Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie

Alexander Colin David Ingleby-Mackenzie
Born	Template:Birth date Dartmouth, England
Died	March 9, 2006(2006-03-09) (aged 72) St John's Wood, London, England
Other names	Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie
Occupation(s)	Cricketer, cricket official, entrepreneur
Years active	1951–1966 (cricket playing)
Known for	Captain of Hampshire; President of Marylebone Cricket Club; President of Hampshire County Cricket Club

Alexander Colin David Ingleby-Mackenzie (15 September 1933 – 9 March 2006) was a distinguished English cricketer, cricket official, and entrepreneur. Representing Hampshire from 1951 until 1966, he holds the distinction of being the county's final amateur captain. His assertive captaincy led Hampshire to secure their inaugural County Championship title in 1961. Known for his aggressive batting style, he amassed in excess of 12,000 runs in first-class cricket. Following his retirement from the sport and a career in insurance, Ingleby-Mackenzie served as president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) between 1996 and 1998. His tenure was notable for the MCC's landmark decision to admit women members, representing a major progressive step. Subsequently, he held the presidency of Hampshire from 2002 until his passing in 2006.

Early life

Born in Dartmouth on 15 September 1933, Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie was the sole son of Surgeon Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Ingleby-Mackenzie and Violetta Longstaffe. His education began at Ludgrove School, under the headship of former Yorkshire cricketer Alan Barber, followed by Eton College. At Eton, he demonstrated sporting excellence across several disciplines, including cricket where he participated thrice in the celebrated Eton v Harrow match, and was chosen as President of Pop. Identified at age twelve by Harry Altham as a promising cricket talent, he showed early aptitude for the game.

At sixteen, playing for Hampshire's Second XI, he caught the attention of captain and secretary Desmond Eagar, who regarded him as potential future captaincy material. In September 1951, Ingleby-Mackenzie made his first-class debut for Hampshire facing Sussex but was dismissed without scoring. The following year saw him participate in six first-class matches: five within the County Championship and one against the touring Indian side.

After finishing his studies at Eton, he earned admission to Trinity College, Oxford; however, he chose not to enroll. Instead, he completed National Service as a midshipman with the Royal Navy during 1952–53. This period enabled him to play two first-class fixtures for the Combined Services team against Warwickshire and the touring Australians, scoring 66 runs against the latter. His National Service obligations precluded participation with Hampshire during the 1953 season.

Initial phase

Post-National Service, Ingleby-Mackenzie joined Slazenger in Yorkshire, which afforded him generous leave to continue playing cricket for Hampshire. He established himself as a middle order batsman in 1954, appearing in 29 first-class matches and accumulating 821 runs at an average of 17.84. This included four half-centuries and a highest score of 85. The subsequent year saw limited appearances—just two first-class games: one for Hampshire and another for the Free Foresters—and selection for E. W. Swanton's West Indies tour early in 1956 where he played two first-class matches.

In 1956, his involvement with Hampshire increased to eleven matches alongside additional fixtures for both the Free Foresters and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). That season marked significant advancement as he recorded his maiden first-class century with an unbeaten 124 against Oxford University, followed by an unbeaten 130 versus Worcestershire at Cowes. He concluded the year with a total of 696 runs at an average of 34.80. Later that year, he toured Jamaica with a side captained by the Duke of Norfolk, participating in two first-class games.

By the start of the 1957 season, Ingleby-Mackenzie had cemented his place within Hampshire’s squad, making 29 first-class appearances and surpassing 1,000 runs in a single season for the first time—registering 1,230 runs at an average of 27.33. During occasions when captain Eagar stepped aside in both 1956 and 1957, he assumed captaincy duties as deputy. He was awarded his county cap in 1957 after scoring an innings of 88 against Kent.

Hampshire captaincy

Following Eagar’s retirement at the conclusion of the 1957 season, Ingleby-Mackenzie was appointed as Hampshire’s captain. In his debut season at the helm, he guided Hampshire to a second-place finish in the 1958 County Championship, marking their best-ever position. That year, he amassed 1,188 runs with an average of 25.82, including two centuries, and earned the title of Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year. His swift century against Somerset secured him the Walter Lawrence Trophy. Although his impact in the Gentlemen v Players match was limited, he represented both the South and MCC at the Scarborough Festival. Wisden commended his "spirit of enterprise and insistence on all-out attack." Concurrently in 1958, he embarked upon a professional career in insurance brokerage with Holmwoods, Back and Manson.

