John Sparling
Encyclopedia
John Trevor Sparling is a former New Zealand
cricket
er who played in 11 Tests
from 1958 to 1964.
A stocky, fair-haired, off-spinning all-rounder, Sparling was coached in Auckland by Jim Laker
and broke into the Auckland team at the age of 18. A year and a half later, he was the youngest member of the New Zealand cricket team
that toured England in 1958. On a tour where New Zealand were badly outclassed and in a summer where the weather was almost uniformly dismal, Sparling was one of the few players to emerge with an enhanced reputation. Wisden
called him the player with "undoubtedly most promise" and wrote: "A natural cricketer, he should come to the fore with so many years ahead of him."
In fact, Sparling's figures for the tour were fairly modest: 513 runs at an average of less than 18 runs per innings and 38 wickets at just over 20 runs a wicket. He played in the last three of the five Tests and his 50 at Old Trafford
on his 20th birthday was one of only three 50s scored by the side all summer. His stand of 61 for the seventh wicket with Eric Petrie
in this match was the highest stand for New Zealand in the whole series.
Predictions of a long and glorious Test career were, however, wide of the mark. Sparling played twice against the touring MCC
side in 1958-59, three times on the New Zealand tour of South Africa in 1961-62, once against MCC in New Zealand in 1962-63 and twice in the home series against South Africa
in 1963-64.
In none of these matches did Sparling reach 50 as a batsman and in none of them did he take more than one wicket in an innings. He remained a consistent all-rounder in New Zealand domestic cricket until the early 1970s, but his Test career ended when he was 25.
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
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 11 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 1958 to 1964.
A stocky, fair-haired, off-spinning all-rounder, Sparling was coached in Auckland by Jim Laker
Jim Laker
James "Jim" Charles Laker was a cricketer who played for England in the 1950s, known for "Laker's match" in 1956 at Old Trafford, when he took nineteen wickets in England's victory against Australia...
and broke into the Auckland team at the age of 18. A year and a half later, he was the youngest member of the New Zealand cricket team
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1958
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1958 season. In a notably wet summer when the touring side lost the equivalent of 29 full days of cricket, the side lost four of the five Test matches...
that toured England in 1958. On a tour where New Zealand were badly outclassed and in a summer where the weather was almost uniformly dismal, Sparling was one of the few players to emerge with an enhanced reputation. Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
called him the player with "undoubtedly most promise" and wrote: "A natural cricketer, he should come to the fore with so many years ahead of him."
In fact, Sparling's figures for the tour were fairly modest: 513 runs at an average of less than 18 runs per innings and 38 wickets at just over 20 runs a wicket. He played in the last three of the five Tests and his 50 at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (cricket)
Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...
on his 20th birthday was one of only three 50s scored by the side all summer. His stand of 61 for the seventh wicket with Eric Petrie
Eric Petrie
Eric Charlton Petrie was a New Zealand cricketer who played 14 Tests for New Zealand from 1955 to 1966 as a wicket-keeper....
in this match was the highest stand for New Zealand in the whole series.
Predictions of a long and glorious Test career were, however, wide of the mark. Sparling played twice against the touring MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
side in 1958-59, three times on the New Zealand tour of South Africa in 1961-62, once against MCC in New Zealand in 1962-63 and twice in the home series against South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
in 1963-64.
In none of these matches did Sparling reach 50 as a batsman and in none of them did he take more than one wicket in an innings. He remained a consistent all-rounder in New Zealand domestic cricket until the early 1970s, but his Test career ended when he was 25.