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English cricketer

Kenneth Farnes (8 July 1911 – 20 October 1941) was an English cricketer. He played in fifteen Tests from 1934 to 1939.

Farnes was born in Leytonstone, Essex, and was educated at the Royal Liberty School in Gidea Park. He made his first class debut for Essex in 1930, aged only 19. He took 5–36 in his second county match against Kent. He studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge, playing cricket in the university side for three years while also continuing to play for Essex. After graduating, he became a teacher at Worksop College, which limited his opportunity to play for Essex.

Farnes was reduced to tears in 1932, playing against Yorkshire at Scarborough. Earlier that year, playing at Leyton, Yorkshire had beaten Essex by an innings and 313 runs. Farnes reinforced Essex for the return match. Bowling as fast as he could, he conceded 75 runs to Herbert Sutcliffe and Maurice Leyland in 4 overs, and Essex lost again by an innings and 8 runs. In 1933, he took 41 wickets for Cambridge at a bowling average of 17.39 runs; in all, he took 113 wickets at an average of 18.38 that year. He was called up for the 1st Test against Australia in 1934, at Trent Bridge, taking 5 102 and 5 77, He also played in the 2nd Test at Lord's, but was then injured, missing the next two Tests and only playing again towards the end of the season. After two further Tests on the tour to the West Indies in 1934/35, an injury to his knee prevented him from playing in 1935. The next season, playing for the Gentlemen against the Players, he took three quick wickets, bowling Gimblett, Hammond and Hardstaff, to leave the Players at 33–4. Although rain intervened, so the match was drawn, Gubby Allen selected him for the tour to Australia that winter, where he played in the 4th and 5th Tests. His 6–96 in the 5th Test at the MCG could not prevent Australia scoring 604 in their first innings, and so winning the match by an innings and 200 to take the series 3–2. He died shortly after returning to England, when the Vickers Wellington that he was flying crashed after takeoff from RAF Chipping Warden in Oxfordshire during a night flying exercise, killing Farnes and Pilot Officer Cecil Hayes. He is buried at the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey.

Farnes' partner at the time of his death was a widow whose only daughter married the film critic Barry Norman in 1957.