Hampshire’s standing slipped to eighth place in 1959 and dropped further to twelfth in 1960 amid speculation regarding his commitment, fueled by injuries coinciding with race meetings. Despite this, he featured in 35 first-class matches during 1959, scoring 1,608 runs, and narrowly missed surpassing 1,000 runs in 1960. After captaining E. W. Swanton’s side on a West Indies tour in 1960, he led Hampshire to their inaugural County Championship triumph in 1961. This achievement was underpinned by assertive captaincy—ten of their nineteen victories involved bold declarations—and a formidable squad that included Roy Marshall alongside pace bowlers Derek Shackleton and Butch White. That season, he contributed 1,321 runs at an average of 28.10, highlighted by an unbeaten 132 against Essex.

In 1962, Hampshire concluded the Championship in tenth place; Ingleby-Mackenzie once again surpassed the 1,000-run mark and released his autobiography entitled Many a Slip. That year also saw him tour Africa and Malaya with a Commonwealth XI. Illness curtailed his appearances in 1963; nevertheless, he captained Hampshire’s first-ever List A match in the Gillette Cup while also taking on wicketkeeping duties. After recuperation, he toured Jamaica early in 1964 with the International Cavaliers and subsequently led E. W. Swanton’s team on a tour to India and Thailand featuring leading Test cricketers such as Richie Benaud and Garfield Sobers.

Hampshire finished twelfth in both the 1964 and 1965 County Championships but advanced to the Gillette Cup quarter-finals in 1965. Prior to that campaign, he toured Barbados with the International Cavaliers. Retiring at age 31 following the 1965 season—the final amateur to captain Hampshire—he handed over leadership to professional Roy Marshall but returned for three one-day fixtures during the 1966 Gillette Cup, earning Man of the Match honours against Kent with an unbeaten score of 59.

Throughout his first-class career spanning 343 matches, Ingleby-Mackenzie accumulated 12,421 runs including eleven centuries at an average of 24.35—a statistic influenced by his attacking batting style. He surpassed a seasonal average of thirty only once during his career. The Times characterised his batting as "breezy" and "independent," exemplifying an amateur's flair. His youthful and adventurous approach to captaincy drew parallels with Lionel Tennyson’s style from thirty years earlier.

Business and cricket administration

Ingleby-Mackenzie rose to chairman of Holmwoods after serving as managing director of its schools insurance division. He orchestrated a £33 million management buyout from Brown Shipley in 1992, assuming leadership of its insurance operations, and later facilitated the sale to HSBC in 1997 whereupon he became deputy chairman of HSBC Insurance Services.

In May 1996, he succeeded Sir Oliver Popplewell as president of the MCC. During his two-year term, he authorized and initiated construction of a contemporary media centre at Lord’s. He also championed reforms aimed at admitting women as MCC members to modernize the club’s traditions. Although his initial proposal fell short of achieving the required two-thirds majority vote, by September 1998—shortly before handing over presidency to Tony Lewis—the MCC approved female membership, a development he warmly endorsed.

He managed cricket affairs for Sir Paul Getty at Wormsley, overseeing fixtures, team selection, and tours. Elected president of Hampshire in 2002 after previously advising chairman Rod Bransgrove as a consultant, Ingleby-Mackenzie was succeeded by Barry Richards upon his death in April 2007.

Personal life and death

Following his retirement from the business world, Ingleby-Mackenzie took on the role of chairman for the Country Gentlemen's Association. He was affiliated with prestigious institutions such as the Clermont Club and White's Club, and maintained close friendships with notable figures including actors Albert Finney, John Standing, Edward Fox, as well as comedian Ronnie Corbett. Moreover, he held a lifetime membership at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and served as captain of Sunningdale Golf Club in the year 2000.

In recognition of his contributions to sport, he was appointed an OBE in the 2005 Birthday Honours. Later that same year, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour and succumbed to complications following brain surgery on 9 March 2006. His funeral procession made a circuit around Lord's Cricket Ground before continuing to Kensal Rise Crematorium. A memorial service held at St Paul's Cathedral in June 2006 attracted over 1,600 attendees, including six members from Hampshire’s 1961 County Championship squad. Wisden lauded him as "one of the most extraordinary, and best-loved, men ever to play cricket." At the time of his passing, he lived in St John's Wood. He was survived by his wife Susan, whom he married in 1975, their daughter, and four stepchildren. Susan died on 12 November 2023.

In 2012, Hampshire honored Ingleby-Mackenzie by naming one of two new stands at the Rose Bowl after him; the east stand carries his name alongside Australian cricketer Shane Warne. The dedication ceremony occurred during a One Day International match between England and the West Indies, with his family present to pay tribute.