Background
Fairservice was born at Nunhead in what was then part of Surrey.
Fairservice was born at Nunhead in what was then part of Surrey.
He was a right-arm medium-pace off-break bowler and batted as a tail ender who played over 300 first-class cricket matches in his career. After his cricketing career he coached cricket and was a scorer. Fairservice played for Kent"s Second XI in 1901 and made his first-class but for the county in May 1902 against Master Control Console at Lord"son
He played in two matches in 1902, taking five wickets
Fairservice is often credited with taking the wicket of West.G. Grace as his first wicket in first-class cricket.
Fairservice did bowl Grace twice in the same match in May 1903, again against Master Control Console at Lord"s, but his first wickets do seem to have occurred in the same fixture in 1902 in which Grace did not play. He took at least 35 wickets in every season other than 1912, although his "opportunities were limited" as Kent had spin bowlers Colin Blythe and Frank Woolley as regulars in the team at this time.
He was awarded his county cap in 1903. Fairservice continued playing for Kent after the war and had his most productive season 1920, taking 113 wickets at an average of 17.46.
He played his last first-class matches in 1921 before playing for Northumberland between 1924 and 1926.
In retirement Fairservice coached cricket and acted as the scorer for Kent"s Second XI. He died in Canterbury in 1971 aged 90.
