page_title: Percy Fender
section_title: Resignation and retirement
hierarchical_section_title: Percy Fender / Final years / Resignation and retirement
caption_attribution_description: 2nd September 1940: Cricket player, Percy Fender in a military uniform.
context_page_description: Percy George Herbert Fender was an English cricketer who played 13 Tests and was captain of Surrey between 1921 and 1931. An all-rounder, he was a middle-order batsman who bowled mainly leg spin, and completed the cricketer's double seven times. Noted as a belligerent batsman, in 1920 he hit the fastest recorded first-class century, reaching three figures in 35 minutes which remains a record in 2016. On the basis of his Surrey captaincy, contemporaries judged him the best captain in England.
  As early as 1914 Fender was named one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year. After war service in the Royal Flying Corps he re-established himself in the Surrey team and became captain in 1921. His captaincy inspired the team to challenge strongly for the County Championship over the course of several seasons, despite a shortage of effective bowlers. Alongside his forceful though sometimes controversial leadership, Fender was an effective performer with bat and ball, although he lacked support as a bowler. From 1921, he played occasionally in Tests for England but was never particularly successful.
context_section_description: Early in 1931 Fender offered to resign as Surrey's captain, to give Jardine more experience of leadership before he assumed the England captaincy, but Surrey declined. Fender scored 916 runs and took 84 wickets that season. However, the Surrey committee were becoming disillusioned with Fender as captain after he had missed matches in 1930 to work as a journalist. Another point of contention was that Fender, against the wishes of the committee, preferred to keep in-form professional players in the team instead of playing amateurs when they were available. There were disagreements over  expenses, and the committee disapproved when Fender declared Surrey's innings closed after one ball, to make up time in a rain-affected match. A series of other controversial incidents further antagonised the committee. As a result, Fender was dismissed in January 1932, a move rumoured in the press for some time and which was quickly leaked. The club  released a statement which said Fender would only stand down if a suitable replacement could be found, before Jardine was officially appointed in March. It is likely that the uncertainty arose because Jardine took his time in accepting the position. Fender supported Jardine's appointment, and pledged to continue playing under his captaincy.
  Fender played less frequently in the following seasons, as his appearances were restricted by journalistic and business requirements. He scored over 400 runs in each season between 1932 and 1935 and scored two centuries in that time, both in 1933. With the ball, he took over 60 wickets in each season, although with  higher bowling averages than earlier in his career. Having played regularly for the Gentlemen against the Players throughout his career, he made his last appearance in the match in 1934.  He continued to be an effective member of the county team, which he occasionally led when the regular captain—initially Jardine, later, Errol Holmes—was absent. Prior to the 1936 season Holmes suggested to Fender that he should play fewer games for Surrey that year. Rather than do so, Fender preferred not to play at all, and he informed the committee that he would no longer represent the county. The committee publicly thanked Fender, but the reasons for the sudden termination of his county career are unclear; rumours suggested that some factions at Surrey wanted Fender out of the club. In the event, Fender played two first-class matches in 1936, captaining MCC teams against Oxford and Cambridge universities; these were his final appearances in first-class cricket. In all first-class matches, he scored 19,034 runs at an average of 26.65, and took 1,894 wickets at 25.05. He continued to play minor cricket for some time, and maintained his association with the sport for many years. His most notable appearance came after the war, when he captained an "Old England XI", featuring many former England players, against Surrey in 1946 in a match to celebrate Surrey's centenary.
  During the Second World War, Fender joined the Royal Air Force, reaching the rank of Wing Commander. He worked in southern England with a responsibility for moving men and equipment, and was mentioned in dispatches for his role in preparations for the Allied invasion of Europe. Later, he was posted to various parts of the world in his role in movements.
  In the 1920s, Fender was approached four times to stand for Parliament as a Conservative Party candidate and declined each time. Between 1952 and 1958, he served as a Conservative member on the London County Council for Norwood and later was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of London. In the late 1970s, Fender became blind, and moved in with his daughter, although continuing to run his business. He travelled to Australia in 1977 to attend  celebrations that marked 100 years of Test cricket and was the oldest man there. In his final years, he moved into a nursing home and died there on 15 June 1985.
caption: Fender in September 1940
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