David Kenneth Fasken (23 March 1932 – 24 May 2006) was an English first-class cricketer and businessman. Fasken played first-class cricket for several teams between 1953–1962, though he played predominantly for Oxford University. After graduating from the University of Oxford, he became a director for the Earls Court and Olympia exhibition centres, helping them become world leading exhibition venues.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
David Kenneth Fasken
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| Born | 23 March 1932 Batu Gajah, Perak, Federated Malay States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 24 May 2006(2006-05-24) (aged 74) London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium-fast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1950–1955 | Oxfordshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1953–1955 | Oxford University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956–1959 | Marylebone Cricket Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 3 June 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fasken was born into a military family at Batu GajahinBritish Malaya in March 1932.[1] His family moved back to England in 1937, where he attended the Dragon SchoolatOxford, before attending Wellington College.[1] From Wellington he went up to Trinity College, Oxford, where he studied languages.[1] He had debuted for Oxfordshireinminor counties cricket in the 1950 Minor Counties Championship.[2] While studying at Oxford he made his debut in first-class cricket for Oxford University against LancashireatOxford in 1953.[3] He played first-class cricket for Oxford until 1955, making 27 appearances and gaining a blue.[3][1] Playing as a right-arm medium-fast bowler, he took 58 wickets for the university at an average of 35.94, with best figures of 5 for 108 against the touring Australians in 1953.[4][5] With the bat he scored 403 runs with a high score of 61.[6] In addition to playing first-class cricket for Oxford University, Fasken also played three matches apiece for the Marylebone Cricket Club from 1956–59, and for the Free Foresters from 1959–62. He also played at first-class level for D. R. Jardine's XI and L. C. Stevens' XI.[3] He played his final minor counties match for Oxfordshire in 1955.[2]
After graduating from Oxford, Fasken decided not to take up a career as a cricketer, stating that "the life" never appealed to him.[1] Instead he took up a career managing exhibition centres, including Earls Court and Olympia, both of which he was vice-president until his retirement in 1993.[1] During his tenure he helped Olympia to become one of the world's leading exhibition venues. He was also a major factor in the development of Earls Court Two in the late 1980s.[1] When he was 69 he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which required several shunts to slow the progression of the condition.[1] He spent four months in hospital with a kidney infection shortly before his death. He returned home for a month, but died on 24 May 2006, following a fall down the stairs at his home.[1] He was survived by his wife Susan of 38 years and their two children Joanna and Hugh and three grandchildren.[1]