James Iremonger
Encyclopedia
James 'Jimmy' Iremonger (born 5 March 1876, Norton
, Yorkshire
, England
; died 25 March 1956, Nottingham
, England) was an English
cricketer
and one of the players most unlucky never to play Test cricket
. He did play a number of minor matches on the 1911/1912 Ashes tour and was considered many times between 1901 and 1905 for a place against Australia.
Iremonger played 334 first-class
matches for Nottinghamshire
between 1899 and 1914, scoring 16,622 runs at 35.06
and taking 619 wickets with his right-arm medium-pace at 22.98
. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1903.
Iremonger had had a trial in the then-annual "Colts" match (whereby a team of twenty potential first-class cricketers played an odds match against the senior Nottinghamshire team) in 1897. It was though he had the potential to strengthen Nottinghamshire's dreadfully weak bowling, so that the county engaged him as a bowler in 1899 and he played in five matches for the first eleven. However, he took only five wickets and never more than one in an innings. It was thought he had the accuracy and the strong physique at over 90 kilogram to succeed but lacked any spin whatsoever and thus could never beat even ordinary batsmen.
However, the following year his solid defence saw Iremonger establish himself in the first team as a batsman, but he was routinely criticised for lacking strokes and his figures with an average of only around 18 bore this out. It was thus a surprise when Iremonger jumped to the from rank of batsmen in August 1901 with four centuries successive matches and an average of 44.
For the following five years, Iremonger was one of the best batsmen in England, forming with Arthur Jones
one of the best opening partnerships in the game. His exceptionally strong and watchful defence made him a very hard man to get out and he had developed a good range of strokes on the off-side - though his rather stiff style made him less than graceful to most spectators watching him. This first stage of Iremonger's career reached its peak in 1904 when he made 1,983 runs with an average above 60, including his highest score of 272 against Kent
. 1907, despite Nottinghamshire winning the Championship, saw Iremonger decline badly as a batsman. He achieved a batting average of above 30 only once in the seven seasons from 1907 to 1913 and dropped down the order from 1910. Nevertheless, Iremonger always remained an extremely useful and obdurate bat in any crisis, and even in the wet summer of 1912 where he only once exceeded fifty, eight not outs gave him an average of 26.
However, from 1908, with John Gunn
and Hallam
declining rapidly as bowlers, Iremonger surprisingly filled the breach in the county's attack. Although he had not infrequently been tried as a change bowler, Iremonger did not take five wickets in an innings until 1908, yet at the end of that year he had taken 57 wickets and headed the Nopttinghamshire bowling averages. By 1910 his developing break-back and accuracy of length made him deadly on a worn or sticky wicket
. The exceptional summer of 1911, though it was thought batsmen "did not find him difficult", saw Iremonger's nagging persevearance on the hardest of pitches rated so highly that he was taken to Australia for bowling alone. He did little and was never considered for the Triangular Tournament despite maintaining his form.
His last season of 1914 saw Iremonger frequently captain Nottinghamshire in the absence of any available amateur to carry out the job
, and he regained some of the batting form of ten years before. His most notable feat, however, was bowling 66 consecutive overs unchanged against Hampshire
at Southampton. This is an all-time record for most overs bowled by any bowler unchanged. When county cricket
resumed after the war, Iremonger did not resume his first-class career, but he did play one match for Notts' Second XI in 1927, when he was 51 years old.
Iremonger lived to the age of 80, and was living in Nottingham
at the time of his death in 1956.
James also played football
for Nottingham Forest
making his debut as a fullback in 1896 against Stoke City, and earned 3 caps for England
.
James's brother Albert Iremonger
, the Notts County F.C.
goalkeeper, also played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire
.
Norton-on-Derwent
Norton-on-Derwent, commonly referred to as 'Norton', is a town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. Norton borders the market town of Malton, and is divided by the River Derwent...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; died 25 March 1956, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, England) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
and one of the players most unlucky never to play Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
. He did play a number of minor matches on the 1911/1912 Ashes tour and was considered many times between 1901 and 1905 for a place against Australia.
Iremonger played 334 first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
between 1899 and 1914, scoring 16,622 runs at 35.06
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and taking 619 wickets with his right-arm medium-pace at 22.98
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1903.
