Famous Cricketers No 76 - J.N.Crawford

1909/10 - in Australia Crawford picked a good time to arrive in South Australia. He reached Adelaide aboard the steamer, The Otway on 6 December 1909 and the following Saturday (11 December) he captured 6-39 (all bowled) for East Torrens against Adelaide in district cricket. He missed the state side’s first fixture against an under-strength Victorian team in November where the home team outplayed the visitors to win by an innings and 209 runs. However, he played the remaining three matches which led to South Australia winning the Sheffield Shield for the first time since 1893/94. That Crawford was able to play reflected the qualification issues involved. Victoria had previously waived the three month residential requirement of 1894, claiming that they had no record of it. The Executive Committee of the New South Wales Cricket Association maintained Crawford was ineligible but accepted the Victoria resolution, subsequently being criticised by a full NSWCA meeting as a result. Along with Test bowlers Bill Whitty and John O’Connor, and leg-spinner Albert Wright, Crawford formed an almost remodelled attack after the first game, and although the team lost the return match against Victoria in Melbourne they had substantial victories over New South Wales both home and away. Crawford was a major contributor in each game with both bat and ball. He captured eight wickets against New South Wales in his first game at Adelaide Oval, made a first innings seventy in Melbourne, and scored an undefeated seventy and took a further eight wickets in the NSW match in Sydney. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 159. South Australia v New South Wales, Adelaide, December 18, 20, 21 (South Australia won by an innings and 4 runs) c J.C.Barnes b L.A.Minnett 14 397 11 2 31 2 J.C.Barnes b 184 1 H.L.Collins b 24.1 5 59 6 E.L.Waddy b 209 1 F.K.Gow b E.F.Waddy b J.C.Barnes c W.J.Whitty R.V.Minnett c G.C.Campbell L.A.Minnett b 160. South Australia v Victoria, Melbourne, January 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 (Victoria won by 81 runs) c F.J.Laver b A.Kenny 75 360 13 1 63 2 W.J.Scott c R.E.Mayne 206 2 A.Kenny b c F.T.Delves b F.J.Laver 4 223 27 3 120 2 F.T.Delves c C.Hill 458 D.B.M.Smith b 161. South Australia v New South Wales, Sydney, January 8, 10, 11 (South Australia won by seven wickets) b W.J.Stack 12 207 5 0 13 1 C.R.Corry b 92 not out 73 178-3 27 2 92 7 W.Bardsley c E.H.Leak 289 E.L.Waddy c K.H.Quist J.C.Barnes c G.C.Campbell R.V.Minnett b C.Kelleway c A.H.Woolcock W.J.Stack b L.A.Minnett b SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Sheffield Shield 3 5 1 178 73* 44.50 - 2 4 Career 161 247 24 6588 232 29.54 8 31 118 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Sheffield Shield 107.1 13 378 20 7-92 18.90 2 - Career 4269.2 990 11877 587 8-24 20.23 37 7 24