Famous Cricketers No 76 - J.N.Crawford

Jack Crawford died, aged 76, on 2 May 1963. E.W.Swanton’s obituary recalled that he saw him ‘alas! only stiff and ageing in a club match’ but former Repton team-mate Harry Altham remarked that if Crawford ‘bestrode the game like a Colossus, he remained natural and friendly with us all; he played his cricket with infinite zest and played it always as a game’. Wisden ’s obituary merely recounted his family background and career highlights. 1904 For a 17 year old schoolboy to take part in county cricket throughout August and appear near the top of the first-class bowling averages was remarkable. Crawford made his first appearance against Kent at Canterbury and opened with more batting glory than bowling. His 54 out of 216 in his first innings was impressive but thereafter his bowling earned greater plaudits. He took eight wickets on his debut at Lord’s against Middlesex, six wickets in the first innings of the match against Somerset at Taunton, 10 wickets for 78 runs versus Gloucestershire at Cheltenham when he bowled unchanged with the Winchester amateur Harold McDonell (10-89), and nine wickets against Leicestershire at The Oval. Crawford’s selection needs to be set in the context of Surrey experiencing its worst season in twenty years with six wins to set against twelve defeats. Club supporters did not take kindly to misfortune, imagining a new George Lohmann [last appearance 1896, died 1901] or a younger Tom Richardson [then aged 33] could be had for the asking. With a side in transition Bill Lockwood and Richardson played just six matches between them, Bobby Abel (aged 46) twice lost his place in the county side and Herbert Strudwick (just returned from the MCC’s tour of Australia) was injured. In addition fifteen players appeared in ten matches or less and there was an unsettled captaincy. Four of Surrey’s amateur captains played 23 county games between them. The scene was set for endless experiments. The most successful experiment was Crawford’s inclusion for the last nine matches of Surrey’s 34 match season. Compared for class with a public school prodigy of the previous decade, Clifton and Gloucestershire’s Charles Townsend, Crawford’s main impact was as a medium-pace off-spinner and an uncommonly good one. First in the Surrey averages and fourth in the aggregates, Crawford came third in the national averages, and 49th in the national aggregates with the ball. Bowling with plenty of variety he commanded a formidable off-break when the ground helped him. With the bat he was less successful after his initial innings. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 1. Surrey v Kent, Canterbury, August 4, 5, 6 (Kent won by six wickets) c R.N.R.Blaker b W.J.Fairservice 54 216 26 3 112 3 E.W.Dillon c T.W.Hayward 435 1 Jas Seymour c E.G.Hayes R.N.R.Blaker b run out 13 321 2.5 0 22 0 107-4 2. Surrey v Warwickshire, Kennington Oval, August 8, 9, 10 (Match drawn) c J.Lynes b S.Hargreave 31 337 17 1 61 2 W.G.Quaife c E.G.Hayes 336 A.F.A.Lilley b 15.5 2 53 3 A.C.S.Glover b 262-5 W.G.Quaife b J.F.Byrne c W.E.Davis 3. Surrey v Sussex, Kennington Oval, August (11), 12, 13 (Match drawn) run out 16 194 14 2 36 1 P.H.Latham b 265 c and b E.H.Killick 19 215-5 4. Surrey v Middlesex, Lord’s, August 18, 19, 20 (Middlesex won by two wickets) b A.E.Trott 7 179 25 8 51 4 J.Douglas lbw 109 B.J.T.Bosanquet c F.Stedman C.Palmer b R.E.More b c C.Palmer b B.J.T.Bosanquet 11 179 36 11 72 4 J.Douglas c F.Stedman 250-8 F.E.Field b B.J.T.Bosanquet b R.E.More b 4