Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

68 large bill! The two groups duly met up in Kingston on 14 February and four days later, they played their first match – a two-day affair against the Jamaica ‘Next XV’ at Melbourne Park. Jack duly opened the bowling with Middlesex’s Jack Durston, but neither gained a wicket as the locals amassed 342 for eight before letting the Englishmen have some batting practice against the local attack. Jack grabbed the opportunity with both hands, making a quick-fire 42 with a volley of massive blows, before being caught in the deep attempting to hit another six against a young leg-spinner. The following game was a much more serious affair, with Cahn’s XI playing Jamaica in a four-day fixture deemed first-class. Cahn played in this fixture, also at Melbourne Park, thus making his first-class debut, but it was an in- auspicious appearance as he fractured a thumb during the course of the game and took no further part in the matches on the tour. Jack was also on the sidelines for this contest which saw Jamaica win by seven wickets, and perhaps miffed at his non-selection for the first of two games against the hosts, he produced a fine spell of seven for 23 from sixteen overs the following morning in a one-day affair against the Jamaica Garrison at Camp St Andrew. The tourists proved far too strong despite the Garrison fielding thirteen men, and the 75-run victory was the perfect prelude to A rarity. Photograph from the Cahn visit to Jamaica in 1929, at Sabina Park, Kingston. Sir William Morrison, president of the Jamaica Cricket Council, makes presentations, including bats, to the players in the five-day match between a West Indian XI and Sir Julien Cahn’s XI in mid March. Jack Mercer is at the far left of the picture. A tour to Jamaica