▁ ▁Nap ier ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Mar l borough ▁College ▁and ▁at ▁Tr inity ▁College , ▁Cambridge . ▁He ▁was ▁captain ▁of ▁the ▁cr icket ▁eleven ▁at ▁Mar l borough ▁and ▁played ▁in ▁trial ▁matches ▁at ▁Cambridge ▁in ▁both ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁appear ▁in ▁any ▁first - class ▁games ▁in ▁those ▁years ; ▁as ▁a ▁cr ick eter , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁lower - order ▁right - hand ed ▁b ats man ▁and ▁a ▁right - arm ▁fast ▁bow ler ▁in ▁the ▁round - arm ▁style . ▁Nap ier ▁finally ▁appeared ▁in ▁first - class ▁cr icket ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁and ▁did ▁well ▁in ▁his ▁first ▁match ▁for ▁Cambridge ▁University , ▁taking ▁five ▁w ick ets ▁in ▁a ▁high - sc oring ▁match ▁against ▁the ▁Gent le men ▁of ▁England ▁and ▁scoring ▁ 1 4 ▁in ▁his ▁only ▁inn ings . ▁In ▁his ▁second ▁match , ▁the ▁game ▁against ▁Lanc ash ire ▁at ▁the ▁A ig bur th ▁cr icket ▁ground ▁in ▁Liverpool ▁he ▁took ▁only ▁one ▁w icket ▁before ▁being ▁injured : ▁a ▁contemporary ▁report ▁stated ▁that ▁" Mr . ▁Nap ier ▁stra ined ▁himself ▁through ▁his ▁trem end ously ▁swift ▁bow ling ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁field ". ▁ ▁Nap ier ▁graduated ▁from ▁Cambridge ▁University ▁with ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 ▁and ▁was ▁ord ained ▁as ▁a ▁priest ▁in ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England . ▁He ▁was ▁cur ate