Iremonger had had a trial in the then-annual "Colts" match (whereby a team of twenty potential first-class cricketers played an odds match against the senior Nottinghamshire team) in 1897. It was though he had the potential to strengthen Nottinghamshire's dreadfully weak bowling, so that the county engaged him as a bowler in 1899 and he played in five matches for the first eleven. However, he took only five wickets and never more than one in an innings. It was thought he had the accuracy and the strong physique at over 90 kilogram to succeed but lacked any spin whatsoever and thus could never beat even ordinary batsmen.
However, the following year his solid defence saw Iremonger establish himself in the first team as a batsman, but he was routinely criticised for lacking strokes and his figures with an average of only around 18 bore this out. It was thus a surprise when Iremonger jumped to the from rank of batsmen in August 1901 with four centuries successive matches and an average of 44.
For the following five years, Iremonger was one of the best batsmen in England, forming with Arthur Jones
Arthur Jones (cricketer)
Arthur Owen Jones , was a cricketer, noted as an all-rounder.He was born in Shelton, Nottinghamshire, and educated at Bedford Modern School and Jesus College, Cambridge. He played for Cambridge University, Nottinghamshire, London County and England...
one of the best opening partnerships in the game. His exceptionally strong and watchful defence made him a very hard man to get out and he had developed a good range of strokes on the off-side - though his rather stiff style made him less than graceful to most spectators watching him. This first stage of Iremonger's career reached its peak in 1904 when he made 1,983 runs with an average above 60, including his highest score of 272 against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
. 1907, despite Nottinghamshire winning the Championship, saw Iremonger decline badly as a batsman. He achieved a batting average of above 30 only once in the seven seasons from 1907 to 1913 and dropped down the order from 1910. Nevertheless, Iremonger always remained an extremely useful and obdurate bat in any crisis, and even in the wet summer of 1912 where he only once exceeded fifty, eight not outs gave him an average of 26.
However, from 1908, with John Gunn
John Gunn (cricketer)
John Richmond Gunn was an English cricketer who played in six Tests from 1901 to 1905....
and Hallam
Albert Hallam
Albert Hallam was an off spin bowler who is primarily remembered, along with Thomas Wass, for giving Nottinghamshire an astonishing win in the County Championship of 1907...
declining rapidly as bowlers, Iremonger surprisingly filled the breach in the county's attack. Although he had not infrequently been tried as a change bowler, Iremonger did not take five wickets in an innings until 1908, yet at the end of that year he had taken 57 wickets and headed the Nopttinghamshire bowling averages. By 1910 his developing break-back and accuracy of length made him deadly on a worn or sticky wicket
Sticky wicket
Sticky wicket is a metaphor used to describe a difficult circumstance; it originates from difficult circumstances in the sport of cricket.-Origins:...
. The exceptional summer of 1911, though it was thought batsmen "did not find him difficult", saw Iremonger's nagging persevearance on the hardest of pitches rated so highly that he was taken to Australia for bowling alone. He did little and was never considered for the Triangular Tournament despite maintaining his form.
His last season of 1914 saw Iremonger frequently captain Nottinghamshire in the absence of any available amateur to carry out the job
History of English amateur cricket
The history of English amateur cricket describes the concept and importance of amateur players in English cricket.-Co-development of amateur and professional cricket to 1800:...
, and he regained some of the batting form of ten years before. His most notable feat, however, was bowling 66 consecutive overs unchanged against Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
at Southampton. This is an all-time record for most overs bowled by any bowler unchanged. When county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
resumed after the war, Iremonger did not resume his first-class career, but he did play one match for Notts' Second XI in 1927, when he was 51 years old.
Iremonger lived to the age of 80, and was living in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
at the time of his death in 1956.
James also played football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
making his debut as a fullback in 1896 against Stoke City, and earned 3 caps for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
James's brother Albert Iremonger
Albert Iremonger
Albert Iremonger was a county-class cricketer, goalkeeper and brother of England international cricketer James Iremonger.-Early life:Albert Iremonger was born in Wilford, Nottinghamshire on 15 June 1884...
, the Notts County F.C.
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
goalkeeper, also played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
.