- Born 31 March 1891 Youghal, Co Cork
- Died 20 November 1965
- Educated Uppingham School, Dublin University
- Occupation Officer in Indian Army; Tea and Rubber Planter
- Debut 3 July 1930 v MCC at The Mardyke
- Cap Number 378
- Style Right hand bat, right arm fast medium.
- Teams Cork County
Note: This player has been shown in Irish cricket records as Captain R Fuge. British Army and Royal Navy Lists for the period show no such person. Nor did a member of the Fuge family, Dublin University - and later Lancaster University - academic Bill Fuge have any knowledge of him. However in "Long Shadows by de Banks" the history of Cork County CC, Colm Murphy describes the player as ML Fuge. This led to research which produced the identification shown above, which I firmly believe to be correct. However it will be seen that there are still several gaps in his personal details. We would of course be most grateful to receive any information which might lead to these being filled, particularly with regard to his education and place of death. As I am not sure which of his forenames he was known by, he is referred to here as TMLF.
He was educated at Uppingham in Leicestershire, always a good cricket school, numbering APF Chapman and JP Agnew among its alumni. However TMLF did not precede Percy and Aggers in the 1st XI nor did he play for the 1st XI during his initial brief sojurn at Dublin University, which he entered in 1909. The only match found by that assidous researcher David Penney involving TMLF is a 3rd XI fixture in 1910.
TMLF was a useful fast medium bowler, though his best cricketing days were behind him when he played for Ireland. So was the main part of his military career. Commissioned in the Indian Army, he was, with many other members of that service, ordered to Europe on the outbreak of the Great War. He served with distinction, reaching the rank of Acting Major and being mentioned in Despatches in August 1918. By 1921, however, he was a Captain and GSO Third Grade, and is soon to be found on the Indian Army Reserve List. Apart from his military service, he was also a tea and rubber planter, working in both Kenya and India.
His one appearance for Ireland, though he made a number for Cork County, came in the MCC Match at The Mardyke in 1930. The Irish side was a somewhat strange one. Captained by the Cork County President Sir George Colthurst it included local players such as TMLF and DS McKenzie, both destined to be "one cap wonders" as well as Charles O'Hara-Moore, still Ireland's oldest ever debutant and Eton sixth former Fred Covington, one of the youngest. Fred's qualification for Ireland seems to have been dubious in the extreme. MCC, who were by no means a powerful side batted first and were dismissed for 239, with former Oxford Blue Claude Hilary Taylor, the first Oxford Freshman to hit a century in the University Match - 109 in 1923 - topscoring. TMLF opened the bowling and was accurate but failed to take a wicket. His figures of 12-2-37-0 had the virtue of economy. Ireland were then bowled out for 118 and were 6-2 in the follow on when rain ended the match. The MCC moved on to Dublin where they beat a very different Irish side by 10 wickets. Among the new caps at The Mardyke, Covington travelled to the capital, but for TMLF, McKenzie and O'Hara-Moore, there was to be no second appearance.
In 1933, he re-entered Dublin University, to take a short course. On this occasion he did play for the 1st XI making six appearances at competitive level. However he failed to take a wicket and scored only 35 runs with a highest score of 25.
In his private life Thomas Marshal Llewellyn Fuge married Frances Levine in 1917, he must have been on leave from the conflict at the time. They had a son, Brian who predeceased both of them and a daughter Patricia. Brian, a Spitfire pilot was killed in March 1945. There were also three grandchildren. It would be most welcome if we were able to make contact with any of TMLF's family.