Claude Thesiger Ashton (19 February 1901 – 31 October 1942) was an English amateur footballer and first-class cricketer. As footballer he played for Corinthians in several different positions including goalkeeper and centre forward, although his preferred position was wing-half. He made one appearance for the England national team in 1925 when he was appointed team captain. As a cricketer he played for Cambridge University and Essex. A pre-war officer of the Auxiliary Air Force, he died as a result of a mid-air collision in a training accident in the Second World War.

Ashton was born in Calcutta, India and was the youngest of four sons of Hubert Shorrock Ashton and of Victoria Alexandrina Ashton (née Inglis). Ashton's mother, Victoria, was the daughter of Sir John Eardley Wilmot Inglis, who commanded the British forces at the Siege of Lucknow, and Julia Selina Thesiger.

His brothers included Hubert, Gilbert and Percy, all of whom played first-class cricket. Claude was educated at Winchester College where he was captain of cricket, football, racquets and fives. He then went up to Trinity College, Cambridge and earned his blue at hockey, cricket and football. When Claude Ashton and his two brothers, Hubert and Gilbert, were together in the Cambridge football team of 1920, the university side earned itself the nickname of "Ashton Villa". Although he became football captain in his third year at University, he was unable to take part in the 1923 match against Oxford University.

Ashton first played for the University Cricket eleven in May 1921, and in 1921 he made 557 runs for the university at an average of 46.41. His best scores were 101 not out off the Surrey bowlers at the Oval and with 98 against M.C.C. at Lord's. In the match against Oxford University in July, he played alongside his brothers Gilbert (captain) and Hubert making 48 runs (with Hubert scoring 118) as Cambridge won by an innings and 24 runs.

After the varsity match, Claude joined Hubert at Essex with only modest success, scoring 240 at an average of 18.46. With one appearance for the England XI against Australia, his aggregate for the season was 798 at an average of 29.55.

In July 1922, he again joined Hubert (now captain) in the varsity match which was won by an innings and 100 runs, after Hubert (on 90) (with Percy Chapman on 102) declared at 403 for four wickets. As a result, Claude was unable to bat and only bowled three overs without claiming a wicket. Rain interfered with many matches in 1922 but Claude's aggregate for the university and Essex for the year was 797 runs, average 28.46. His best performance came in early August against Middlesex, when he scored 110 not out in a drawn match.

For 1923, he succeeded his two elder brothers as captain of Cambridge University, but was unable to emulate his brothers in the varsity match. Oxford batted all the first day, and during the night a severe thunderstorm with a deluge of rain completely altered the conditions at Lord's, with the result that Cambridge were dismissed twice and beaten on the Tuesday by an innings and 227 runs, the most overwhelming defeat in the whole series of university matches and the three most decisive results to occur consecutively. Claude thus ended his time with the university in rather dismal circumstances.

In the 1923 season as a whole, however, he amassed 916 runs at an average of 24.75, and claimed 50 wickets with his medium-pace bowling, together with 21 catches.