Ken James (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Cecil James was a cricketer
who played for Wellington, Northamptonshire
and New Zealand
.
A wicket-keeper
and a useful batsman, James first played for Wellington in 1923 and came to England with the first New Zealand touring party in 1927
ostensibly as second string to Tom Lowry
. But he quickly made the wicket-keeping position his own, with 85 dismissals on the tour, including eight at Derby
. His understanding of the spin of Bill Merritt, the touring team's most successful bowler, was especially noted. No Test matches
were played on the 1927 tour.
James was first-choice wicket-keeper when the first New Zealand Test matches were played in 1929-30 against England
, and again on the tour of England in 1931, and he also played in the home series against South Africa
in 1931-32 and against England the following year. In 11 Tests, he made 16 dismissals but failed completely as a batsman, scoring only 52 runs in total.
But James then left New Zealand for England to qualify by residence as a county player for Northamptonshire, becoming the regular wicket-keeper from 1936 to 1939 and being joined there by Merritt. For a very weak county — Northamptonshire failed to win a single match for four years from May 1935 — James was notable not only for his wicket-keeping but also increasingly as a batsman, and in 1938, he scored more than 1,000 runs and made two centuries.
James served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force
during the Second World War and then returned to New Zealand, where he played a few more first-class matches before retiring to run a public house. He died at Palmerston North
.
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"....
who played for Wellington, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
and New Zealand
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...
.
A wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
and a useful batsman, James first played for Wellington in 1923 and came to England with the first New Zealand touring party in 1927
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1927
The New Zealand cricket team toured England in the 1927 season. The team contained many of the players who would later play Test cricket for New Zealand, but the tour did not include any Test matches and the 1927 English cricket season was the last, apart from the Second World War years and the...
ostensibly as second string to Tom Lowry
Tom Lowry
Thomas Coleman Lowry was a New Zealand cricketer. He played in the first seven Test matches that New Zealand ever played, captaining the team in all of them....
. But he quickly made the wicket-keeping position his own, with 85 dismissals on the tour, including eight at Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. His understanding of the spin of Bill Merritt, the touring team's most successful bowler, was especially noted. No Test matches
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...
were played on the 1927 tour.
James was first-choice wicket-keeper when the first New Zealand Test matches were played in 1929-30 against England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
, and again on the tour of England in 1931, and he also played 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 1931-32 and against England the following year. In 11 Tests, he made 16 dismissals but failed completely as a batsman, scoring only 52 runs in total.
But James then left New Zealand for England to qualify by residence as a county player for Northamptonshire, becoming the regular wicket-keeper from 1936 to 1939 and being joined there by Merritt. For a very weak county — Northamptonshire failed to win a single match for four years from May 1935 — James was notable not only for his wicket-keeping but also increasingly as a batsman, and in 1938, he scored more than 1,000 runs and made two centuries.
James served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
during the Second World War and then returned to New Zealand, where he played a few more first-class matches before retiring to run a public house. He died at Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
.