Leonard Chamberlain
Encyclopedia
William Leonard "Len" Chamberlain (15 January 1889 – 21 March 1956) was an Australian first-class cricket
er who played Sheffield Shield cricket for South Australia
. He was also an Australian rules football
er for Norwood
in the South Australian Football League
(SAFL).
An all-rounder
, Chamberlain got his first called up to the South Australian team in the 1907/08 cricket season, when he played against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club
in a first-class
fixtures. Chamberlain, who dismissed Test player Jack Crawford
for his maiden wicket, made his Sheffield Shield debut three weeks later. He participated in South Australia's 1912/13 Shield winning campaign, scoring 166 runs and taking eight wickets from his three matches. His wickets tally was the third highest for South Australia but perhaps his best moment came with the bat when he came in at five and amassed 103 in just 130 minutes against New South Wales
at Adelaide Oval
.
Chamberlain was a member of Norwood's 1907 premiership team, in his first season at the club. He kicked 27 goals for the year to top their goal-kicking. The following season he was joined at Norwood by his brother Jack and they played together in the 1908 Challenge Final, which Norwood lost by just three points. Chamberlain was controversially denied a free kick in front of goals in the dying seconds, which would likely have given Norwood back to back premierships. He topped Norwood's goal-kicking on two more occasions, with 19 goals in 1910 and 23 goals in 1912. After spending 1913 in England
, Chamberlain returned for one final season in 1914 before again leaving the state, this time to Sydney
.
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...
er who played Sheffield Shield cricket for South Australia
Southern Redbacks
The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...
. He was also an Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er for Norwood
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
in the South Australian Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
(SAFL).
An all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, Chamberlain got his first called up to the South Australian team in the 1907/08 cricket season, when he played against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club
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...
in a 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...
fixtures. Chamberlain, who dismissed Test player Jack Crawford
Jack Crawford (cricketer)
John Neville Crawford was an English first-class cricketer who played mainly for Surrey. An amateur, he played as an all-rounder and was highly regarded from an unusually early age before a disagreement with his county curtailed his career. A right-handed batsman, Crawford had a reputation for...
for his maiden wicket, made his Sheffield Shield debut three weeks later. He participated in South Australia's 1912/13 Shield winning campaign, scoring 166 runs and taking eight wickets from his three matches. His wickets tally was the third highest for South Australia but perhaps his best moment came with the bat when he came in at five and amassed 103 in just 130 minutes against New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
at Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
.
Chamberlain was a member of Norwood's 1907 premiership team, in his first season at the club. He kicked 27 goals for the year to top their goal-kicking. The following season he was joined at Norwood by his brother Jack and they played together in the 1908 Challenge Final, which Norwood lost by just three points. Chamberlain was controversially denied a free kick in front of goals in the dying seconds, which would likely have given Norwood back to back premierships. He topped Norwood's goal-kicking on two more occasions, with 19 goals in 1910 and 23 goals in 1912. After spending 1913 in 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...
, Chamberlain returned for one final season in 1914 before again leaving the state, this time to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.