Les McFarlane, the former Northamptonshire and Lancashire seam bowler, played 23 times for the Welsh county during 1985.
Born in Jamaica, Les had been brought up in Northampton, where he earned a reputation as a fiery fast bowler with local club cricket. He progressed into the Northamptonshire 2nd XI before making his first-class debut in 1979. He also played Minor County cricket for Bedfordshire before joining Lancashire in 1982 and taking a match-winning and career-best return of 6/59 against Warwickshire at Southport in 1982.
He subsequently joined Glamorgan for 1985 and took , in all formats, a total of 22 wickets, with his best figures coming at Derby where he claimed 4/100. With the further development of homegrown seam bowlers including Greg Thomas, Steve Barwick and John Derrick, Les was released at the end of the season and returned to Minor County cricket with Bedfordshire and later Staffordshire, for whom he played in 1989 and 1990.
Given his close links and family ties with the East Midlands, it had been quite fitting that his final first-class appearance came for Glamorgan against Northamptonshire at Wellingborough School during August 1985.
McFARLANE, Leslie Leopold
Born – Skibo, Jamaica, 19th August 1952 .
Died – Northampton, 27th May 2019.
Best performances for Glamorgan:
In first-class cricket – 8 v Somerset at Sophia Gardens, 1985; 4/100 v Derbyshire at Derby, 1985.
In List A cricket – 1* v Gloucestershire at Bristol, 1985 and v Worcestershire at Swansea, 1985;
2/17 v Worcestershire at Ebbw Vale, 1985.
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 100 | 50 | CT | ST | |
| F-c | 13 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 3.00 | – | – | 4 | – |
| List A | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Balls | M | R | W | AV | 5wI | 10wM | |
| First-class | 1554 | 42 | 1008 | 16 | 63.00 | – | – |
| List A | 339 | 7 | 231 | 6 | 38.50 | — | – |