Jack Crawford (cricketer)
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 England (Eng) |
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| Batting style | Right-handed batsman (RHB) | |
| Bowling type | n/a | |
| Tests | First-class | |
| Matches | 12 | 210 |
| Runs scored | 469 | 9,488 |
| Batting average | 22.33 | 32.60 |
| 100s/50s | 0/2 | 15/43 |
| Top score | 74 | 232 |
| Balls bowled | 2,203 | 35,423 |
| Wickets | 39 | 815 |
| Bowling average | 29.48 | 20.66 |
| 5 wickets in innings | 3 | 57 |
| 10 wickets in match | 0 | 12 |
| Best bowling | 5/48 | 8/24 |
| Catches/stumpings | 13/0 | 162/0 |
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Test debut: 2 January 1906 |
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Jack Crawford (John Neville Crawford; born December 1, 1886 in Cane Hill, Surrey; died May 2, 1963 in Epsom, Surrey) was one of the best all-rounders of the 1900s, although he habitually played in spectacles.
He first emerged when still a boy at Repton in 1904 and created such an impression both as a batsman and medium pace bowler that he was invited to play for Surrey when the school broke up. His length and break-back were so deadly on rain-affected pitches that he headed the Surrey averages above W.C. Smith. He did little as a batman, but when free to play after the end of school term the following year hit two centuries for Surrey and, though not asked to do much bowling on the unusually fiery Oval pitches, was quite unplayable on a sticky wicket against a weak Northamptonshire side late in the year. He went on a MCC tour to South Africa but could not prevent a crushing defeat at the hands of the googly bowlers then developing.
His hard hitting developed considerably in 1906, when despite having almost no pitch to help him all year he took 111 wickets for under 20 runs each and scored 1174 runs, becoming the youngest player to do the "double" of 1000 runs and 100 wickets until 1949 when Brian Close broke the record. He was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year by the 1907 Wisden as a deserved reward. Crawford did little for the Gentlemen at Lord's that year - Neville Knox and Reggie Spooner shared the honours of a famous victory against the Players - but in the wet summer he of 1907 maintained his form fully and played against South Africa in the Oval Test after being mistakenly omitted at Leeds when the soft wicket would have suited his bowling.
That winter, Crawford's superb, accurate bowling on hard Australian pitches earned him his greatest fame, for his 30 wickets at under 25 each in a team lucky not to lose all five Tests deserved and received the highest praise. His batting, though, seemed to lack the technique for the long struggle of Australian cricket at that time. However, perhaps Crawford's adapting his style to suit Australian conditions affected his bowling the following year, for although he took 98 wickets he was at least once harmless when he should have been unplayable. His batting, however developed still further, for he hit three centuries including 232 against Somerset at The Oval. In 1909, his bowling declined almost to the point of him becoming a specialist batsman, but he was also disappointing with the bat and a mid-season dispute led to his settling and taking up business in South Australia.
With South Australia, and later in New Zealand, Crawford retained his reputation as an aggressive batsman and occasionally showed some of his early skill in bowling. In 1919, after World War I, Crawford returned to Surrey and - though his bowling had deserted him - played some superb innings, notably his 47 not out with which he and Jack Hobbs inflicted Kent's only defeat of the County Championship season in pouring rain. Surrey needed 96 to win in 45 minutes, and Crawford and Hobbs got the runs in 32 minutes. However, business in Rochdale from the following season prevented him playing in more than four first-class matches in 1920 and 1921. However, his fearless driving of the Australian fast bowlers for 144 in 1921 - when he and Tom Rushby (an inept batsman) had to add 45 for the last wicket to avoid the follow-on - was regarded as easily the best innings Crawford ever played.
