Lives in Cricket No 9 - JH King

Newlands, the majority of those present probably coming chiefly to watch the initial performance of King for the Province.’ King did not disappoint, although the reporter adds that ‘the well-known maxim that the King can do no wrong was not altogether borne out, as when his total had reached 37, made up mostly by strong straight drives and neat leg glances, a beauty from the inimitable Rain . . . got clean past his defence’. Given the honour of opening the bowling (Kotze was not playing) he and H.W.Carolin then took five wickets each, bowling unchanged through Alma’s innings of 92 to give their team a lead of 110. King’s overall statistics for the season, in which Western Province won the Senior Championship, I have unfortunately not been able to ascertain. For the winter of 1905/06 King returned to South Africa. Western Province had clearly found King not only a very able performer but also a good ‘team-man’. One reporter observed of an innings that ‘the “pro” was playing the proper game; no thoughts of average disturbed him in the pursuit of runs’. Nonetheless his club cannot have found fault with his averages that season, which make fine reading. Batting: innings 18, not out 2, runs 697, highest score 106, average 43.56. Bowling: overs 184.5, maidens 45, runs 513, wickets 35, average 14.65. His average for batting was, therefore, only a Successes and Disappointments 61 The Western Province club side in 1904/05. Standing (l to r): H.W.Carolin, Capt Wadlow, W.A.Hicks, R.Buchanan, J.H.King, A.V.C.Bissett and Gnr Smith (umpire). Seated: P.S.T.Jones, A.Reid, M.Bisset (capt), F.B.Moore and J.J.Kotze. On the ground: H.M.Taberer and A.N.Difford. Six of King’s colleagues played first-class cricket.