Jimmy Sinclair
Encyclopedia
James Hugh Sinclair was an South Africa
n cricket
er who played in 25 Tests
from 1896 to 1911.
He also played international rugby union
and won a single international appearance in association football. This feat of having made international appearances in three distinct sports is, as far as this editor is aware, shared by only two other South Africans, one of whom was Percy Sherwell (cricket, association football and tennis).
It is on record that he hit the first test century by a South African, and several of the records which he established were only surpassed during the 1990s and later. A 2006 source shows Sinclair as still being the world's 6th quickest batsman.
There are also various stories told about Sinclair, including that relating the occasion on which a ball which he had hit for a six at the old Wanderers' Ground in Johannesburg (Central) landed on a train bound for Port Elizabeth and was only recovered at that destination. This ball was for many years on display at the Wanderers' clubhouse (both old and new grounds) until a fire in the latter part of the 20th century.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played in 25 Tests
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...
from 1896 to 1911.
He also played international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and won a single international appearance in association football. This feat of having made international appearances in three distinct sports is, as far as this editor is aware, shared by only two other South Africans, one of whom was Percy Sherwell (cricket, association football and tennis).
It is on record that he hit the first test century by a South African, and several of the records which he established were only surpassed during the 1990s and later. A 2006 source shows Sinclair as still being the world's 6th quickest batsman.
There are also various stories told about Sinclair, including that relating the occasion on which a ball which he had hit for a six at the old Wanderers' Ground in Johannesburg (Central) landed on a train bound for Port Elizabeth and was only recovered at that destination. This ball was for many years on display at the Wanderers' clubhouse (both old and new grounds) until a fire in the latter part of the 20th century.