John Ireland (cricketer)

Captain John Frederick Ireland MC (12 August 1888 – 16 October 1970) was an English amateur cricketer. Ireland was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm roundarm medium pace.

John Ireland
Personal information
Full name
John Frederick Ireland
Born(1888-08-12)12 August 1888
Port Louis, Mauritius
Died21 October 1970(1970-10-21) (aged 82)
Uckfield, Sussex, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm roundarm medium
Relations
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1906–1911Suffolk
1908–1911Cambridge University
1912MCC
FC debut14 May 1908 Cambridge University v Yorkshire
Last FC4 July 1912 MCC v Cambridge University
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 28
Runs scored 1,355
Batting average 28.82
100s/50s 3/0
Top score 123
Balls bowled 1,561
Wickets 37
Bowling average 21.27
5 wickets in innings 2
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 5/25
Catches/stumpings 21/–
Source: CricInfo, 4 July 2018

Cricket

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Ireland played cricket at Marlborough College where he was educated, captaining the Marlborough side in 1907.[1] He played for Cambridge University between 1908 and 1911, making 28 first-class appearances in total, 27 for the University and one for MCC in 1912.[1][2] He also played Minor Counties cricket for Suffolk between 1906 and 1911.[1]

A three-sport athlete, Ireland played cricket, hockey and golf while attending Trinity College, winning blues in his freshman year in both cricket and hockey.[3] He held the unusual record of captaining three Cambridge University teams in those games and was a triple blue.[4]

Ireland's uncle, Frederick Ireland, also played cricket and made four first-class appearances between 1878 and 1887.[5] Ireland's brother-in-law, Eric Crankshaw, made one first-class appearance in 1909.[6]

Life

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Ireland was born on 12 August 1888 in Port Louis, Mauritius,[2] the second son of George Hugh Ireland of Ireland Fraser & Co.,[7] Mauritius and his first wife, Margaret Guthrie Harvey, the daughter of John Harvey of Kent and Singapore.[8] He was the grandson of George Ireland, one of the founders of Ireland Fraser & Co., and the great-grandson of Walter Foggo Ireland, a Church of Scotland minister at the North Leith Parish Church within the Presbytery of Edinburgh.[9]

During the First World War, Ireland was a Captain in the Royal Field Artillery deployed in France. In September 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry while in command of a battery that came under heavy bombardment.[10]

Ireland married Philippa Sarah Bates, the daughter of Philip Bates, on 18 December 1917 at Holy Trinity Church, Upper Chelsea.[11]

Professionally, Ireland was a Director of Ireland Fraser, a company co-founded by his grandfather George Ireland, now called Ireland Blyth Limited, as well as Arbuthnot Latham & Co. and Mercantile Bank of India.[12]

Ireland died on 21 October 1970 at Uckfield in Sussex, England.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c John Ireland, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  2. ^ a b c "ESPN cricinfo". ESPN cricinfo. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  3. ^ "University Sports, Famous "Blues"". London, England. The Observer. 24 July 1910.
  4. ^ J.F. Ireland (Uckfield). Kent and Sussex Courier, 30 October 1970, p8
  5. ^ Frederick Ireland, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  6. ^ "ESPN cricinfo". ESPN cricinfo. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  7. ^ Allister Macmillan (2000). Mauritius Illustrated: Historical and Descriptive, Commercial and Industrial Facts, Figures, & Resources. Maurititus: Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120615083. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  8. ^ Ireland, George Hugh Ireland (29 September 1884). "Marriages, Ireland - Harvey". St. James Gazette, London, England.
  9. ^ "The Dundee Courier". Dundee, Angus, Scotland. 14 February 1879. Deaths - At Blackheath Park, Kent, on the 9th inst., George Ireland, of Messrs. Ireland, Fraser, & Co., Mauritius, and eldest son of the late Rev. W. F. Ireland, D.D., minister of the parish of North Leith.
  10. ^ "No. 30287". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 September 1917. p. 9574.
  11. ^ "London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932". London, England. 1917. p. 162. Retrieved 4 July 2018. Holy Trinity Church, Upper Chelsea, London, England
  12. ^ Ireland, John Frederick. "UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960". United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 July 2018. October 1926 and May 1947
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John Ireland at ESPNcricinfo