About Colin Blythe
Colin Blythe (30 May 1879 – 8 November 1917), also known as Charlie Blythe, was an English first-class cricketer, active from 1899 to 1914. Born in Deptford, he played for Kent as a slow left arm orthodox (SLA) bowler and a right-handed batsman. He played in nineteen Test matches for England from 1901 to 1910. Blythe was one of the five Cricketers of the Year in the 1904 edition of Wisden Cricketer's Almanack. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in cricket history, and is one of only 33 players who has taken 2,000 wickets in a first-class career. He shares (with Tom Goddard and Hedley Verity), the world record for the highest number of first-class wickets (17) taken in a single day's play. Blythe was killed in the Second Battle of Passchendaele while on active service with the British Army during World War I. He enlisted in the armed forces at the outbreak of war despite suffering from epilepsy. A memorial at Kent's home ground, the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, is dedicated to Blythe, and to other members of the club who died on active service in the war. It has been said that Blythe never played cricket at school and, aged 18, was "discovered" the first time he ever played by Captain William McCanlis.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.