | CT | ST | |
| First-class | 2 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 11.33 | – | – | 1 | – |