Richard Cox Hales (29 September 1817 – 25 April 1906) was an English first-class cricketer and clergyman.

The son of James Hales of the Bengal Army, he was born in British India at Dinapore in September 1817. He later studied in England as a scholar at Magdalene College at the University of Cambridge in 1838, before furthering his studies at Magdalen College at the University of Oxford.^[1] While studying at Oxford, he made a single appearance in first-class cricket for Oxford University against the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord's in 1840.^[2] Batting twice in the match, he ended the Oxford first innings unbeaten on a single run, while in their second innings he was dismissed without scoring by Frederick Thackeray.^[3]

After graduating from Oxford, Hales took holy orders in the Church of England. His first ecclesiastical post was as rector of Carfax, Oxford from 1850, where he was also a lecturer at St. Martin's Carfax.^[1] He became the rector of Woodmancote, Sussex in 1860.^[4] Hales died at Hove in April 1906.