WORCESTERSHIRE honoured a former player by presenting his County colours to his old school at a "moving" ceremony.

Record holder William Beaumont Burns, who died during the First World War, remains the only County player to have scored a century and taken a hat-trick in the same game.

Worcestershire Heritage co-ordinator Tim Jones was contacted by Andrew Marshall, the first deputy head at King’s Ely Junior School in Cambridgeshire, for information about Burns who had been a pupil there.

He was one of 27 ex-pupils who died in the conflict and was honoured at the school’s act of remembrance service in Ely Cathedral.

Jones was invited to the service and thanks to the efforts of Worcestershire CEO Matt Rawnsley presented school principal Sue Freestone with Burns’ Worcestershire colours tie — number 046.

Jones said: “Andrew contacted me a few months ago for information concerning WB Burns and thankfully I was able to help him in this respect.

“I provided details of his cricketing prowess, a player who scored 12 first-class centuries, claimed 187 wickets and is still the only Worcestershire player to score a hundred and take a hat-trick in the same game.

“As a thank you for my help, I was invited to the school’s act of remembrance service in Ely Cathedral, a moving ceremony which commemorated the lives of 27 Old Eleans who lost their lives in the conflict.

“One of the four houses at King’s is named after Burns so it was interesting to hear the current head of house pay tribute to the Worcestershire man.

“Thanks to the efforts of Matt, I presented Sue with Burns’ colours tie as a lasting memory to him and Adam Chadwick, curator of the MCC Collection who kindly sent an MCC tie in recognition of the tour which Burns went on to New Zealand in 1906-07.

“Both are now on permanent display along with a copy of this photograph from the Worcestershire Collection.

"This serves as a reminder that we must never forget our past or indeed the sacrifice made by former players and members of our great club.”

Burns achieved the feat of a century and a hat-trick in the same game against Gloucestershire at New Road in 1913.

At the end of that season he settled in Canada but returned to England to enlist in the First World War.

He was killed in action in July 1916 when a second lieutenant in the Worcestershire Regiment.